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Last update: 02-06-2006 Submitted by Matthew Hurley
Pacquiao-Morales 3; The Thirst For Revenge Recommend this page Printable version
By Matthew Hurley
It was inevitable. Despite suffering the first knockout loss of his career and many people, fans and media types alike, calling for his retirement, it didn’t come as much of a surprise that after a few weeks of licking his wounds - the fighting spirit that has made Erik Morales one of the preeminent boxers of his time would resurface. You can almost envision Morales in some bar in Tijuana, nursing a Corona and seething at the mere thought that another fighter took him out. Erik has always been most dangerous when he is attacked or unjustly dismissed. Manny Pacquiao would be wise to remember that.
Pacquiao has legitimately achieved fistic greatness. He is cut from the same mold that Morales is. Both are warriors with no intention of walking down a path that has already been beaten down. The two of them constantly tread in treacherous waters. That’s what makes them so special and that’s why boxing fans pay good money to see them fight because you always know when Erik Morales and Manny Pacquiao are going to lace up the gloves you are going to get your nickels worth.
But is it too much too soon for “El Terrible”? Despite the fact that he was leading the bout going into the sixth round he showed definite signs of fatigue when the bout entered its second half. Obviously, despite what many “Pacman” diehard fans will attest, the ring wars he has battled through have taken a toll. The same will be true for Pacquiao one day. Also, Morales himself said after the bout that he couldn’t make 130 anymore. His build is of that of a lightweight, but as the Zahir Raheem bout proved, he’s not effective at that weight. One hundred and thirty pounds is as high as he can go.
And finally, Manny Pacquiao had quite a lot to do with Morales finally capitulating in round ten of their thrilling rematch. Pacquiao has now shown that he is not a one trick pony many critics thought him to be. He can make adjustments and he is no longer a head hunter. Attacking Morales’ skeletal ribs had as much to do with Erik finally falling as much as anything else.
After the rematch was over many people simply felt that Erik Morales was all done and that Manny Pacquiao was, deservedly, the new king on the block. The problem with that is the old adage that ‘history repeats itself’. And Erik Morales has a remarkable tendency to come back when simply written off by people, like myself, who should know better. He truly feels that in the rubber match he can make the proper adjustments, control his weight and resurrect his career. He’s done it before.
“Erik told me he wants to exercise the rematch clause because he knows he can beat Pacquiao,” promoter Bob Arum says. “He felt that what he did wrong was he blew up in weight and then had to drop so much to get down to 130 that he expended all his energy.”
Some in Morales’ camp have also alluded to the extended honeymoon he went on with his second wife and that he seemed distracted in training camp. To that, Pacquiao fans and his camp will surely say, “Excuses, excuses, excuses.” But to that end it was Pacquiao who held all the excuses after he lost the first fight. Whether it was the duplicity of his promoter Murad Muhammad, or the Reyes gloves he wasn’t allowed to wear or the cut he sustained during the fight that sapped him of strength. All legitimate, so who’s not to say that Morales suffered myriad problems that negatively affected him, and a focused Pacquiao to boot, in the rematch?
Regardless, with a third bout in the works whoever wins will be viewed as the better fighter. Which is what both of these remarkable warriors want and what is suddenly making a third bout so intriguing.
According to Arum he is planning for the fight to take place September 16 in Las Vegas. There are hesitant plans to have the event staged outside at Sam Boyd Stadium which is off the Vegas strip and turn the show into a carnival-like atmosphere. With the huge fan bases of both fighters it sounds like a great idea but don’t count on it happening. Chances are the fight will end up at Caesars Palace or Wynn Las Vegas. There’s too much money to be made in a casino for a fight of this magnitude to be held anywhere else.
Look for Pacquiao to take an interim bout in the meantime, most likely in the Philippines. HBO, which has invested heavily in “Pacman”, are keenly aware of the excitement a televised fight like that will generate and Larry Merchant himself has been harping on it for some time now. Shelly Finkel, the co-manager of Pacquiao, has said that Manny desperately wants to fight in his home country.
“It won’t be an easy opponent,” he says, “Someone to keep him sharp because you don’t take Erik Morales lightly. No matter what happened in the rematch. Erik will never be an easy fight for anyone.”
Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer admitted that he took Morales lightly in the first bout and that it cost his fighter. He maintained before the rematch that he would never make that mistake again.
Morales, meanwhile, will continue to seethe and study films of the rematch, planning for revenge. It’s simply in his nature. The tables have turned and Erik Morales does not like the view from where he is sitting.
It’s to both fighters credit that they are so willing to consistently engage at the highest level of competition over and over again. That competition being each other. And it’s to our great satisfaction that we are privileged enough to watch two great fighters ply their trade with such remarkable passion and commitment.
excuse me mr Hurley, first of all, i dont believe that EM was supposedly leading on score cards till sixth round and tell us that he became tired so he loss the fight. I think that is a playing ****** observation.
EM was in no way suppose to lead on that score card. he may have a round or two but Pac's series of power shots that always drive EM backwards are very clear and alll EM had was a little combos that seldom lands clean and a single jab that he also seldom unleash (comparatrively speaking to all that Pacquiao had landed the power punches).
secondly, EM didnt even showed the signes of faded fighter in the early rounds 'till the end. EM has showned that he was always a dangerous fighter. Maybe instead of saying, his fights had taken its toll on him, maybe you can take the more obvious reason why he went tired after 6th. EM recieved a lot of power punches from Pacquiao to the head and to the body that no single fighter existing has yet proven to survive. I would rather accept the reason that EM has over expanded his weight and had trouble making 130 than anybody saying EM was no longer the same fighter that he was when Pacquiao beat him. That is just absolutely pathetic.
third, dont say that Pacquaio just simply held the excuses after losing to EM in the first fight and then makes you think that EM's camp is entitled to have their own excuses as well therefore making all these excuses legitimate.
There is a big difference between Pac's legitimacy of excuses compared to that of EM's. The big difference is, Pacquaio has proven the legitimacy of his excuses by giving EM a fair remacth and convincingly win by KO and not on score cards. EM cant even do the same. Now EM wants to have a rematch but dont want to do it fairly with Pacquiao. EM wants to have and advantage by asking Pac's camp to fight at 132lbs. Its like EM saying, "Hey Pacman, the truth is I cant realy beat you at 130lbs. but if you can move up with me in my weight so that you'll lose your speed and power, then MAYBE i can have a good chance of matching your power. Can you give me that bonus?"
I dont think thats a fair rematch to offer dont you think? HE beat Pac once at 130 and Pac beat him badly on the same weight... EM should fight him again on the same weight.
I'm so sorry for those EM fans you cant freely accept the defeat of their fighter. But you can try avoiding showing PATHETIC excuses why he lost. just let him prove that to hims self to make his excuses legit.
Pacquiao-Morales 3; The Thirst For Revenge Recommend this page Printable version
By Matthew Hurley
It was inevitable. Despite suffering the first knockout loss of his career and many people, fans and media types alike, calling for his retirement, it didn’t come as much of a surprise that after a few weeks of licking his wounds - the fighting spirit that has made Erik Morales one of the preeminent boxers of his time would resurface. You can almost envision Morales in some bar in Tijuana, nursing a Corona and seething at the mere thought that another fighter took him out. Erik has always been most dangerous when he is attacked or unjustly dismissed. Manny Pacquiao would be wise to remember that.
Pacquiao has legitimately achieved fistic greatness. He is cut from the same mold that Morales is. Both are warriors with no intention of walking down a path that has already been beaten down. The two of them constantly tread in treacherous waters. That’s what makes them so special and that’s why boxing fans pay good money to see them fight because you always know when Erik Morales and Manny Pacquiao are going to lace up the gloves you are going to get your nickels worth.
But is it too much too soon for “El Terrible”? Despite the fact that he was leading the bout going into the sixth round he showed definite signs of fatigue when the bout entered its second half. Obviously, despite what many “Pacman” diehard fans will attest, the ring wars he has battled through have taken a toll. The same will be true for Pacquiao one day. Also, Morales himself said after the bout that he couldn’t make 130 anymore. His build is of that of a lightweight, but as the Zahir Raheem bout proved, he’s not effective at that weight. One hundred and thirty pounds is as high as he can go.
And finally, Manny Pacquiao had quite a lot to do with Morales finally capitulating in round ten of their thrilling rematch. Pacquiao has now shown that he is not a one trick pony many critics thought him to be. He can make adjustments and he is no longer a head hunter. Attacking Morales’ skeletal ribs had as much to do with Erik finally falling as much as anything else.
After the rematch was over many people simply felt that Erik Morales was all done and that Manny Pacquiao was, deservedly, the new king on the block. The problem with that is the old adage that ‘history repeats itself’. And Erik Morales has a remarkable tendency to come back when simply written off by people, like myself, who should know better. He truly feels that in the rubber match he can make the proper adjustments, control his weight and resurrect his career. He’s done it before.
“Erik told me he wants to exercise the rematch clause because he knows he can beat Pacquiao,” promoter Bob Arum says. “He felt that what he did wrong was he blew up in weight and then had to drop so much to get down to 130 that he expended all his energy.”
Some in Morales’ camp have also alluded to the extended honeymoon he went on with his second wife and that he seemed distracted in training camp. To that, Pacquiao fans and his camp will surely say, “Excuses, excuses, excuses.” But to that end it was Pacquiao who held all the excuses after he lost the first fight. Whether it was the duplicity of his promoter Murad Muhammad, or the Reyes gloves he wasn’t allowed to wear or the cut he sustained during the fight that sapped him of strength. All legitimate, so who’s not to say that Morales suffered myriad problems that negatively affected him, and a focused Pacquiao to boot, in the rematch?
Regardless, with a third bout in the works whoever wins will be viewed as the better fighter. Which is what both of these remarkable warriors want and what is suddenly making a third bout so intriguing.
According to Arum he is planning for the fight to take place September 16 in Las Vegas. There are hesitant plans to have the event staged outside at Sam Boyd Stadium which is off the Vegas strip and turn the show into a carnival-like atmosphere. With the huge fan bases of both fighters it sounds like a great idea but don’t count on it happening. Chances are the fight will end up at Caesars Palace or Wynn Las Vegas. There’s too much money to be made in a casino for a fight of this magnitude to be held anywhere else.
Look for Pacquiao to take an interim bout in the meantime, most likely in the Philippines. HBO, which has invested heavily in “Pacman”, are keenly aware of the excitement a televised fight like that will generate and Larry Merchant himself has been harping on it for some time now. Shelly Finkel, the co-manager of Pacquiao, has said that Manny desperately wants to fight in his home country.
“It won’t be an easy opponent,” he says, “Someone to keep him sharp because you don’t take Erik Morales lightly. No matter what happened in the rematch. Erik will never be an easy fight for anyone.”
Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer admitted that he took Morales lightly in the first bout and that it cost his fighter. He maintained before the rematch that he would never make that mistake again.
Morales, meanwhile, will continue to seethe and study films of the rematch, planning for revenge. It’s simply in his nature. The tables have turned and Erik Morales does not like the view from where he is sitting.
It’s to both fighters credit that they are so willing to consistently engage at the highest level of competition over and over again. That competition being each other. And it’s to our great satisfaction that we are privileged enough to watch two great fighters ply their trade with such remarkable passion and commitment.
excuse me mr Hurley, first of all, i dont believe that EM was supposedly leading on score cards till sixth round and tell us that he became tired so he loss the fight. I think that is a playing ****** observation.
EM was in no way suppose to lead on that score card. he may have a round or two but Pac's series of power shots that always drive EM backwards are very clear and alll EM had was a little combos that seldom lands clean and a single jab that he also seldom unleash (comparatrively speaking to all that Pacquiao had landed the power punches).
secondly, EM didnt even showed the signes of faded fighter in the early rounds 'till the end. EM has showned that he was always a dangerous fighter. Maybe instead of saying, his fights had taken its toll on him, maybe you can take the more obvious reason why he went tired after 6th. EM recieved a lot of power punches from Pacquiao to the head and to the body that no single fighter existing has yet proven to survive. I would rather accept the reason that EM has over expanded his weight and had trouble making 130 than anybody saying EM was no longer the same fighter that he was when Pacquiao beat him. That is just absolutely pathetic.
third, dont say that Pacquaio just simply held the excuses after losing to EM in the first fight and then makes you think that EM's camp is entitled to have their own excuses as well therefore making all these excuses legitimate.
There is a big difference between Pac's legitimacy of excuses compared to that of EM's. The big difference is, Pacquaio has proven the legitimacy of his excuses by giving EM a fair remacth and convincingly win by KO and not on score cards. EM cant even do the same. Now EM wants to have a rematch but dont want to do it fairly with Pacquiao. EM wants to have and advantage by asking Pac's camp to fight at 132lbs. Its like EM saying, "Hey Pacman, the truth is I cant realy beat you at 130lbs. but if you can move up with me in my weight so that you'll lose your speed and power, then MAYBE i can have a good chance of matching your power. Can you give me that bonus?"
I dont think thats a fair rematch to offer dont you think? HE beat Pac once at 130 and Pac beat him badly on the same weight... EM should fight him again on the same weight.
I'm so sorry for those EM fans you cant freely accept the defeat of their fighter. But you can try avoiding showing PATHETIC excuses why he lost. just let him prove that to hims self to make his excuses legit.
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