Columnist Jeff Haney: Pacquiao-Morales fight has all the makings

Thursday, March 10, 2005 | 8:37 a.m.

Jeff Haney covers boxing for the Las Vegas Sun. Reach him at (702) 259-4041 or haney@lasvegassun.com.

The March 19 showdown between Erik Morales and Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand Garden Arena has the makings of a blockbuster.

Consider:

"There's no closed-circuit (telecasts) scheduled in town, because with March Madness that same weekend, there's no (hotel-casino) ballroom space," Lee Samuels of Top Rank said.

All 2,800 tickets at $75 have been sold, promoter Bob Arum said. Other ticket prices are $400 for ringside, $300, $200 and $125.

Morales, a Tijuana native and Mexican favorite, traditionally commands a strong walk-up crowd on fight day.

"Historically, for every fight he's had in Las Vegas, there have been 1,500 walk-ups, because fans drive up from Tijuana," Samuels said.

In a poll of 106 reporters and other boxing observers, 54 respondents picked Pacquiao to win the fight, 51 picked Morales and one predicted a draw.

The betting odds reflect how tricky the fight is to handicap.

According to MGM Mirage odds, Pacquiao opened a minus-120 favorite and has been bet up slightly to minus-125. (Bettors must wager $1.25 for each $1 they're trying to win on Pacquiao.) The takeback on Morales is plus-105. (Bettors win $1.05 for each $1 they wager on Morales.)

Dave Cokin of ESPN Radio Las Vegas put it: "Pick 'em all the way. At even money, a threadbare edge to Morales. If there's a flood of money either way on fight night, take the value with whomever becomes the underdog and root along with the house."

In an informal poll conducted on the Web site of Top Rank, more than 5,000 boxing fans displayed a lean toward Pacquiao, with 3,235 people picking the speedy Filipino to win and 2,165 picking Morales. It was the largest response Top Rank has received in such a survey.

In this case it's a "secret weapon" with a punny title that Pacquiao supposedly has been fine-tuning in training camp.

"Manila Ice," named in honor of the capital of Pacquiao's homeland, might be a new punch, or a combination of punches, or ...

Well, who knows?

"We developed 'Manila Ice' under more secrecy than the Manhattan Project," Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach said. "When he unleashes it, it will stop Morales cold. Manny may become known as boxing's version of the Enola Gay when he drops this bomb on Morales."

Then again, Roach, one of the sport's top trainers, has been known to employ some gamesmanship leading to a big fight.

At a January news conference in Los Angeles to announce the bout, Roach said he would tell his fighter to "attack, attack and attack again" in the first round against Morales.

By last week, Camp Pacquiao evidently had amended that plan.

"Morales is a very good fighter," Roach said. "He's seen everything. We're not just gonna go in and trade (punches) with him."

About that earlier bold statement?

"Ah, that was just getting into Morales' head a little bit."

Pacquiao (39-2-2, 31 knockouts) and Morales (47-2, 34 KOs) will meet at 130 pounds, the super featherweight (or junior lightweight) level. Both fighters are expected to arrive in Las Vegas early next week -- Pacquiao from Los Angeles, where he has been training at the Wild Card Boxing Club, and Morales from his base in the mountains of Mexico City.

No title will be at stake in the scheduled 12-rounder, and none needs to be: Both men are ranked among the top 10 fighters in the sport, pound-for-pound, by boxing experts.

The fight will be available on HBO Pay Per View at a suggested retail price of $44.95.

Hot appetizers

As a preview of Morales-Pacquiao, HBO2 will replay a couple of recent classics next weekend.

The first fight between Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera, from February 2000, will be shown at 10:30 p.m. Friday, March 18. In the opening chapter of what became a storied trilogy, Morales eked out a split decision.

Pacquiao's memorable battle against Juan Manuel Marquez from last May, which ended in a draw, will be shown at 4 p.m. Saturday, March 19.

Gatti-Judah?

Now that a proposed June 11 fight between Arturo Gatti and Floyd Mayweather has fallen through, Don King is pushing for world welterweight champion Zab Judah to meet Gatti on that date.

"Zab would love to fight Arturo Gatti, and if that can't get done he'd be willing to fight Floyd Mayweather, too," King, who promotes Judah, said.

Gatti (39-6, 29 KOs) owns the WBC junior welterweight championship belt. Judah (33-2-1 NC, 24 KOs), coming off a TKO victory against Cory Spinks last month, claims he's willing to clash with Gatti "at any weight."