Erik Morales II (2006)

In their first fight – perhaps Erik Morales’ finest hour – the legendary Mexican called upon all his ingenuity and experience to turn back the Pacquiao assault. ‘Could he repeat the feat?’ was the question swirling around the rematch less than a year later. ‘No’ was the short answer, though the fight itself was another modern classic, a bruising brawl that saw the teak-tough El Terrible suffer a maiden stoppage defeat.

Morales had dealt Pacquiao’s aura of indestructibility a major blow by outpointing him first time round, but in the return Pac was needle-sharp from round one. He snapped out a fierce-looking jab from behind a high guard, wary of falling into Morales’ precise and hurtful counters. Instead it was Morales falling in, whereupon Pacquiao unleashed the right hook Freddie Roach dubbed ‘Manilla Ice’.

The Filipino was on the front foot, but boxing with more caution and intelligence than in their first encounter. Clad in his preferred Reyes punchers’ gloves rather than the Winning mitts he’d described as pillows, he cracked Morales with a straight left midway through the second. Ever tenacious, the veteran stood his ground and returned fire, both soon winging away with abandon. Pacquiao, however, was the one ending the exchanges, driving his man across the ring. In this fashion he moved Morales towards the corner and delivered another scything left, which caused the Mexican to stagger backwards and steady himself on the top rope. With Floyd Mayweather Jr. cheering from ringside (yes, Pretty Boy was once a big fan of his future nemesis), the southpaw closed out the second with a few more belting right handers.

In his 52nd fight, Morales found himself in the unenviable position Barrera had been in three years earlier: facing down a sparky, lethal-punching opponent who would not leave him alone. Like Duran in the DeJesus rematch, Pacquiao was on a quest for vengeance. Nevertheless, Morales had his moments: he dictated the pace in the fourth and fifth, Pacquiao working on unpicking the lock of his defence; in the sixth Manny was back on it, putting together quickfire combinations to body and head and finding a home for the zipping straight left. At the bell, Morales was staggering once more.

In some ways, Pacquiao’s career bifurcates on this night. Pre-Morales II, he’d been little more than a fearsome firecracker; now he added maturity and ring-craft to his armoury, morphing into a well-oiled machine that fired on all cylinders. His hounding two-fisted attack had Morales troubled in the ninth, and in the 10th a chopping left to the temple put him down. The proud warrior rose to his feet, his face badly pulped, but Pacquiao – after blessing himself – walked straight forward and launched four blitzing lefts. Morales fell to his knees and the ref waved it off.

Up to that point, it was the fight of Pacquiao’s life. The era of Barrera and Morales was well and truly over.

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