Pacquiao leads Morales in poll

With exactly three weeks left before the first big fight of 2006, Manny Pacquiao is way ahead of Erik Morales in the "unofficial scorecards" of fight fans visiting the Filipino boxer’s official website.

An on-line voting at www.mannypacquiao.ph shows the Filipino super featherweight as the overwhelming favorite to win his highly-awaited Jan. 21 rematch with the crafty, skillful Mexican.

Of a total 6,755 votes cast so far, 76.1 percent or more than 5,000 fight fans see Pacquiao winning by knockout. Another 10.5 percent said Pacquiao would win by decision.

Only 6.9 percent or 466 of the voters believe that Morales would win by decision, and even less of them, at 5.2 percent, think that the taller Mexican could score a knockout win.

Only 1.3 percent voted for a draw.

A previous pre-fight forecast issued by a leading boxing website showed Pacquiao as a 7-5 favorite.

Morales beat Pacquiao in their first meeting last March through a unanimous decision. Experts, however, believe that that classic fight was closer than the official result, thus leading to the rematch.

The rematch, billed as "The Battle," is set at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. It will be aired via pay-per-view, just like their initial encounter at the glittery nearby MGM Grand.

Both fighters stand to receive $2 million each. It’s probably the biggest combined paycheck for two boxers figuring in a non-title, 12-round bout. Mexico’s Marco Antonio Barrera is the reigning WBC champion in the 130 lb class.

Pacquiao has been training in the US since Dec. 3, skipping his annual Dec. 17 birthday bash in his hometown in Gen. Santos City, and skipping the Christmas holidays with his wife and two kids.

Morales is also in the thick of his preparations for the coming fight. He’s been training in Queretaro, which is more than 200 kms off Mexico City, under a new handler, Jose Luis Lopez.