Morales Takes Pacquiao a Little Lighter

In his last fight, Erik Morales’ performance was “disgraceful.”

So says Morales’ own promoter, Bob Arum.

Even Arum, a classic spinmeister, has to acknowledge that Morales showed up for his last match, against Zahir Raheem, unprepared, physically and mentally.

Having been in ring wars with Marco Antonio Barrera and Manny Pacquiao, Morales figured he could beat a guy like Raheem in his sleep. Indeed, Morales looked like a man sleepwalking through 12 rounds, his characteristic aggressiveness, movement and sharpness missing. In his debut at 135 pounds, Morales lost a unanimous decision to Raheem last September at Staples Center.

“He looked very slow, very tired,” Jose Luis Lopez Sr., Morales’ new trainer, said through an interpreter. “He was too stationary. It was just a bad night. I don’t think the weight was such a big deal. It’s the way you handle the weight. But I do think he took his opponent too lightly.”

That shouldn’t be a problem tonight when Morales (48-3, 34 knockouts), who is from Tijuana, and Pacquiao (40-3-2, 31), from the Philippines, meet in a super-featherweight rematch at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Morales had to go 12 rounds to squeak out a two-point decision over Pacquiao last March, so he knows all too well how tough Pacquiao can be. All three judges scored the bout 115-113.

Pacquiao points out that the fight was that close, even though he had trouble seeing many of Morales’ punches after suffering a cut in the fifth round. His right eyebrow split, blood washing down the side of his face.

“It was a big distraction,” Pacquiao said. “Every time Erik moved to his [left], I couldn’t see him.”

Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, concurred.

“The eye was bothering him,” Roach said. “It took him about four rounds until he really got back into the focus of the fight.”

There were other distractions as well. Because of an agreement his promoter, Murad Muhammad, had made with Arum, Pacquiao had to use a brand of gloves he said limited his power.

“[They] are like pillows,” Pacquiao said. “They are not puncher’s gloves, so they definitely have some effect on the punching power.”

Pacquiao has since severed his ties to Muhammad and switched to the brand of gloves he prefers.

Pacquiao’s confidence also got a lift from his performance in the semi-main event the night Morales lost to Raheem. Pacquiao beat Hector Velazquez on a sixth-round TKO.

If Pacquiao has put his distractions behind him, Morales has struggled with his since the Raheem fight, painfully splitting with his father-trainer Jose and replacing him with Lopez.

At first, both sides said that the split was amicable, but Jose has since been critical in some Mexican newspapers of his son’s training.

Erik insists there are “no problems” with his father, but Lopez says he saw problems in their relationship.

“I thought his dad pressured him too much,” Lopez said. “He did too much yelling at him in the corner. I don’t think a trainer should be doing that. Now, Erik seems liberated. When he gets up in the morning in camp, he sings. Not very good, but he sings.”

The question is, will his fists sing? Back at his more familiar 130 pounds, can Morales refocus, and exploit his superior punching power to again defeat Pacquiao? Or will Pacquiao, his vision clear, be able to again show the superior boxing skill he demonstrated at times in the first fight and, this time, finish the job?

Morales weighed in at 130 pounds Friday, Pacquiao at 128 1/2 .

And Arum has come up with a new spin. “The fact that Morales lost his last fight makes this one even better,” the promoter said.

Only if Morales has learned from the experience. If not, his will be a song sung blue.