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It was a moment of both extreme elation and the sad reality that the career of a great fighter had finally run its course.
Manny Pacquiao, his corner men and his Filipino countrymen exploded into frenzied celebration when "Pacman" reduced the once-mighty "El Terrible" to rubble in the 10th round of their exciting rematch. Erik Morales, his nose broken, his legs betraying his every movement, sat hunched over, head bowed in weary defeat and his countrymen stared in stunned, heartbroken disbelief. It was sports drama at its best.
For Pacquiao he is now boxing's No. 1 superstar. The Filipino whirlwind was as big as Elvis Presley and the Beatles combined in the Philippines and now his status is of an iconic nature. Should he beat Marco Antonio Barrera in a rematch he could run for the presidency of his country and win in an unmitigated landslide. That intense, almost overwhelming popularity has now crossed over into the United States. The sky is the limit for the young junior lightweight with the winning smile and engaging personality.
For Morales, the end of a glorious career appears near at hand. Many people, writers in particular (this one included), have wondered aloud when Tijuana's three-time world champion's body would finally give out. Lighter-weight fighters age at a more rapid pace inside the ring than heavier-weight fighters and Morales has been fighting at the highest level of competition for over a decade.
The wear and tear, particularly for a fighter of Morales' street-tough temperament, can wash over a fighter in one single bout. Although this wasn't exactly the case in his rematch with Pacquiao, Morales has been showing these signs for a while now.
In his thrilling rubber match with Barrera, Morales came within a whisker of salvaging a draw against his most hated rival with a late rally in which he almost knocked Barrera off his feet. But he admitted that his legs felt sluggish in the early going.
"I just couldn't get started early enough," he lamented. "It took me too long to warm up."
Yet every great fighter has one great performance left in him and Morales showcased that in his first bout with Pacquiao. As an underdog Morales boxed and slugged with equal parts aggression and finesse and then gave away the 12th round in a fit of bravado. He came away with a unanimous decision and, what could be, his last great showing in the ring.
The loss to Zahir Raheem now seems a little more significant than it did going into the rematch with Pacquiao. That sluggishness again cost him. In the return match Morales looked sharp for the bout's first half, but he couldn't get out of the way of Pacquiao's punishing, straight left hand. He worked his jab effectively, but Pacquiao kept coming.
Then those legs, once sturdy pillars, began to betray him again. Every time Pacquiao cracked him, Morales' eyes were clear. His chin has always been one of his most formidable assets. But in this fight, the endless parade of bouts against the elite fighters he demanded to box one after the other exacted its toll on him. As Larry Merchant opined late in the fight, "Even a rock can be broken."
How strange it was to see Morales complaining about those legs when he collapsed on his stool. How disconcerting it was to watch his alarmed and confused corner men rubbing his legs down, apparently trying to massage some life into them. And then, in the 10th round, it all fell apart in a heap of exhaustion.
Morales, never legitimately knocked down or ever stopped in 50 previous fights was finally counted out. There was a sadness there, seeing such a proud warrior who has given so much to the sport he has grown up in since first lacing the gloves up in his father's gym at five years old, humbled. But in the end, all the great ones reach this point. Its inevitability is just one of the many reasons why boxing, at its highest level, is so compelling.
So now Pacquiao returns to the Philippines a conquering hero. His future is boundless. Morales goes back to his home in Tijuana with a legacy that speaks for itself. Should his career be over, he went out on his shield as we always knew he would.
Someday Pacquiao will probably reach the same fate, but until then he is boxing's most exciting little warrior. He had to beat the man who held that title for so long to get it. Here's hoping he reigns for quite some time. He's earned it.
Manny Pacquiao, his corner men and his Filipino countrymen exploded into frenzied celebration when "Pacman" reduced the once-mighty "El Terrible" to rubble in the 10th round of their exciting rematch. Erik Morales, his nose broken, his legs betraying his every movement, sat hunched over, head bowed in weary defeat and his countrymen stared in stunned, heartbroken disbelief. It was sports drama at its best.
For Pacquiao he is now boxing's No. 1 superstar. The Filipino whirlwind was as big as Elvis Presley and the Beatles combined in the Philippines and now his status is of an iconic nature. Should he beat Marco Antonio Barrera in a rematch he could run for the presidency of his country and win in an unmitigated landslide. That intense, almost overwhelming popularity has now crossed over into the United States. The sky is the limit for the young junior lightweight with the winning smile and engaging personality.
For Morales, the end of a glorious career appears near at hand. Many people, writers in particular (this one included), have wondered aloud when Tijuana's three-time world champion's body would finally give out. Lighter-weight fighters age at a more rapid pace inside the ring than heavier-weight fighters and Morales has been fighting at the highest level of competition for over a decade.
The wear and tear, particularly for a fighter of Morales' street-tough temperament, can wash over a fighter in one single bout. Although this wasn't exactly the case in his rematch with Pacquiao, Morales has been showing these signs for a while now.
In his thrilling rubber match with Barrera, Morales came within a whisker of salvaging a draw against his most hated rival with a late rally in which he almost knocked Barrera off his feet. But he admitted that his legs felt sluggish in the early going.
"I just couldn't get started early enough," he lamented. "It took me too long to warm up."
Yet every great fighter has one great performance left in him and Morales showcased that in his first bout with Pacquiao. As an underdog Morales boxed and slugged with equal parts aggression and finesse and then gave away the 12th round in a fit of bravado. He came away with a unanimous decision and, what could be, his last great showing in the ring.
The loss to Zahir Raheem now seems a little more significant than it did going into the rematch with Pacquiao. That sluggishness again cost him. In the return match Morales looked sharp for the bout's first half, but he couldn't get out of the way of Pacquiao's punishing, straight left hand. He worked his jab effectively, but Pacquiao kept coming.
Then those legs, once sturdy pillars, began to betray him again. Every time Pacquiao cracked him, Morales' eyes were clear. His chin has always been one of his most formidable assets. But in this fight, the endless parade of bouts against the elite fighters he demanded to box one after the other exacted its toll on him. As Larry Merchant opined late in the fight, "Even a rock can be broken."
How strange it was to see Morales complaining about those legs when he collapsed on his stool. How disconcerting it was to watch his alarmed and confused corner men rubbing his legs down, apparently trying to massage some life into them. And then, in the 10th round, it all fell apart in a heap of exhaustion.
Morales, never legitimately knocked down or ever stopped in 50 previous fights was finally counted out. There was a sadness there, seeing such a proud warrior who has given so much to the sport he has grown up in since first lacing the gloves up in his father's gym at five years old, humbled. But in the end, all the great ones reach this point. Its inevitability is just one of the many reasons why boxing, at its highest level, is so compelling.
So now Pacquiao returns to the Philippines a conquering hero. His future is boundless. Morales goes back to his home in Tijuana with a legacy that speaks for itself. Should his career be over, he went out on his shield as we always knew he would.
Someday Pacquiao will probably reach the same fate, but until then he is boxing's most exciting little warrior. He had to beat the man who held that title for so long to get it. Here's hoping he reigns for quite some time. He's earned it.
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