Pacman: Morales will eat words!

July 6, 2006

Report/Photos by Dennis Principe


Even if Mexican icon Erik Morales need not limit his diet while training, he may not have the appetite to gobble the spicy remarks of Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao. The 27-year-old Pacquiao recently vilified Morales’ by saying that next time they meet, the Filipino kingpin will make sure the Mexican warrior will eat his words.

“He talks a lot. Once we meet again I’m going to make him eat his words,” said Pacquiao in an interview. Pacquiao was referring to the reported excuses made by Morales regarding the Filipino fighter’s compelling victory over the Mexican early this year.

Morales, in several internet interviews stated that had he not fought Pacquiao, the Filipino fighter would still remain as an ordinary celebrity of the sport. Morales also reasoned out that he had a hard time making the weight in their rematch that eventually sapped his strength halfway through their 12-round brawl.

In their return bout January of this year at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Pacquiao inflicted Morales a sound beating in scoring a 10th round TKO win. Pacquiao’s stock rose to unprecedented heights after his win over Morales, making promotional outfit Top Rank drool over an anticipated Pacquiao-Morales trilogy.

The Pacquiao-Morales fight however is still not a cinch this November as the camps of both fighters still have to finalize essential details of their third encounter. Salient point of which is the ability of Morales to make the 130-lb weight limit without debilitating his skills.

Another part of the proposal is to give Morales a list of nutritionists that will monitor and give the Mexican the most appropriate diet while training for the match.

Though others doubt the fight will happen this year owing to Morales’ weight issue, most experts believe the completion of the trilogy is inevitable but will have to take place in the lightweight division sometime next year.

American trainer Freddie Roach disclosed earlier that Pacquiao may finally settle in the lightweight class where the Filipino will ultimately establish his boxing greatness.

Pacquiao is coming off an unambiguous 12-round unanimous victory over former long-time world super bantamweight champion Oscar Larios of Mexico last weekend at the Araneta Coliseum.