Pacquiao Stops Morales in a Three-Round Thriller
By Doug Fischer (
[email protected])(Nov 19, 2006) Photo © German Villasenor
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LAS VEGAS – Manny Pacquiao won his rubbermatch with Erik Morales in electrifying fashion, dropping the Mexican legend three times and stopping him two minutes and 57 seconds into the third round of an abbreviated barnburner. It didn’t last as long as their first two encounters but the three-round junior lightweight thriller packed as much action and drama as any 12-round fight of the year candidate in recent years.
Pacquiao, who improved to 43-3-2 (33), was off-set by a sharp Morales jab in the opening minute of the first round, but the Filipino icon timed a hard right hook off of the Tijuana native’s chin mid-round, prompting the proud warrior to step in with a hard retaliatory one-two combination. However, Pacquiao took control of the round with a one-two combination of his own near the end of the stanza.
The second round was an instant classic as both national heroes had their moments in the opening minute of round, landing two- and three-punch combinations that ignited the Thomas & Mack Center’s electric sell-out crowd of 18,276. Midway through the round Morales backed Pacquiao against the ropes with a series of punches, most of which were blocked by the southpaw’s high guard. El Terrible’s brief surge got a rise from the Mexican fans, but it was short lived as Pacquiao landed a counter left that knocked Morales to one knee. Morales got up quick and rushed Pacquiao immediately in an attempt to regain the momentum he so quickly lost, and just like that the two resumed ferocious back-and-forth exchanges that lasted until the end of the round.
At the start of the third round, Morales looked like he’d already fought 10 or 11 hard rounds. He tried to keep the torrid pace that was set in the second round, but his punches lacked the zip and power that Pacquiao’s carried. Pacquaio landed hard three-and-four-punch combinations to Morales’ body and head that the former three-division champ tried to answer but only wound up catching more leather. After Morales absorbed a right hook a minute into the round that turned his already weak legs to rubber, a violent blur of punches sent him down for the second time.
Only Morales’s intense pride allowed him to get up and he instinctively attacked Pacquiao as soon as he was able, but the same warrior’s heart that allowed him to prevail in so many hard battles over the years only hastened the ending of this contest. After landing a good right hand that snapped his Filipino rival’s head back, Morales caught a series of accurate power punches that sent him down for the third and final time of the bout.
Morales, who dropped to 48-5 (24), wearily sat up and watched referee Vic Drakulich count to ten through glazed over eyes. The scene was reminiscent of Alexis Arguello sitting in bewilderment as he was counted out in his rematch with Aaron Pryor. The Nicaraguan hall of famer had to accept that he was in over his head vs. a bigger, stronger, faster, younger opponent.
Morales made the same realization tonight vs. Pacquaio, who landed 51 of 71 power punches in the third round according to CompuBox stastistics.
“He was too fast, too strong,” Morales said. “I did everything in camp necessary to win this fight. I didn’t win it. It wasn’t my night.”
After all the punishing wars Morales has been in over the last 10 years the question has to be asked if it will ever be his night again in the ring. To his credit, Morales understands this reality.
“For the first time in my career I felt the power of my opponent,” he said. “Maybe it’s getting to be that time.”
While one legend probably ended tonight, another legend only gained in momentum. Pacquiao is hands down the most exciting performer in the sport, worldwide, and is arguably the sport’s best fighter, pound for pound.
“I was faster than him and I was bigger than him,” Pacquiao said of Morales. “I could tell that he was surprised by my right hook, so I kept throwing it.”
Mega-fights loom for Pacquiao in 2007. The 130-pound division is one of the sport’s most talented and experienced weight classes and in Pacquiao, who hold no world title belt, the division has a clear leader who is willing to take on the best.