is this really happening???

[JOM'S]

Sunday, January 9, 2005
By Steve Kim
MaxBoxing.com

Erik Morales will take on Manny Pacquiao on March 19 in a pay-per-view fight to be broadcast on HBO, sources said Sunday night.

There had been much speculation as to who Pacquiao would be fighting next. Most believed that the Filipino star would be facing Juan Manuel Marquez in a highly anticipated rematch Feb. 26.

According to industry sources, the match is being made by Top Rank to put Marco Antonio Barrera and Golden Boy Promotions in a bind. With Morales and Pacquiao facing each other, Barrera finds himself for the time being without a big-name opponent.

Perhaps he can face Marquez, who sees himself on the outside looking in again.

[JOM'S]

In The Works And Looking Good: Morales-Pacquiao HBO PPV March 19!
By G. Leon

January 09, 2005 - After El Nuevo Dia first reported the collapse of the eagerly anticipated Feb. 26 battle for featherweight supremacy between featherweight king Manny Pacquiao and WBA/IBF featherweight champ Juan Manuel Marquez last week, everyone in boxing was wondering what Pacquiao's next move was going to be. Would you believe us if we told you Erik Morales Vs. Manny Pacquiao is in the works and looking good? Well it is. **********.com has been hearing some serious rumblings that with the Marquez rematch out of the equation, Pacquiao will be moving up to 130 pounds to face former WBC junior lightweight champion Erik Morales on HBO PPV March 19! The usually talkative Murad Muhammad surprisingly had no comment when we spoke to him last night. Top Rank's Bob Arum and Todd DuBoef were unavailable for immediate comment when ********** called them on the cellular phones. Like Muhammad, Top Rank PR guy Lee Samuels had nothing to say. **********.com will continue to keep you updated as all of the latest information regarding this potential super fight comes in. Remember where you heard it first! (10: 45 PM ET)

[JOM'S]

Monday, January 10, 2005
Gulle: Get, while the getting is good!
By Inocentes A. Gulle

REPORT says Marquez threatens to back out from his scheduled fight with Manny Pacquiao in February, unless they increase his purse to $1.5 million. Marquez is allegedly irked at being given less than they are giving Manny. Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and company, are allegedly putting up only $750,000 for Marquez, while they are giving Manny $900,00. Marquez reportedly said that he being the champion deserves to get what is due a champion, and would not sign the contract until he gets the better end of the bargain.

We can understand perfectly the feeling of the Mexican. He knows he is going to undergo hell in facing Pacquio in the ring. He knows that the possibility of losing his title, which he still holds only by virtue of a supposed scoring error of one of the judges in their previous fight that resulted in a draw, is very great. Pacquiao should have won that one had this judge scored it correctly the first round where Manny knocked down Marquez three times.

Well, that's history and we know better. For the possibility of getting beat up silly, who would not demand a bigger compensation? I wouldn't go through hell for a measly one million dollars, let alone $750,000. Besides, if one would lose his title(s), which is very, very possible, who would get him another money fight afterwards? So, why not get while the getting is good?

Some people are saying that Manny is out of shape and can lose this fight. That Manny prefers to attend to his acting in TV commercials than train for this big fight. That he is very much out of condition for such a very important outing. That is very unkind of them. Manny knows which side of his bread is buttered. He also knows when he is out of shape. Besides, he knows how to do his job when the time comes. Let's stop trying to run the affairs of other people, shall we? How much have we contributed in order to get Manny up there where he is now? Let's stop being bigots.

If he really is out of shape as some would have it understood, I don't think he would venture into that ring and get beat. Manny had trained for his Phasun 3K Battery fight and could not have lost his condition that quickly. Besides, we do not know that he is not doing some work in the interim.

Manny is not that stupid, not after he had learned that painful lesson in that Megdeon affair in Thailand a few years back. But that is different. He had become too heavy for that fight and could not shed enough weight to make it in just a few hours before official weigh-in. This time he is not going to shed weight.

An athlete, before he is thirty, can get into shape really fast. In Manny's case, two weeks roadwork and sparring sessions, are sufficient to get back into shape. Another week for honing the reflexes would be enough. He had fought Marquez before and he knows now what button to press. It would certainly be a different scenario, mark that. That is if Marquez would not turn yellow tail.

[MlLkMan]

Believe it pre.

[JaNnO]

the chicken gay crossed the road again...

[Manila Eyes]

I believe so dude.
But Thrilla started a thread titled " Morales a Bait?".
Hmmmmm. Makes you think....

[JOM'S]

I just hope MURAD don't get sucker punched again and left out to dry, last time this was happening PAC ended up with 3k, hopefully this is not the case this time ....

[kadyo's]

No contract is being signed yet. Until then this news is still a gossip. Kinanginangmgahindutnayan!!!!

[nadz]

I wish this match is really happened

[JOM'S]

I guess this is really happening, and I can't wait till fight night ...

Juan’s Loss is The Fight World’s Gain By Ricardo Lois

The New Year brought more than rain for this Los Angeles, California resident. Harboring the final day of seemingly endless rain and wind, news reached my e-mail account from Top Rank representative Ricardo Jimenez, Manny Pacquiao and Erik Morales will be fighting March 19, 2004.

Fight fans should send Saint Nick a Thank You note, the jolly old elf put a stellar fight schedule for 2005 under their Christmas trees. As Juan Manuel Marquez and his trainer Ignacio Beristain haggled Top Rank over their end of the purse for a rematch with Pacquiao, Morales sneaked in the back door and took their payday.

Ironically Beristain has told this writer on several occasions that Top Rank seems more interested in promoting Morales than Marquez.

Juan’s loss is the fight world’s gain.

Coming off of a disappointing loss to old rival Marco Antonio Barrera, Morales will be set to restore his image as THE Mexican legend of this particular era. A clear victory over Pacquiao, whom easily conquered Barrera, adds ammunition to Morales’ argument of being the best Mexican.

The ball of fury called Pacquiao faces his stiffest challenge to date. Morales settled into the junior lightweight division during 2004 and will be the bigger man when he battles the pinoy. If Pacquiao, who is moving up in weight from featherweight, defeats Morales, he will gain infamy in the psyche of Mexicans as a slayer of their best boxers.