Morales-Pacquiao: My Thoughts.

On occasion, I will go through a phase where I find the act of engaging my brain and writing an opinion piece a chore, when I should be relishing the opportunity to vent my many frustrations to you poor readers. That coupled with other extenuating circumstances has led to a brief period of inactivity with regards to my writing. It’s a

testament to the ability of Erik Morales and Manny Pacquiao that their upcoming clash has, literally, given me the will to write again. Well, that and a promise to my ever-patient editor, to get off my arse and write something, has given me the will to write again. What follows is my take on the upcoming bout between Erik Morales and Manny Pacquiao. In the process, I will attempt to avoid the cliches which regularly accompany mega fights. This fight should be a doozy, however. Thus, I make no real promises on the cliche front.

Erik Morales deserves all the credit in the world for accepting this fight. Having suffered a narrow point’s loss to his most bitter rival, Marco Antonio Barrera, most experts undoubtedly expected Morales to ease himself back into the equation by dismantling a B-class opponent. After all, that is the done thing: you lose a fight and rebuild your confidence by handing out a beating to a second tier fighter. That would be the easy option, though. And as anyone who has followed Morales’ career will testify, Erik rarely takes the easy route. Erik aptly demonstrates this motto when in the midst of one of his trademark barnburners. Indeed, Morales could, if he so desired, comprehensively outbox 99% of his opponents. Again, however, that would be too easy. Erik seemingly wants to feel like he has earned each and every victory on his record; he wants to give the fans what they want.

As wonderful as he looks when in full flow, Morales’ fans don’t want to witness him give a boxing lesson. Morales recognizes this fact and bears his soul in every round of every fight, in an effort to please the paying public. The same logic applies to his choice of opponent. Erik’s fans don’t want to watch him pummel a B-class fighter. They want him to prove he’s the best, by beating the best. Having said that, never to my knowledge has a fighter’s decision more accurately illustrated the phrase, “Out of the frying pan, and into the fire.” And that’s what Erik Morales will be jumping into this Saturday, a veritable cauldron.

At this point, I find it difficult to gauge how good Manny Pacquiao is. Since his demolition job of Barrera, a little over a year ago, the Pacman’s rise to superstardom has not been without its share of rocky terrain. There was, of course, his edge-of-the-seat thriller against Juan Manuel Marquez, which started out so well. In fact, after the infamous first round, most observers were ready to sit Manny atop their pound-for-pound list, such was his utter domination of two genuine world class operators; however, as the fight wore on, it is fair to say that the Filipino’s one glaring flaw was truly exposed. The flaw being his shocking lack of variety. Marquez proved that if you avoid Manny’s left straight, you nullify 90% of his offence, essentially crippling his attack. Theoretically, it’s simple. In practice, however, there’s rather more thought involved. It’s a measure of Marquez’s ability to adapt to any given situation that he was able to make it look so simple.

The months following the fight saw Manny twiddling his thumbs as his management attempted to keep their fighter active. Only speculation gave his loyal fans hope, as one prospective fight after another seemingly fell by the wayside. Close to a year later, he was pitted against Fahsan Por Thawatchai, an overmatched opponent by all accounts. Fahsan was dispatched rapidly, as Manny showcased a little more variety en route to a fourth round KO. The question is, will Manny’s lengthy period of inactivity, coupled with his last opponent being wholly inferior, be enough to prepare him from a true world class, pound-for-pound fighter like Morales? I’m not so sure. But we’ll find out soon enough.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I am constantly amazed by the fickle nature of boxing fans. If you are to believe some journalists, Morales will be stopped within the first five rounds this coming Saturday. It makes you wonder if these people have actually watched Erik Morales fight. Not only does he have one of the very best chins in boxing, but also he is one of the most gifted fighters on the planet. I realize I may be setting myself up for a fall, but I can’t for the life of me see it happening. And it baffles me that anyone who claims to know anything at all about boxing could see it that way. As much as I love Barrera, he is the inferior “boxer” when compared to Morales (not an inferior fighter, mind). That is why Barrera’s destruction at the hands of Pacquiao will have little bearing on the outcome this Saturday.

Barrera clearly couldn’t, for whatever reason, adapt to Manny’s attack, unlike Marquez. And in terms of boxing ability, Morales is closer to Marquez than he is Barrera. That being said, how often does Morales rely on being a slickster? I fear his usual approach will be tantamount to suicide, given Pacquiao’s concussive power. As far as the Filipino star is concerned, there is only one way he knows how to approach this fight: all guns blazing. If history tells us anything, it is that Morales will not be content to box at range. And you can bet your house that Manny is banking on Morales remaining true to form. Should Morales swallow his pride, Pacquiao will be in for a tough night, one that he is unlikely to emerge victorious from.

If I were a betting man (which I am. Keep that to yourself though), I would put my money on a narrow points win for Morales. As per usual, I feel Erik’s pride will best him and draw him into a brawl, leading to some hairy moments. But I feel he has the class to prevail. Manny will, as always, give a great account of himself. He is a true gentleman and a fierce warrior, but his recent inactivity may very well come back to haunt him. Not that I’m actually going to be able to witness how the fight unfolds; Sky, in their wisdom, have neglected to show this fight live, instead opting to show Calzaghe-Magee, which has now been cancelled, leaving this writer in a state of depression. Let’s just hope this potential fight of the year lives up to its billing. Boxing could do with a boost, and I feel these two fighters are set to provide it.

James MacDonald can be reached at ac009b5460@blueyonder.co.uk