THE LEGEND THAT WAS MORALES

22 November, 2006 by Reylan Loberternos

THE “FILIPINO CONNECTION” PAYS TRIBUTE TO “EL TERRIBLE”

Tagbilaran City, RP – While the boxing world’s attention focuses on Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao’s (43-3-2, 34 KOs) sensational performance during the Grand Finale at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, this writer chooses to dedicate this week’s column to Erik “El Terrible” Morales (48-5-0, 34 KOs) and his loyal fans who have been by his side throughout his thirteen glorious years of professional pugilism. His fateful knockout loss to Pacquiao, two minutes and fifty-seven seconds into the third round, marked what could rightfully be considered as his way of saying goodbye to the sport that he helped promote and stay afloat through sheer determination and courage in his every assignment atop the squared circle, regardless of him winning or not.

WARRIOR IS SYNONIMOUS TO MORALES!

Erik’s journey to Canastota commenced when he wrested the WBC super bantamweight title via eleventh-round knockout of hall-of-famer Daniel “The Mouse” Zaragoza (55-8-3, 28 KOs) who was coming off six successful defenses. Zaragoza never saw action again after that brutal beating. Morales then went on to beat first-rate fighters like Junior Jones (50-6-0, 28 KOs), Wayne McCullough (27-6-0, 18 KOs), Kevin Kelley (59-8-2, 39 KOs), Guty Espadas Jr (38-7-0, 24 KOs), In Jin Chi (30-3-1, 18 KOs), Paulie Ayala (35-3-0, 12 KOs), Jesus Chavez (43-3-0, 30 KOs), and Carlos Hernandez (42-7-1, 24 KOs). He had two hard-fought trilogies against tough fighters in Marco Antonio Barrera (63-4-0, 42 KOs) and Manny Pacquiao (43-3-2, 34 KOs), losing twice to both. To sum it all up, Erik has fought approximately 342 brutal rounds of nonstop action!

VICTORY IN DEFEAT!

Was Morales really just looking for his last huge payday? I don’t think so! He’s way too rich to just be after themoney. Erik believed he still had it. He thought he’d be able to reverse the odds and prove them wrong. Beating the guy whom most boxing pundits consider the top of the food chain was his primary objective. It was, however, a terrible miscalculation on his part. He did his best and summoned all the remaining energy, strength, and vigor that he could possibly muster, but still he failed. That still wasn’t enough to unseat the king. Nevertheless, giving his all, gallantly fighting back in spite of the awful punishment he sustained in the process, giving boxing fans something to cheer about, thereby stamping his class and further fortifying his reputation as a brave warrior is already a great achievement in itself. That alone made him victorious in defeat.

PACQUIAO’S GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT THUS FAR?

Erik Morales is a very proud fighter. Everybody knows that. His act of raising the hand of the guy who beat him and pointing to that hand he raised was an affirmation and confirmation of respect. It was his way of taking his hat off to a fighter he once thought he was superior to. Indeed, this sign of sportsmanship and deference, never before seen in his other ring losses, is such a great honor and achievement for the person whose hand he raised. Earning the nod of a legend in the mold of Erik Morales is more than the KO victory that was adjoined in Pacquiao’s resume. This is probably Manny Pacquiao’s greatest achievement so far as a boxer!

THANK YOU, ERIK!

As “El Terrible” flips the final pages of his illustrious boxing career, I believe it is but appropriate to provide him the props that he so deserves. His legend shall engender inspiration to other aspiring boxers and his name shall forever be emblazoned in the annals of boxing. Thank you, Erik for the legend that you are!

THE "FILIPINO CONNECTION” ON “BOOM-BOOM” & MORE

THE "FILIPINO CONNECTION” ON “BOOM-BOOM” & MORE

06 November, 2006 by Reylan Loberternos


BAUTISTA STARTS COMEBACK AGAINST ANDRADE!

Tagbilaran City, RP-After months of inactivity, twenty-year-old Filipino boxing sensation Rey “Boom-Boom” Bautista (20-0-0, 15 KOs) finally takes center stage, and once again tests his mettle as he tries to keep his record unblemished against a hard-punching ring veteran in Giovanni “Sugar” Andrade (52-9-0, 43 KOs) of Brazil underneath the Winky Wright-Ike Quartey tussle on December 2, 2006 at the St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, FL, USA. It may be recalled that Bautista, the former WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight champion now campaigning in the 122-lb maximum weight class, suffered two successive setbacks due to injuries, causing him to cancel high profile PPV appearances on the Manny Pacquiao-Oscar Larios and Marco Antonio Barrera-Rocky Juarez II showdowns early this year.

“BOOM-BOOM” APPLYING TRADE AT WILD CARD!

Since his arrival last month, Bautista has wasted no time trying to get his groove back under the watchful eyes of celebrated Wild Card Gym’s chief trainer Freddie Roach, ALA Boxing Stable’s head coach Edito “ALA” Villamor, and noted fitness and conditioning expert Justin Fortune. Villamor said that his ward is now in intense training and sparring three times a week (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays). Every Tuesday, “Boom-Boom” shadow boxes for four rounds before he takes on the punch mitts for eight rounds, four with Roach and another four with Villamor. Afterwards, he spends two rounds bagging and another two rounds with the speedball. He then does the skipping rope before Justin Fortune takes over the routine stretching and conditioning exercises. Prior to doing all these seemingly tremendous workouts, Bautista jogs every morning for 45 to 50 minutes for non-sparring days and about 35 minutes when he is scheduled for sparring. Once a week, he runs uphill.

BAUTISTA EYES PONCE DE LEON & WBO BELT

Appalled by earlier pronouncements made by WBO super bantamweight champion Daniel Ponce de Leon (30-1-0, 28 KOs) that Bautista has been ducking him thrice already, “Boom-Boom” exudes that nasty grin off his innocent face. He said that he’s not afraid of de Leon and recalled that the Mexican champion wasn’t even able to “touch” his tremendously slick super flyweight stablemate Z “The Dream” Gorres (26-1-1, 14 KOs) when they sparred. Rey is currently rated by the WBO as the #1 contender for the belt held by de Leon. Owing to the fact that they are both under the flagship of Golden Boy Promotions, a battle full of fireworks is inevitable, probably early next year!

WBO ORDERS GORRES-MONTIEL FACE-OFF!

Speaking of Gorres, the WBO #1 super flyweight contender just might fulfill his lifelong dream before Christmas, as the World Boxing Organization, thru its president Paco Valcarcel, reportedly ordered Fernando “Cochulito” Montiel (32-2-1, 24 KOs) to defend his WBO diadem against the super slick Pinoy pug, most probably on December 9, 2006, as earlier scheduled by Golden Boy Promotions. Both are technically proficient fighters who are now in their primes. Montiel may have a slight advantage in punching power, manifested by his 24 whacks out of his 32 wins compared to Z’s measly 14 KOs out of 26 victories. However, Gorres’ excellent defense and southpaw stance might pose a very big problem for the sturdy Mexican. This fight promises to be a war of attrition, with both protagonists sporting both boxing skills and ring smarts.

IS MONTIEL WILLING TO FIGHT GORRES OR NOT?

In a latest development, Eric Gomez of Golden Boy Promotions reportedly said that Montiel’s camp has refused to accept the offer for the WBO super flyweight champion’s title defense against mandatory challenger Gorres. Montiel’s business manager Gary Gittelson, a noted close buddy of Golden Boy Promotions’ archrival Top Rank’s Bob Arum and is very familiar with the way Gorres fights, seems to be maneuvering yet another evasion of a mandatory defense of one of his boys. It maybe recalled that Brian “The Hawaiian Punch” Viloria, also managed by Gittelson, successfully avoided facing his #1 mandatory challenger Juanito Rubillar early this year and instead went on to face Mexico’s Omar Niño Romero who took the belt away from the erstwhile champ. Is Montiel’s camp afraid to face Gorres or is it because of Arum? It still remains to be seen.

PHILIPPINE FIGHT SCRAPPED FROM HOLY CARD!

Hard-hitting minimumweight Florante Condes’ (20-3-1, 20 KOs) supposed first assignment abroad, in a clash with Omar Soto (14-3-1, 10 KOs) of Mexico in the undercard of what could be Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield’s (39-8-2, 26 KOs) latest hurrah on the 10th of this month at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas was scrapped for still undisclosed reasons. The Filipino southpaw brags of a perfect knockout ratio in all his twenty victories and hopes to annex a championship belt in the not-so-distant future.