Morales says power to decide Manny-Valero showdown

Three-time world boxing champion Erik Morales said yesterday a proposed fight between Manny Pacquiao and WBA superfeatherweight champion Edwin Valero will be a slam-bang affair featuring two strong and fast knockout artists.

“It will be a heckuva fight,” said Morales in an overseas phone call from his San Diego home. “Valero is ‘muy fuerte’ (very strong) but isn’t technically sound. He doesn’t know how to control a fight. He just likes to finish off his opponents as quickly as possible.”

In the event of a showdown, Morales said Valero will be most dangerous in the early rounds.

“If Manny gets by the first three or four rounds, he’ll beat Valero,” said Morales. “But he should be careful because Valero will try to score a quick knockout.”

Morales is familiar with the styles of both fighters. Valero was once his sparmate and Morales battled Pacquiao in a thrilling trilogy, winning once on points and losing twice by knockout. Pacquiao and Valero are both southpaws.

As for his own plans, Morales said he’s itching for a rematch against WBC lightweight champion David Diaz. Last August, Morales floored Diaz once and turned his face into a grotesque mask but lost a disputed decision, thwarting his bid to become the first Mexican fighter to capture four world crowns in different divisions.

“I like a rematch,” said Morales. “I know I won our first fight. But I don’t know what will happen. I’m arranging a meeting with Top Rank to talk about a rematch.”

Top Rank officials initially said they would not promote a rematch. But that was when there was talk of Pacquiao moving up to the 135-pound ranks to challenge Diaz. With Valero now looming as Pacquiao’s next opponent, Diaz will be available for another taker and Morales could be a candidate.

Morales said he watched Pacquiao’s recent fight against Marco Antonio Barrera on pay-per-view TV and was disappointed by the Mexican’s refusal to engage.

“It was an easy fight for Manny,” he said. “I don’t think Barrera came to fight. He just wanted the paycheck. He fought for the money. He stayed away from Manny. I was disappointed. Fighters should always give the fans their money’s worth. When I fought Manny, I never backed down. That’s how I am. But I’m happy for Manny that he won over Barrera.”

Morales’ wife Andrea is giving birth to their second child on Nov. 18 but he said he will definitely come to Manila for the WBC convention on Nov. 11-17. He plans to arrive Nov. 8 and stay six days.

Morales said he is coming with popular Mexican wrestler El Hijo del Santo who fights in the ring wearing a silver mask. Four years ago, El Hijo del Santo defeated Rey Mysterio Jr. in a historic match before a packed crowd in Morales‚ Tijuana hometown. 

Morales said he is arranging for El Hijo del Santo to take on a Japanese champion in a makeshift ring at the Manila Hotel on Nov. 10, the eve of the WBC convention.

“El Hijo del Santo is famous all over Mexico and is part of our rich Mexican culture,” said Morales. “I hope to introduce him to Filipino fans. His father was also a wrestler known as Santo, the greatest legend in Mexican sports who appeared in 52 movies. He was a wrestler for over 40 years and died in 1984. He had 11 children and only El Hijo del Santo followed in his footsteps as a wrestler.”

El Hijo del Santo’s finishing and signature moves include the camel clutch, head-scissors takedown, suicide dive and diving head-butt. He is a seven-time World Wrestling Association welterweight champion and three-time Universal Wrestling Association lightweight titleholder. In 2003, El Hijo del Santo was rated No. 63 among the best 500 singles wrestlers by Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazine.