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From Seconds Out.Com
By Patrick Kehoe
Manny Pacquiao - Age 27 stands 5'6 ½" with a career record of 40-3-2 (32) in 45 fights.
The Hunger of Necessity: No one has to tell Manny Pacquiao that he needs to beat Erik Morales to stay at the very highest level of featherweight boxing-junior lightweight boxing. His knockout win over Marco Antonio Barrera gave off a lot of radiation; his win over Marquez sustained his viability, marketability and the momentum of his career. The sense that a championship fighter is either dominant or riding the crest of a self-defining wave of momentum is critical for fighters who desire to stay within the ionosphere of Pay Per View boxing. Right now Pacquiao needs a monster win and Morales is exactly the kind of name he wants down on his career CV with a 'W' beside it. Would Pacquiao get big fights if he were to lose to Morales? The answer is undoubtedly, yes. But he would be losing money, promotional controls and all the optioning that goes along with winning big fights and being seen as the controlling ring agent within the elite level of his division(s).
Sheer Pride: We could add this category as an addendum to the above category and yet we know Manny Pacquiao too well to minimize his sense of purpose. Like Tito Trinidad fought with boundless pride as a literal extension of his beloved Puerto Rico, so Manny Pacquiao fights for the people of The Philippines. That kind of patriotic identification pushes a fighter to levels of sacrifice other fighters seldom experience and there's little doubt therein we find an integral facet of the Pacquiao make-up heading into this rematch of champions. No one likes letting down an entire nation! The burden of fame does, at times, translate into the inspiration of necessity. Manny Pacquiao faces off with Erik Morales believing in that inspiration.
Small Changes: In their first fight, early in the fight, Pacquiao was able to land with authority coming forward and opening up with combinations that were at first accurate and then translated into power hitting clean up shots. Trainer Freddie Roach wanted Morales not only to back up but to be battered backward, hit and made to retreat onto the ropes. It was then that Pacquiao was to try and dictate to the body, all the while moving his head. Well, head movement was, after about 4 rounds, one thing that both fighters sort of de-prioritized. Even making that adjustment Saturday night might translate into huge tactical gains for Pacquiao. And Roach and Pac Man have worked over time on having the Philippine superstar keeping his head a moving target. Clearly, they believe that even a small increase in head movement through the dangerous transition zone of middle distance would substantially reduce the effectiveness of Morales' right hand power counters. Take that punch away and he has to gamble more on landing left hooks and that's a situation where Team Pacquiao believe Morales would be seriously vulnerable.
Emotional Stability: OK, the first fight was a brutal way to gain experience, but, nevertheless Pacquiao has been down this road before. From an emotional standpoint, Manny Pacquiao knows he was too easily frustrated during those critical middle rounds during the fight. Instead of attempting to adjust he sought to amp up his attack routes which were not being effective. The primary example was the right jab of Pacquiao. In his irritated haste to offset Morales' effectiveness with his long range right hand, Pacquiao ignored trainer Freddie Roach's directions to work his jab to set up his attack routes. Instead Pacquiao tried sheer physicality, which Morales was able to misdirect and counter. Pacquiao's lack of emotional containment made him more predictable than he needed to be. A cool under fire Pacquiao is a much more troublesome package for Morales. Peeking in order to have emotional fuel to burn is one thing, but, being able to direct passion is another. And Pacquiao's attention in training to some vital technical options will make a big difference for Pac Man!
Being a Champion: If Team Pacquiao has studied the first fight sufficiently, they will realize just how well Pac Man contested the first fight, despite the problems with ex-promoter Murad Muhammad and the issue of the gloves used/not used. When that has been fully comprehended and the final tally of a two point loss put into context, the rematch must seem like a very winnable proposition indeed. The question of which fighter is the more likely to improve upon his first perfromance has to be a good omen for Team Pacquiao.
Erik Morales: Age 29 stands 5'8" with a career record of 48-3 (34) in 51 fights.
Imperial Thinking - When a fighter like Erik Morales has fought and beaten a fighter he believes that he could and will, if necessary, do it again, almost regardless of circumstances. In boxing winning can be an act of power dominance, technical superiority, tactical finesse, momentary good fortune taken or just applied willfulness rewarded. Erik Morales is one of the few fighters of his generation capable of winning no matter the criteria and typically no matter the forces arrayed against him. Heading into his rematch with Manny Pacquiao Erik Morales believes deeply in his ability to match-up, neutralize Pacquiao's dangerous left cross and out work him over the distance, if necessary. Such is the mentality that characterizes itself in imperial terms.
Master's Degree or Technical Superiority: Erik Morales has more in reserve than he's been showing in his last ten fights, if we rate him on technical adroitness. The night he boxed and moved at distance to befuddle In Jun Chi was the night he first heard boos instead of applause, catcalls instead of screaming encouragement. All because the master boxer-puncher chose to hit and not be hit, to fight by rote and reason and not apply for barbarous and gratuitous infighting, the only way Chi was going to have a shot at winning. And Morales remembered only the ringing of those boos in his ears. Such an abiding memory has coloured Morales' thinking from that fight in July, 2001 until now. But in moments of duress, though his instinct is to attack back, he can also apply stealth and cunning. Indeed, his middle rounds against Pacquiao in their first fight was Morales at his counter hitting best, his applied aggression always defensively sound, though not restrictive. He was able to make a mid ring, mid flow adjustment to Pacquiao's first round barrage as well as create the application of his right hand behind a left lead that at times went for the head, at other times to the chest or just to position the target of Pacquiao's head. When Morales throws with that kind of punching logic, he's very, very difficult to over come. And he knows he's the more versatile boxer; his left lead effectively defined the spacing which made up the central engagements in the first fight. Imagine Morales upping his use of the left lead and one can easily envision a much simpler outing for Erik Morales.
Size Matters: OK, so the fighters are virtually the same weight. Morales is the fighter with the larger frame. His reach is superior and that goes a long way - sorry - to ensure that he can win a battle of the jabs. Those long legs for a 130lb. fighter, typically vibrant with above average agility below lightweight, go some way - sorry - toward enabling Morales to situate himself out of Pacquiao's power range when warranted/necessary. Morales will have to avoid the temptation to stay inside too long however, if he hopes to maximize these two physical advantages. Can Morales fight a prudent fight? We leave you with the question that seems to be a specter following Morales about over the last phase of his career.
Hooks and Uppercuts: Erik Morales once told me that there are some punches that you just can't land on certain fighters. You do the scouting and it looks like a certain punch should be effective in a given situation and then come the fight it's useless. Essentially, Team Morales intended to utilize the left lead to set up his right cross, mostly as a counter measure. Being a power punch on the counter was thee way they believed to most affectively apply Morales' best punch. And they were right. A close examination of the fight also shows that on those rare occasions when Morales did go to the body with the left hook and the head with his uppercut those punches too were very effective. On has to wonder why Morales didn't throw the uppercut more down the stretch and the left hook to the head when Pacquiao tired late? Look for the Morales uppercut more in the rematch.
Body Work Works: Both Erik Morales and Manny Pacquiao scored early and hard to the body in the first fight between these remarkable fighters. Yet only intermittently did either get to the body for the balance of the fight. Morales failed to work the body against lightweight Zahir Raheem in September, 2005 and it cost him dearly; though, at 130 Morales is more capable of predatory malice, probing to punish. Hidden within Morales' over all work rate - which clearly distressed Pac Man - scoring situationally to the body will benefit Morales in the 10th through the 12th. Not that either man wishes for a protracted encounter. But getting to the body has always been a very Morales thing to do against solid opposition. Look for a return to that device on Saturday night from the Tijuana legend.
By Patrick Kehoe
Manny Pacquiao - Age 27 stands 5'6 ½" with a career record of 40-3-2 (32) in 45 fights.
The Hunger of Necessity: No one has to tell Manny Pacquiao that he needs to beat Erik Morales to stay at the very highest level of featherweight boxing-junior lightweight boxing. His knockout win over Marco Antonio Barrera gave off a lot of radiation; his win over Marquez sustained his viability, marketability and the momentum of his career. The sense that a championship fighter is either dominant or riding the crest of a self-defining wave of momentum is critical for fighters who desire to stay within the ionosphere of Pay Per View boxing. Right now Pacquiao needs a monster win and Morales is exactly the kind of name he wants down on his career CV with a 'W' beside it. Would Pacquiao get big fights if he were to lose to Morales? The answer is undoubtedly, yes. But he would be losing money, promotional controls and all the optioning that goes along with winning big fights and being seen as the controlling ring agent within the elite level of his division(s).
Sheer Pride: We could add this category as an addendum to the above category and yet we know Manny Pacquiao too well to minimize his sense of purpose. Like Tito Trinidad fought with boundless pride as a literal extension of his beloved Puerto Rico, so Manny Pacquiao fights for the people of The Philippines. That kind of patriotic identification pushes a fighter to levels of sacrifice other fighters seldom experience and there's little doubt therein we find an integral facet of the Pacquiao make-up heading into this rematch of champions. No one likes letting down an entire nation! The burden of fame does, at times, translate into the inspiration of necessity. Manny Pacquiao faces off with Erik Morales believing in that inspiration.
Small Changes: In their first fight, early in the fight, Pacquiao was able to land with authority coming forward and opening up with combinations that were at first accurate and then translated into power hitting clean up shots. Trainer Freddie Roach wanted Morales not only to back up but to be battered backward, hit and made to retreat onto the ropes. It was then that Pacquiao was to try and dictate to the body, all the while moving his head. Well, head movement was, after about 4 rounds, one thing that both fighters sort of de-prioritized. Even making that adjustment Saturday night might translate into huge tactical gains for Pacquiao. And Roach and Pac Man have worked over time on having the Philippine superstar keeping his head a moving target. Clearly, they believe that even a small increase in head movement through the dangerous transition zone of middle distance would substantially reduce the effectiveness of Morales' right hand power counters. Take that punch away and he has to gamble more on landing left hooks and that's a situation where Team Pacquiao believe Morales would be seriously vulnerable.
Emotional Stability: OK, the first fight was a brutal way to gain experience, but, nevertheless Pacquiao has been down this road before. From an emotional standpoint, Manny Pacquiao knows he was too easily frustrated during those critical middle rounds during the fight. Instead of attempting to adjust he sought to amp up his attack routes which were not being effective. The primary example was the right jab of Pacquiao. In his irritated haste to offset Morales' effectiveness with his long range right hand, Pacquiao ignored trainer Freddie Roach's directions to work his jab to set up his attack routes. Instead Pacquiao tried sheer physicality, which Morales was able to misdirect and counter. Pacquiao's lack of emotional containment made him more predictable than he needed to be. A cool under fire Pacquiao is a much more troublesome package for Morales. Peeking in order to have emotional fuel to burn is one thing, but, being able to direct passion is another. And Pacquiao's attention in training to some vital technical options will make a big difference for Pac Man!
Being a Champion: If Team Pacquiao has studied the first fight sufficiently, they will realize just how well Pac Man contested the first fight, despite the problems with ex-promoter Murad Muhammad and the issue of the gloves used/not used. When that has been fully comprehended and the final tally of a two point loss put into context, the rematch must seem like a very winnable proposition indeed. The question of which fighter is the more likely to improve upon his first perfromance has to be a good omen for Team Pacquiao.
Erik Morales: Age 29 stands 5'8" with a career record of 48-3 (34) in 51 fights.
Imperial Thinking - When a fighter like Erik Morales has fought and beaten a fighter he believes that he could and will, if necessary, do it again, almost regardless of circumstances. In boxing winning can be an act of power dominance, technical superiority, tactical finesse, momentary good fortune taken or just applied willfulness rewarded. Erik Morales is one of the few fighters of his generation capable of winning no matter the criteria and typically no matter the forces arrayed against him. Heading into his rematch with Manny Pacquiao Erik Morales believes deeply in his ability to match-up, neutralize Pacquiao's dangerous left cross and out work him over the distance, if necessary. Such is the mentality that characterizes itself in imperial terms.
Master's Degree or Technical Superiority: Erik Morales has more in reserve than he's been showing in his last ten fights, if we rate him on technical adroitness. The night he boxed and moved at distance to befuddle In Jun Chi was the night he first heard boos instead of applause, catcalls instead of screaming encouragement. All because the master boxer-puncher chose to hit and not be hit, to fight by rote and reason and not apply for barbarous and gratuitous infighting, the only way Chi was going to have a shot at winning. And Morales remembered only the ringing of those boos in his ears. Such an abiding memory has coloured Morales' thinking from that fight in July, 2001 until now. But in moments of duress, though his instinct is to attack back, he can also apply stealth and cunning. Indeed, his middle rounds against Pacquiao in their first fight was Morales at his counter hitting best, his applied aggression always defensively sound, though not restrictive. He was able to make a mid ring, mid flow adjustment to Pacquiao's first round barrage as well as create the application of his right hand behind a left lead that at times went for the head, at other times to the chest or just to position the target of Pacquiao's head. When Morales throws with that kind of punching logic, he's very, very difficult to over come. And he knows he's the more versatile boxer; his left lead effectively defined the spacing which made up the central engagements in the first fight. Imagine Morales upping his use of the left lead and one can easily envision a much simpler outing for Erik Morales.
Size Matters: OK, so the fighters are virtually the same weight. Morales is the fighter with the larger frame. His reach is superior and that goes a long way - sorry - to ensure that he can win a battle of the jabs. Those long legs for a 130lb. fighter, typically vibrant with above average agility below lightweight, go some way - sorry - toward enabling Morales to situate himself out of Pacquiao's power range when warranted/necessary. Morales will have to avoid the temptation to stay inside too long however, if he hopes to maximize these two physical advantages. Can Morales fight a prudent fight? We leave you with the question that seems to be a specter following Morales about over the last phase of his career.
Hooks and Uppercuts: Erik Morales once told me that there are some punches that you just can't land on certain fighters. You do the scouting and it looks like a certain punch should be effective in a given situation and then come the fight it's useless. Essentially, Team Morales intended to utilize the left lead to set up his right cross, mostly as a counter measure. Being a power punch on the counter was thee way they believed to most affectively apply Morales' best punch. And they were right. A close examination of the fight also shows that on those rare occasions when Morales did go to the body with the left hook and the head with his uppercut those punches too were very effective. On has to wonder why Morales didn't throw the uppercut more down the stretch and the left hook to the head when Pacquiao tired late? Look for the Morales uppercut more in the rematch.
Body Work Works: Both Erik Morales and Manny Pacquiao scored early and hard to the body in the first fight between these remarkable fighters. Yet only intermittently did either get to the body for the balance of the fight. Morales failed to work the body against lightweight Zahir Raheem in September, 2005 and it cost him dearly; though, at 130 Morales is more capable of predatory malice, probing to punish. Hidden within Morales' over all work rate - which clearly distressed Pac Man - scoring situationally to the body will benefit Morales in the 10th through the 12th. Not that either man wishes for a protracted encounter. But getting to the body has always been a very Morales thing to do against solid opposition. Look for a return to that device on Saturday night from the Tijuana legend.