Morales gets other sparring mates

Erik Morales has called in additional sparring partners as he entered the last five weeks of training for his Nov. 18 showdown with Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas.

Morales has spent the last three weeks at his cold, secluded training camp at the Otomi Mountains, more than 10,000 feet above sea level and two hours away from Mexico City.

But Morales had gone sparring only this week, at least a dozen rounds behind Pacquiao, as the great Mexican fighter needed two months to get in shape.

Pacquiao is in Los Angeles, sweating it out at the Wild Card Gym for four weeks now. As of last week, Pacquiao, according to his trainer Freddie Roach, is at 136 lbs.

Since being knocked out by Pacquiao last January, Morales, at 30 three years older than the Filipino, had ballooned to more than 150 pounds.

Morales spent two months in Los Angeles for a scientific weight-reduction program, and has been quite successful at it. He’s now near 140 lbs, and is moving closer to the 130 lb limit.

"My concentration is going according to plans. There will be more sparring sessions this week," Morales told boxlatino.com in a telephone interview.

Coming in as additional sparring partners, to the three that are already in Otomi, are Oscar Leon, a lefty and at 5-6 very much like Pacquiao, and Betillo Gutierrez, a heavier fighter.

Morales has been using Cleto Reyes gloves in training, and it’s very possible that he and Pacquiao might use this Mexican brand, known as the "punchers gloves," in their coming fight.

Morales used the Winning brand, which gives its users added protection because of its thicker cushion on the knuckle area, in his first two fights against Pacquiao.

"I’m ready for the fight," Morales told ABS-CBN sportscaster Dyan Castillejo who had the great privilege of visiting Morales in his normally "off-limits" training camp.