Watch out, Morales

The die is cast. Manny Pacquiao is definitely fighting Erik Morales in a grudge rematch on Jan. 21, tentatively at the 22,000-seat Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said Morales? loss to Zahir Raheem in Los Angeles last Saturday (Sunday morning, Manila) won’t make a difference because the rematch is a fight that fans are itching to see.

Morales has already started beating the war drums for the bout. And he’s still sporting lumps from yielding a lopsided decision to Raheem.

"Some people feel that Pacquiao was not at his best when I beat him but I think he was," said Morales, quoted by Los Angeles Daily News writer Robert Morales. "If there are some doubts about my victory last March, I will erase them in a second fight. I thought I won clearly the first time and will do so again."

Then, in another verbal barrage the other day, Morales issued a dare, "Pacquiao says he wants to take my head off, let’s see if he can do it."

The rematch will be at the limit of 130 pounds which should suit Morales just fine because he appeared slow and sluggish at 134 for Raheem. It will be Pacquiao’s first defense of the World Boxing Council International superfeatherweight crown he won by halting Hector Velazquez on the same card where Morales bowed to Raheem.

Pacquiao finally seems comfortable at 130 and showed it in dismantling Velazquez, a natural superfeatherweight. That’s good news for Pacquiao and bad news for Morales. If Pacquiao is able to boost his power to the superfeatherweight level, Morales will be in big trouble. Note that Raheem, who isn’t a hard hitter, almost floored Morales in the fifth round of their fight with a right straight to the jaw.

There were several positive things evident in Pacquiao’s demolition job in L. A. Here’s a list of 10.

• Speed. Pacquiao was much quicker on his feet than Velazquez who was slow and lumbering. Velazquez became even slower as Pacquiao began to sap his energy with punishing body shots. That quickness will be a major advantage for Pacquiao in the Morales rematch.

• Defense. Pacquiao took some solid shots upstairs and downstairs but would’ve absorbed a lot more punishment if not for his improved defense. He used nifty footwork to whirl away from Velazquez’ power shots from close range and moved his head around like a swivel to avoid those irritating jabs. Along the ropes, Pacquiao swayed side to side and Velazquez couldn’t find an obliging target. If Pacquiao uses the same defensive moves, Morales will find it difficult to connect.

• Firepower. It wasn’t just the left that hurt Velazquez. Pacquiao varied his punches and kept the Mexican guessing as to where the next blow would come from. The right cross, hook, straight and jab were huge weapons in opening up Velazquez for Pacquiao’s killer lefts. Morales won’t know what hit him when Pacquiao gets going.

• Resiliency. Pacquiao made key adjustments in his offense when it looked like Velazquez wouldn’t budge from shots to the head. On Freddie Roach’s instructions, Pacquiao shifted his attack to the body and that turned the tide for the Filipino. Pacquiao lacked resiliency in the Morales fight last March. He’s learned his lesson.

• Patience. Overcoming a slow start, Pacquiao methodically regained his rhythm to take the starch out of Velazquez. It was a clear sign of maturity. Pacquiao didn’t panic. He worked his way back to form patiently. He didn’t rush things. He didn’t make mistakes out of frustration.

• Durability. Once more, Pacquiao showed a Superman-like ability to take punches. Velazquez threw some hard ones that caught Pacquiao in the head and on the body. But Pacquiao hardly flinched. He’s now almost immune to pain, thanks to strength and conditioning coach Justin Fortune.

• Relentlessness. As soon as Pacquiao was on track, there was no stopping the freight train. He never tired from throwing punches. His energy overflowed. Pacquiao unleashed a merciless barrage to break down Velazquez until the Mexican couldn’t take any more.

• Comfort zone. Pacquiao looked comfortable at 130 pounds, carrying the weight without difficulty. Unlike in the Morales fight last March, Pacquiao didn’t appear to be bloated. His body has naturally developed to fill a superfeatherweight frame.

• Smarts. Pacquiao fought an intelligent fight. He knew relying on just one punch for a knockout won’t cut it against bigger opponents. So Pacquiao didn’t try to flatten Velazquez with a single blow. He uncorked dizzying combinations from all angles and gradually snuffed out Velazquez’ fighting spirit. He set up Velazquez for the kill and didn’t try to grandstand by going for a one-punch knockout.

• Pacing. Pacquiao never underestimated Velazquez. He was prepared to go the full route if necessary and paced himself. Pacquiao was careful not to burn out early.

From what Pacquiao showed in destroying Velazquez, Morales has several reasons—10 of them—to be worried. In their rematch, he’ll face a Pacquiao different from the fighter he beat last March.