No weighty issues for Morales now

At 2:30 p.m., Erik Morales stepped on a scale at the Thomas & Mack Center and sucked in his stomach, and a hush fell over the crowd of several hundred on hand to watch.

Then came the announcement: “One hundred twenty-nine pounds.”

A roar went up from the Morales’ supporters and a big smile crossed the face of the Mexican fighter. The man who had sworn after his last match that he would never again fight at 130 pounds, could not fight at 130 pounds, had proven himself wrong.

After two months of training in a remote village in the mountains of northern Mexico, and two additional months in Los Angeles subjecting himself to the rigorous demands of a team of new-age trainers, Morales had dropped below the required weight for his 12-round super-featherweight match tonight against Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines, who also weighed in at 129.

“It’s not about the weight,” said Shelly Finkel, Pacquiao’s manager, “it’s about the heart. We expect Erik Morales to be the best Erik Morales possible. But we don’t think that will be enough.”

There’s no title on the line, but that doesn’t matter in an age when boxing matches depend more on name identification than title designation.

This fight is being marketed on the brutal history between these two, one a favorite son of Mexico, the other enjoying elite status in the Philippines.

The first fight in this trilogy, in March 2005, ended with a victory by decision for Morales, ended with blood flowing from a bad cut over Pacquiao’s right eye. Pacquiao (42-3-2, 32 knockouts) insisted the outcome would have been different if only he had been able to see Morales, if only the bleeding had not shut him off from advance warning when Morales threw his potent left hand.

Pacquiao got an opportunity to prove his claim when the rematch was staged last January, and prove it he did, knocking down Morales (48-4, 34) twice in the 10th round and winning by TKO in that round.

It was a sight boxing fans had never before seen -- Morales, known for his ability to weather the worst of fistic storms and survive, down on the canvas, hunched over, the spirit beaten out of him.

This time, it was Morales who had the excuse. He’d been forced to sweat off pounds at an agonizing rate in the final days before the fight, and looked emaciated when he finally stepped on the scale.

Art Aragon, a legendary L.A. fighter, once joked that he had lost so much weight before a fight, he “had to be carried into the ring.”

Morales appeared to be the embodiment of that joke.

Now, there are no excuses. Pacquiao has clear vision in both eyes and Morales appears to have lost his weight at a sensible rate.

Although Pacquiao is favored, Morales figures he has an advantage in his corner: Jose Morales, his father. Jose has been missing from that corner only three times in his son’s career, twice in Erik’s amateur days and then for the second Pacquiao fight. Erik lost all three times.

Why the split? “Problems, problems, problems” is all Morales would say through an interpreter.

Why the return? “I asked him to come back, and not only for him to be in the corner. We complement each other so well. He knows exactly what I can do.”

This finale to the trilogy is actually a trilogy in itself. Part I: The weight battle. Part II: The fight. Part III: The fight after the fight.

Although Bob Arum is promoting Pacquiao, Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions says he has signed Pacquiao to a seven-year deal that begins after tonight’s final bell.

Arum insists he will maintain control and Pacquiao will make that clear after the fight.

In response, Schaefer sent Arum a letter Friday threatening a lawsuit.

“He never seems to learn,” Schaefer said. “He’s going to have to learn the hard way.”

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steve.springer@latimes.com