The saying "time waits for no man" was proved correct on the 18th November 2006, as Manny Pacquiao put in a career defining performance against the determined, yet 'past-it', Erik Morales.
Since being defeated by Morales in 2005, Pacquiao had been on a roll, with good wins over Oscar Larios and Hector Velasquez, as well as one over Morales at the beginning of 2006. He was now looking to top the infamous 'pound forn pound' list, and another win over Morales would do just that for him.
Erik Morales wasn't looking for such high glories in this fight; he just wanted to steady the boat. He'd lost three out of his last four, and was starting to look like he'd had much better days. However, his losses had been against quality opposition, so Morales was in theory still a top level fighter, although as this fight proved, nearly everything apart from his lion-sized heart had left him by this point in time.
Pacquiao vs. Morales 3 Round-by-Round
The first exhibited a 'role reversal' of sorts. Morales, usually the counter puncher was the one pushing forward and trying to make things happen, while Pacquiao, who is normally a bundle of aggressive energy was waiting for openings. This change in styles proved more fruitful for the 'Pac-Man', who was making Morales overreach, and blasting him with good right hooks from range. 'El Terrible' was consequently fairly ineffective, and the Filipino was looking the better of the pair.
The start of the second was promising for Morales though. He was throwing more, and landing some solid right straights. However, Pacquiao would always return fire with combinations that were twice as fast and twice as lethal, and Morales had no answer to these. This showed when he was put down by a sublime counter left hook, which landed flush on his chin. The Mexican beat the count though, and showed his heart by firing back, although his lack of head movement was not boding well against a speedy, accurate puncher like Pacquiao.
The third was eventful to say the least. Pacquiao started by using the left straight to great effect, and after a minute, he had his foe on unsteady legs after a right hook. The 'Pac-Man' was going in for the kill, and a huge straight left put Morales down. Once again, the steely Mexican beat the count, and even started firing back with some great right straights. However, Pacquiao swarmed him, and put him down with yet another massive straight left hand. The look in Morales' eyes showed he didn't want any more of Manny, and he sat out the count, therefore losing the contest.
Implications Of Pacquiao vs. Morales 3
After this fight, it was evident to everyone but himself that Erik Morales was finished at the highest level. He had quite simply taken too many shots throughout his career, and even though his heart and desire was still there, as with many other warriors, eventually, his body just couldn't keep up. It took a points loss against David Diaz to finally make Morales call it a day, although even now there are talks of 'El Terrible' coming out of retirement.
Manny Pacquiao's accomplishment should not be undermined despite this though. To stop Morales in such dominating fashion showed that his speed and power could carry through the weights, and to boot, he retained his WBC Super Featherweight Title. All in all, not a bad night's work for the Filipino wrecking machine, who has gone on to defeat the likes of Miguel Cotto and Ricky Hatton since the final Morales contest.
How To Watch Pacquiao vs. Morales 3
Pacquiao vs. Morales 3 was this week's 'Classic Fight of the Week'. Please visit my profile page for details on how to watch this, or any of the fights previously covered in this column.
