pac: morales 3 is ON!!!

By Ronnie Nathanielsz

MANNY Pacquiao’s eagerly awaited trilogy with legendary Mexican Erik Morales is on, according to the Mexican’s handler, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum.

Arum disclosed yesterday that Morales had agreed to fight Pacquiao at 130 lb after the Filipino southpaw flatly refused to make any concessions and give in to Morales’ request to do battle at 132 lb.

Morales indicated he was determined to erase the stigma of his brutal beating at the hands of Pacquiao last January. He even brought in a nutritionist, who would enable him to maintain his weight without having to diet like he did in the past in order to make the super featherweight limit, which he claimed affected him in his last fight against Pacquiao.

Trainer Freddie Roach earlier said the Pacquiao camp would honor the contract for a third fight at the stipulated 130-lb limit of their first two encounters.

Morales won the first in a bloody battle after Pacquiao suffered a nasty gash above his eye, which bled profusely, thereby blurring his vision. But in the rematch, Pacquiao demolished Morales.

Roach said Pacquiao would be in the best shape of his life for their third encounter, because he was certain Morales would train hard in an effort to avenge the humiliation he suffered when he was knocked out for the first time in his career by the Filipino.

However, Roach is confident that Pacquiao will win again because he is too quick and hits too hard and the result would be the same.

Roach, who was in Manila recently for the inauguration of the offices of Manny Pacquiao Promotions and the official news conference announcing the July 2 clash with former two-time super bantamweight champion Oscar Larios, said he plans to return to Manila next week for the Pacquiao-Larios news conference to be held at the studios of ABS-CBN, which has exclusive TV rights.

Roach said he would fly back to Los Angeles, possibly on May 3 in time for the Marco Antonio Barrera-Rocky Juarez fight on May 6. Roach said he would get Pacquiao to immediately buckle down to training at the Wild Card Gym.

The American trainer said that Pacquiao would train at the Wild Card Gym in LA until the end of May and then return to the Philippines and set up training camp in Baguio City.

Pacquiao returned to his hometown of General Santos City yesterday after receiving the “Boxer of the Year” award at the Games and Amusements Board Convention

pac doesnt appear to have been looking after himself recently and morales seems deadly serious even getting a nutritionist on board....

im expecting fireworks for this one :D

this one should be interesting but i still think pac will win because morales won first by decision and pac KO him in second fight so pac will have advantage in this one but it will not be easy fight for pac if morales come prepared

I'm not expecting this fight to happen. Pacquiao may have burned himself out by then. He will be shot as a fighter at 29 if he isn't careful. Stop the party hardy liftstyle.

I pick morales to win this one, he seems to focused and knows pac well enough to make the necessary adjustments.

Sooooo glad this fight is on!! I am a Pacman fan BUT EM is the man and I felt soooo down when he got koed :'( He needs to get the 8oz gloves on,work Pac's body and not go to war alll the time and I htink he can win. Also,if all these rumours about Pac partying/not sleeping etc are tru,then I expect EM to win. I hope EM gets back with his dad too,any coincidence that his dad leaves his corner and he gets koed for the first time?

Morales has one more big win in him. This will be it.

hmmmmm ^-^ no it wont be ;D

It will be another close 1 . Morales will surprise people with his passion and will to win with the performance he puts up . He can be at his best for 1 night only but ultimatley if Pac sticks with the body shots Morales will fade down the stretch .

Pac on points

Lets get Pac past Larios, first. Then he can lose to my boy Morales.