MORALES-PACQUIAO POST-FIGHT ANALYSIS

March 22, 2005 - by Bert Sugar

The popularity of an athlete, like that of beauty, is in the eyes and hearts of the beholders. And although Erik Morales had almost everything else, including three title belts, the one thing he craved most was the prestige of being acclaimed by his countrymen as Mexico's greatest--ergo, most popular--fighter. Instead that honor had been bestowed upon the man who had bested him in a controversial decision just four months ago, Marco Antonio Barrera. Morales" blood curdled whenever his name was mentioned in the same sentence as Barrera's, there being little or no chance the two would ever be exchanging cards at Christmas time so great was their dislike for one another. And at the cranky letter "L" appended to his name twice by the aforementioned Barrera in controversial decisions.

And so it was that Morales, rather than sitting at home and licking his psychological wounds that came as a result of his losses to Barrera and loss of esteem in Mexico, sought a way to regain the hearts of his countrymen. That way came when Juan Manuel Marquez pulled out of a return bout against Manny Pacquiao, demanding more money than the promoters were willing to shovel in his direction. It was not, however, big money that Morales was after but instead the small coin of popularity. And a chance to beat the man, Pacquaio, who had beaten the man, Barrera, who had beaten him.

FIGHTERS	Morales	Pacquiao
TOTAL PUNCHES
Thrown	714	894
Connected	265	217
%	37%	24%
JABS
Thrown	303	349
Connected	96	34
%	32%	10%
POWER PUNCHES
Thrown	411	545
Connected	169	183
%	41%	34%
JUDGES SCORECARDS
Smith	115	113
Moretti	115	113
Giampa	115	113

Having decided to take on Pacquiao, Morales now had to devise a battle plan that would offset the whirling dervish known as "Pacman," whose non-stop, whirling attack had reduced Barrera into smaller, neater pieces and knocked Marquez down three times in the first round. After watching films of Pacquiao-Marquez no less than eight times--paying particular attention to the last 11 rounds when Marquez battled back to gain a draw--Morales developed a plan which would enable him to "box him if I need to and exchange with him when I need to." In short, a battle plan that would bring tears of joy to the eyes of Santa Anna.

But even though Morales was a man with a plan, those with Delphic franchises were underwhelmed with his chances and installed Pacquiao as an 8-5 favorite, undoubtedly remembering the one-man strongarm squad's performances against Barrera and Marquez. It was a case of examining the bottle, not the contents as Morales and his plan would prove.

The first round went less according to Morales' plan than Pacquiao's as the Philippine whirlwind initiated the proceedings with one of his usual bursts, rushing in with manifest gusts behind his right jab and landing a blasting-cap left to Morales' chin. With no outcaving of the knees, Morales hit himself on the chin to show Pacquiao his punch had about as much effect as a deck chair blowing off the QEII and came back with a straight right of his own in retaliation. As each gave as good as he got the packed house of 14,000 at the MGM Grand rocked with the din and roar of each fighter's partisan fans screaming like youngsters with green-apple colic and then, almost as if a choirmaster had waved off his chorus, quieting while the other fighter's fans picked up the cheering.

By Round Two Morales began to execute his plan, taking up a position in mid-ring and, bivwacked there, using his height and reach to pepper Pacquiao with his jab, one thrown with rhythmetic recurrence, all the better to keep Pacquiao at long range. And when Pacquiao would try one of his patented bull-like rushes to get inside, Morales would greet him with right-hand counters and even, in the mix, catch Pacquiao with right-hand leads.

Over the next few rounds, as Morales began to exert his will on Pacquiao as well as his control of the fight, Pacquiao, like a juggler who rarely varies his routine, continually tried to get inside only to be met by Morales' jab, skewering his onrushing opponent time and again. As Morales' jab continued to find Pacquiao's face like a needle to the lodestone, and his right only a little less so, Pacquiao came away from one mid-ring encounter in the fifth with a gash over his right eye--either from a punch, as referee Joe Cortez ruled, or from a head butt, as later replays showed--and was ushered to the corner where the attending physician inspected the cut and after long consultation (just long enough, obviously, to render a bill for the appointment) was allowed to continue. But from that point on, as Pacquiao would admit in a post-fight interview, "I couldn't see out of my right eye, only my left eye for most of the fight."

Natural prejudice running in favor of two eyes, Pacquiao was now at a decided disadvantage against Morales, who keep everlastingly using his jab and his right to Pacquiao's blind side. But just because one hadn't heard the lion roar does not necessarily mean he's asleep as Pacquiao would show time and time again, landing his dynamite-laden left.

Still, it was Morales who was dictating the action. That is, until the 12th and final round when, for reasons known only to himself-which he rationalized after the fight by saying, "that's what the fans wanted…" and "sometimes I need to put a little flavor in the fight, so that's why I stopped and exchanged punches."--Morales, fighting from the southpaw stance, decided to go toe-to-toe with Pacquiao. And throwing himself into the fray with complete disregard for his underpinnings, took some of Pacquiao's best punches, three times looking as if he were hurt, but most probably merely showing signs of exhaustion--and of slipping on the painted canvas.

At the final bell Morales' fans let loose a roar that rivaled the giddiness of Captain John Smith after Pocahontas went his bail, secure in the knowledge that their hero had won--confirmed seconds later when ring announcer Michael Buffer announced the 115-113 unanimous decision in his favor.

Erik Morales was now in a position to earn money that hadn't been printed yet. But more importantly, he had earned the respect of boxing fans everywhere, especially in Mexico where once again he had re-established himself as one of its most popular fighters--if not the most. For he had beaten the man who had beaten the man who had beaten him.