Make or bust for Morales in ‘Grand Finale’

As he tried to dismiss talks about his retirement, Erik Morales hinted that his coming fight against Manny Pacquiao might just help him decide whether or not it’s time to hang up those battered gloves.

"I feel it’s a very important fight for my career because it’s one that I can’t afford to lose," said Morales in an exclusive interview that came out of BoxingScene.Com. yesterday.

"I have to win," vowed the crafty Mexican super-featherweight who defeated Pacquiao in 12 rounds in March of 2005 before absorbing a terrible 10th round knockout in their rematch last January.

Morales has not fought since being knocked out for the first time in his career, and talks about retirement has lurked behind the former three-time world champion who turns 30 on Friday.

The 27-year-old Pacquiao, on the other hand, had a great 12-round workout against Mexico’s Oscar Larios last July 2 at the Araneta Coliseum. The Filipino lefty won a unanimous decision.

Morales has actually lost his last two fights, including one against former American Olympian Zahir Raheem at the Staples Center in Los Angeles last September.

On that same night at Staples Center, Pacquiao stopped another Mexican, Hector Velasquez, in six rounds.

A third straight loss could just force Morales into retirement.

But the Mexican, now on the sixth week of a weight reduction program at a state-of-the-art Velocity training facility in LA, said his retirement is not for anyone else to decide.

"It’s not a vote. Nobody is going to vote me out of boxing. It has to be my decision and that’s what will happen. When I think it’s time to go — I’ll go," he told BoxingScene.Com.

Morales said he’s never worked this long for a fight, considering that the third and decisive showdown with Pacquiao, dubbed the "The Grand Finale," is set Nov. 18 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.

It’s still 82 days before the fight, and Morales has been sweating it out at Velocity, trying to lose weight in time for his proper training in Mexico by September.

"Without a doubt. It has to reflect. I’ve been working a lot longer than I usually do for a fight. This time I have to prepare myself to go to camp so I think it will show," he said. — Abac Cordero