The gloves do count.
The cut was a handicap.
The managerial issues were distractions.
But then again, maybe, Manny is a lot of notches better than he was when he first fought Mexican boxing legend Erik ‘El Terrible’ Morales in March last year.
On Sunday, January 22, Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao did the unthinkable and what no other man before him has ever done – hand Morales his first knockout loss.
It was no fluke, mind you.
For nine rounds, Manny stalked the bigger Morales – bursting with rapid combinations while taking out the best that his opponent brought to the table. Err, atop the ring.
It was methodical and just as brutal as the way he disposed off another Mexican great Marco Antonio Barrera.
For almost ten rounds, Pacquiao displayed unbelievable amount of courage, sheer brute and unparalleled resilience.
When the referee finally stopped the exciting and superb display of bravado and raw force, it was Manny’s hands that were raised in triumph.
Blow by blow
Manny’s spectacular stoppage of Morales will undoubtedly go down as one of the best of his still rising boxing career.
And it would also be one of the worst blemishes on the equally remarkable boxing career of the Mexican.
Morales would later say he was hit very hard.
“It was a tough fight. I was tired of getting punched in the head…I was just tired,”Morales said in a post-fight interview.
In fact, it was the sheer volume of power punches that finally brought Morales literally down to his worst beating.
But on the other hand, it was also the most difficult fight so far for Manny.
Until the fateful tenth round, the fight was still very close with Manny taking rounds two, six, seven, eight and nine. Morales was effective in the first round and also took the third, fourth and fifth.
Both fighters had their moments in each round, often exchanging power punches in the middle of the ring.
But a left hook to the right side of Morales’ head in the sixth round staggered the Mexican and would have fallen if he did not have his back on referee Kenny Bayless at the sound of the bell.
From then on, it was Pacquiao who landed more powerful combinations and more volume of punches.
In the eight, Morales tried to jab his way but reverted back to his machismo style and engaged Pacquiao in a toe-to-toe slugfest in the middle of the ring only to driven back to the ropes.
Morales began backing off as the rounds wore on but the exchanges were torrid and came in bunches with Manny digging more body shots that had Morales backpedaling.
Before the start of the tenth round, Morales complained his legs were hurting. His corner had to rub his legs in between rounds.
Then in the tenth round and with 52 second left, Manny connected a left hook to the side of the head of the couching Morales who staggered backwards and dropped to his pants for the first time in his career.
He got up at the count of nine with the aid of the ropes.
Then barely 20 seconds later, Manny caught up with Morales at the rope where he unleashed a flurry of punches.
Morales simply collapsed to his knees and Kenny Bayless wasted not time waiving his hands to signal the end of the fight.
Pacquiao bent on his knees at his corner as Bayless led Morales to his corner. He raised his hands in triumph as he was hoisted by his corner. Moments later, Morales met him at the middle of the ring and hugged Pacquiao in a remarkable display of sportsmanship.
Pacquiao later said he is willing to give Morales a rubber match as stipulated in their fight contract.
But Morales said he will take some time off before deciding if another fight will be in order.
Pacquiao, too said, he would take a long vacation.
Who would not? After all, Sunday’s big event was so exhausting that each deserved a long rest.
Meanwhile, savor Manny’s victory. It was not only his. It was also one shining moment for a country so divided.
Masterful
The way Manny executed his game plan was a thing of beauty. He never lost his focus and was never rattled during the fight.
His head movement was excellent and his footwork was incredulously superb. His combinations were far crispier than when he took Barrera.
And the body shots – they were all strength-sapper.
Trainer Freddie Roach correctly predicted they would bring Morales down in the latter rounds with wicked body shots and combinations.
This is not to take any credit away from Erik Morales.
The Mexican was also at his best.
He threw crisp jabs, powerful uppercuts and stinging right straights effectively early in the bout.
Sadly for him, Pacquiao was the more conditioned and hungrier fighter.
Here’s the round by round account of the exciting match, courtesy of ESPN:
Round 1
The fight opened surprisingly cautiously, both men showing respect. Pacquiao began landing some crisp punches at arond the midway point of round one, before Morales hurt Pacquiao against the ropes. Pacquiao came back with a flurry of his own, but Morales staggered Pacquiao again at round’s end with a big right hand.Morales 10-9
Round 2
Morales opened the round with a straight right hand. Double left hand from Pacquiao. Good left to the chin from Pacquiao. Morales landed counter as Pacquiao attacked, then Pacquiao opened up again. Pacquaio staggered Morales, and the two exchanged furiously.Pacquiao 10-9
Round 3
The two men exchanged hard combinations to open the round, before Morales began utilizing his long jab. Morales landed a beautiul uppercut-right hand combination that staggered Pacquiao, and Pacquiao retaliated with sharp flurries to the body.Morales 10-9
Round 4
Pacquiao landed several flurries early on, but Morales’ punches appeared heavier. Morales’ heavy jab and straight right hands landed more cleanly than Paquiao’s combinations.Morales 10-9
Round 5
A Morales left jab sent the spray flying off Pacquiao’s head. Morales landed several right hands behind jabs. Pacquiao kept coming forward but could not do much damage to Morales’ defense.Morales 10-9
Round 6
Pacquiao found his way through with a right hook and opened up with a furious flurry that had Morales covering up. Pacquiao began showing more angles instead of coming in straight ahead, and rattled Morales with several hard combinations to the head. A huge assault with Morales against the ropes had the Mexican staggered at the bell.Pacquiao 10-9
Round 7
A left from Morales knocked Pacquiao backward into the ropes and now it was Morales’ turn to attack. Pacquiao responded with fast combinations to the chin. Morales was beginning to look tired as Pacquiao bulled to him to the ropes.Pacquiao 10-9
Round 8
Solid jab from Morales, and straight right hands, but Pacquiao countered with two combinations. Morales played possum against the ropes and caught Pacquiao coming in. Pacquiao landed hard lefts against the ropes. Pacquiao backed Morales to the ropes and landed clean shots to the chin, and Morales responded with powerful blows to the head that knocked back Pacquiao.Pacquiao 10-9
Round 9
Big left from Pacquiao. Nice uppercut from Morales. The two men traded punches furiously. Pacquiao landed a hard left that knocked Morales to the ropes, and Morales danced away at round’s end as the Filipino contingent booed.Pacquiao 10-9
Round 10
Morales returned to the jab, and looked like he could control the fight in center ring. But Pacquiao’s body shots sent him to the ropes, and Morales retreated as Pacquiao attacked. Morales caught Pacquiao with a counter as he came forward, but Pacquiao resumed the attack to body and head and put Morales down for the first time in his career. Morales rose, but Pacquiao attacked again and dropped Morales against the ropes. Referee Kenny Bayless waved it off at 2:33, and Pacquiao won by TKO.
