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Photo © HBO-PPV
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 Vote: Who Wins Pacman vs Morales Rematch?
Nearly one year ago when Erik Morales and Manny Pacquiao were getting ready for what turned out to be a tremendous first fight, there was a lot of talk about the battle being a make-or-break fight for Morales. Erik was coming off a loss to Marco Antonio Barrera; a loss to Pacquiao would have given him two in a row in marquee fights. The risk factor involved was part of the reason we were heaping praise on both fighters. Many felt Morales should have taken a tune up fight after coming off such a brutal battle with Barrera. Instead, Morales went in and scored a big win.
Nearly one year later Morales comes into this fight in a similar situation; however, this time around Manny Pacquiao finds himself in the same boat as Morales. Both fighters will be coming to a crossroads on Saturday night, a loss by either man will drop them further than they have ever been in their career. But, isn't this part of what makes this fight so intriguing?
In similar fashion as last year, Morales comes into this fight having lost his last fight. The only difference is that this loss was to Zahir Raheem, a defeat nobody saw coming. Morales has to prove that the loss to Raheem was either a fluke or an oversight. If he follows up his upset loss to Raheem with a loss to Pacman, then Morales' career will take a severe hit, unlike any he has suffered before.
Pacquiao finds himself in a similar position. Pacquiao is basically 1-1-1 in his last three fights. He drew with Juan Manuel Marquez, lost to Morales, and beat Hector Velázquez. A loss on Saturday night would make Pacquiao 0-2-1 in recent big fights, a position he has never been in before. This time around, Manny Pacquiao finds himself in a crossroads fight also.
The positive thing about this fight is that a win will push the victor right back up into the driver's seat. A win could bring on a fight with Barrera, or Marquez, but basically it will keep the victor in demand. This is part of the intrigue and the excitement this match up brings, with so much riding on it, with both fighters having a lot to gain and lose.
So, who's going to win on Saturday night? First off a few questions will need to be answered. Number one, will Morales be able to bounce back after the loss to Raheem? Will we see the Morales of old, or the Morales who was flailing at the speedy Raheem all over the ring? My guess is that you will see the Morales of old, mainly because Pacquiao's straight ahead style is a lot more suited for Morales than Raheem's slick boxer style.
The other question is will the Reyes gloves make as big a difference in the fight as Team Pacquiao claims they will? Pacquiao was very upset at his former promoter, Murad Muhammad, for not including in the contract that, like Morales, Pacman be allowed to use his gloves of choice. He claimed that was a major factor in losing the first fight. This time around, Pacquiao will get to use his gloves of choice, and the question remains whether the gloves will have as big an impact as Pacquiao and his camp say they will.
Either way, Pacquiao-Morales II should be a great opening fight for boxing in year 2006, a great way to kick off the new year. Boxing has already suffered a major upset in 2006, and hopefully after Saturday it will have its first fight of the year candidate.
*This Article is Sponsored by http://www.healthycoco.com/ |
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