No immediate rematch

Two-time world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao said the other day he’ll take on a still unnamed opponent in a July tune-up fight before facing Erik Morales in a September rematch.

It’s welcome news that Pacquiao isn’t pushing for an immediate return bout even if the money’s right.

When they squared off in Las Vegas two weekends ago, it appeared that Morales was much bigger than Pacquiao. They scaled only a half pound apart at the weigh-in on the eve of the bout but it didn’t seem that way when they finally locked horns in the ring.

Morales looked gaunt and undernourished at the weigh-in. He stripped naked to make the 130-pound limit. In contrast, Pacquiao wore his shorts and had no difficulty clearing the scales.

Throughout the six weeks he prepared for Morales, Pacquiao wasn’t bothered by his weight. He didn’t go on a diet although he watched what he ate. He didn’t sacrifice to make the weight.

While Pacquiao went up in weight, Morales trimmed down. Apparently, the Mexican has outgrown the superfeatherweight division and is ready to invade the 135-pound lightweight class.

After the weigh-in, both fighters ate up. Someone said when the fight started, Morales had put on at least 10 pounds. It showed in the way his face filled up after 24 hours. Morales was revitalized within a day.

Was Pacquiao "bloated" to reach the superfeatherweight limit? Maybe. Maybe not.

Nobody likes to diet because the sacrifice makes you irritable. Pacquiao would rather scale up than down. But it’s important for him to know what is his natural fighting weight at his age and at the level of his physical development.

The worse thing that can happen to a fighter is to "bloat" himself to move up in weight for the chance to earn big bucks. A fighter’s physique must naturally evolve and mature. It can’t be rushed to fit a new weight category. You don’t push Mother Nature against the wall.

Pacquiao had never fought as a superfeatherweight before battling Morales. I’m not sure if his body had adjusted to the new weight limit.

Remember that Pacquiao’s No. 1 asset is his power. If his body hadn’t adjusted to the new weight, it’s possible that the force of his power didn’t carry over. That’s probably why Morales felt he could take Pacquiao’s best shot without flinching. After all, he was bigger. That may be why Morales didn’t mind slugging it out with Pacquiao toe to toe. He showed little respect for Pacquiao’s power.

As a featherweight, Pacquiao’s power was devastating. As a superfeatherweight, it was ordinary.

I think Pacquiao was rushed into taking a big paycheck by fighting Morales. In time, Pacquiao will be a force to reckon with as a 130-pounder but before that can happen, his body must adjust to the new weight and grow into the superfeatherweight class.

Pacquiao should’ve figured in a few tune-ups and gotten accustomed to the new weight limit before facing a formidable opponent like Morales.

In boxing history, several world champions who weren’t ready to move up in weight learned their lessons the hard way, like Pacquiao.

Alexis Arguello moved from featherweight to superfeatherweight to lightweight then found his limit in the superlightweight or junior welterweight division. Bob Foster and Archie Moore were dominant lightheavyweight titlists but when they got ambitious and challenged for the heavyweight crown, both lost by knockout. Flash Elorde was unbeatable as world junior lightweight titlist for over seven years but couldn’t carry his power to the lightweight class. Elorde lost twice to Carlos Ortiz in bids for the world lightweight crown in 1964 and 1966.

Has Pacquiao reached the limit of his body growth? Should he stick to fighting in the featherweight division where his power is unmatched? If he decides to continue his assault of the superfeatherweight class, shouldn’t he allow for the natural growth of his body to mature?

Sometimes, a fighter’s power loses its potency when he moves up in weight and gets bloated. It’s a double-bladed sword because bigger opponents may be able to soak in his punches more than those in a lower weight division.

The problem is there’s a lot more money to be made in the superfeatherweight division than in the featherweight division. Surely, that’s a major reason why Pacquiao jumped to the 130-pound class without the benefit of a tune-up.

Only Pacquiao can answer if his body has naturally evolved to carry the 130-pound weight. He just can’t keep on adding weight and moving up from division to division. There’s a limit to what the human body can carry in terms of weight without losing its vitality. Pacquiao started as a miniflyweight, won his first world title as a flyweight, invaded the superbantamweight division and later became the consensus world featherweight ruler. That’s a jump from 105 to 126 pounds in a 10-year career.

Maybe the superfeatherweight division is not for Pacquiao. At least, not yet.