Morales wants another shot at Pacquiao

By NICK GIONGCO


Comebacking Erik Morales believes he has Manny Pacquiao all figured out and that given an opportunity to face the Filipino pound-for-pound king for the fourth time, the Mexican legend said he “will show him I am much better than him.”

While Morales sustained two stoppage losses to Pacquiao in the rematch and rubber match, Morales said he was not in terrific shape during those times and that the proof of this was his March 2005 unanimous decision win over Pacquiao.

Although their succeeding two bouts were still fought at the super-featherweight class of 130 lbs, Morales said he was having so much difficulty making the weight that he was no longer at his peak in the second meeting in January 2006 and during the rubber match in November of the same year.

“When I first fought him it was at 130 pounds. The second time he would not give me the chance to fight at 132 pounds and now he is fighting at 147 and I am coming back to fight at 147 also. I’m hoping that at a time not too long from now when the people see I can still do great, great things in the ring, I’m hoping that Manny Pacquiao will give me the chance to show he’s not the best in the world, because what I remember after twelve rounds is Manny Pacquiao crying—and crying and crying and crying because he knew about the beating he had just taken and he knew at that time there was somebody technically better than him. He had to find some way to be at an advantage to try and control me. That’s the way history was written, but here I am—brand new.”

Morales was stopped in the tenth round in the rematch and lasted only three rounds in the third showdown and the 33-year-old Tijuana native points to his hardship making the limit to the defeats.

“The first time I fought him I just went right through him. The second time I went through him until the middle part of the fight but then I just ran out of steam and the third time I was just not able to, but now—I really value my condition more than ever before and so therefore now, I feel that I will show him I am much better than him. Technically I have always known that I am better than Manny Pacquiao, but now physically—that technicality and that skill and conditioning are all one and the same.”

Morales actually is making his welterweight debut today against Jose Alfaro of Nicaragua and if victorious, Morales has his sights on the big names of the welterweight division.

“I feel I can fight at welterweight easily. I can fight Pacquiao, I can fight (Juan Manuel) Marquez who has already fought at 147, and I can fight (Miguel) Cotto. I can fight any of those guys easily at 147 pounds. I feel very, very confident there,” said Morales, the 17-year professional who has now logged a 48-6-0 card with 34 knockouts.

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