A few more days to go. I can’t wait! I’m too excited to see this match. I still don’t know where I’m gonna watch it coz here in the US, you either watch it live in Vegas or watch it thru PPV. It kinda sucks coz in the Philippines, I could watch it for free even though it’s a bit delayed.

Dubbed as the “Grand Finale”, Pacquiao vs. Morales 3 will be the deciding match for this great rivalry. This rivalry could easily be one of the best rivalries in boxing history and is likened to the Barrera-Morales and Gatti-Ward rivalries. This match is also the most awaited fight of the year for boxing fans around the world. This match could easily be the “Fight of the Year” because of the drama and history involved and also because of the talent of this two great fighters.

Erik “El Terible” Morales & Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao

With both fighters having a win over each other, Pacquiao and Morales are eager and determined to prove to the world who really is the best boxer. Morales would be coming to the ring at 132 lbs instead of the initially agreed weight of 130 which is considered as an advantage for him. Pacquiao, on the other hand would be relying on stamina and punching power to make this match go his way.

“I am the best super featherweight in the world and I cannot wait to prove it to Erik Morales…again. Morales will fee the strength of the people of The Philippines behind every punch I land on him. This may be the ‘Grand Finale’ on our trilogy, but it is just the beginning for Manny Pacquiao.”

Manny Pacquaio

How I wish I could watch this live at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. I’m sure the tickets are gonna be pretty expensive and hard to get but if I had the money, I would definitely get myself tickets. But if in case I don’t get to watch the live or replay match, all I want is for Manny Pacquiao to win and make us Filipinos proud.

Go Pacman!

November 18 @ 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT

Image source: Toprank.com

Erik Morales had been down just once previously in his career, and that was a questionable 12th-round knockdown in his first epic duel with Marco Antonio Barrera in 2000.

Then came the force known as Manny Pacquiao on Saturday night.

Pacquiao, seeking revenge for a unanimous decision loss to Morales last March 19, powered his way to a pair of knockdowns and a 10th-round TKO in a junior lightweight fight before a raucous crowd of 14,618 at the Thomas & Mack Center.

“I’m thankful to God for giving me great power, but with great power comes great responsibility,” said Pacquiao, who pelted Morales with punches from all angles and gave him the worst beating of his career.

The huge contingent of Mexicans and Filipinos came to see an all-action fight between their national heroes and they got exactly that — an early candidate for fight of the year.

But unlike the first fight, when Morales (48-4) had just enough to get past Pacquiao (41-3-2, 32 KOs), he couldn’t do it this time. The years of vicious battles seemed to have finally taken their toll.

Morales’ face was lumpy and bruised and he appeared out of gas as the 10th round started. Then Pacquiao finished him.

A left hand knocked Morales down to his knees. He clutched the ropes and alertly took an eight-count from referee Kenny Bayless before rising. But moments later, Pacquiao landed a pair of right hands that knocked Morales down again to his knees, and Bayless called it off at 2:33 without a count.

Morales was taken to Valley Hospital for observation.

“I could take his power. I was able to land a lot more different punches this time. I saw that every time I hit him to the body he would stop punching, so I knew he was hurt. I was still careful because he has great power.”

“I was tired, and it was an accumulation of all the hard fights. But I was just tired,” said Morales, in his first fight with new trainer Jose Lopez Sr. after dismissing his father, Jose Morales.

“I fell down because I was tired. I was tired because of making weight. The body can’t take much more, and I was exhausted. It’s hard to tell if I can make this weight (of 130 pounds) again.

Pacquiao, allowed to wear his beloved Reyes brand gloves — the “puncher’s” glove — said he felt more comfortable in this fight. In the first fight, Pacquiao was forced to wear the fluffier Winning gloves that Morales prefers, and he was not comfortable in them.

“The gloves helped a lot,” Pacquiao said. “I like my gloves. The gloves were a big difference.”

Pacquiao, who also owns a knockout win against Barrera, said his vision was better this time. In the first fight, Morales busted open a cut over Pacquiao’s right eye in the fifth round and the blood dripping in his eye hindered his vision.

This time, Pacquiao didn’t suffer any cuts.

“I could see the punches coming this time,” he said. “I didn’t have blood in my eye. I could see better.”

HBO will replay the fight next Saturday night (9:45 ET) along with live coverage of Arturo Gatti vs. Thomas Damgaard.

Morales, a former three-division champion, has now lost three of his last four bouts — his third fight to Barrera, a shocking upset decision loss to Zahir Raheem at lightweight last fall and now this knockout defeat.

With the series now 1-1, Morales’ loss triggered an immediate rematch clause at his discretion. Pacquiao is up for it, and why shouldn’t he be?

“If he wants a rematch, I will give him a rematch,” Pacquiao said. “There should be a third fight.”

Morales was doing well early in the fight, but Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach believed “the tide turned in the sixth round.”

“I could see Morales was fading from the body shots and Manny’s right hook was beautiful,” he said. “In the first fight, my guy was left hand happy. In this fight he landed a lot of right hooks. My guy hurt a few times but he recovered quickly.”

Morales, who earned at least $2.75 million, started strong and came close to scoring a first-round knockdown when Pacquiao, who made at least $2 million, was buckled by a punch and he nearly touched the canvas with his gloves.

Pacquiao staggered Morales in the second round with a left hand, sending him stumbling backwards and clutching the ropes to hold him up in what could have been ruled a knockdown.

Pacquiao began rocking Morales in the sixth, swarming him with rights and lefts as the Filipinos in the crowd began to chant “Manny! Manny!” It was a huge round for Pacquiao, who had a 32-8 advantage in power shots landed.

Morales nearly went down at the end of the round as he again grabbed the ropes to stay upright, but Bayless didn’t call it.

By the eighth, Pacquiao was firmly in command, and in the ninth he was hurting a clearly tired Morales with every shot.

“He hit me with real good shots,” Morales said. “I was getting hit a lot in the head. As the rounds went on, I was getting more tired. At the end I felt slow.”

original article by Dan Rafael