LOS ANGELES - In setting up a Manny Pacquiao-Erik
Morales rematch, Pacquaio did his part but Morales was taken
apart.
Zahir Raheem consistently beat fellow lightweight Morales to the
punch for the biggest win of his career, a unanimous decision
Saturday night at the Staples Center.
Despite the loss, Morales will still meet Pacquiao again on
January 21 in rematch of their bloody March 19 brawl.
"Pacquiao says he wants to take my head off," Morales said
through an interpreter after the fight. "Let's see if he can do
it."
A 1996 United States Olympian, Raheem (27-1) had fought in
relative obscurity before dominating Morales, who is considered
by many to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
"I've been in the game a long time," Raheem said. "I studied my
craft. I stayed in the gym and believed in myself when nobody
else would."
Judge Judy Lederman scored the fight 118-110, Dr. James Jen-Kin
had it 116-112 and Raul Caiz Sr. somehow scored it 115-113,
despite Raheem outlanding Morales, 161-85, in unofficial
postfight numbers.
"I was surprised (that I was able to hit him with so many clean
punches)," Raheem said. "I'm not going to be cocky about it, I
was very surprised."
From the opening bell, Raheem was quicker and connected with
authority. He repeatedly was quicker to the punch than Morales,
who was fighting at 135 pounds for the first time.
"I don't think the weight was too much, he was just a difficult
fighter," Morales said. "He's very loose, he's very hard to
fight."
The only thing slowing Raheem was a wet canvas, which he slipped
on repeatedly throughout the middle of the contest. Raheem was
even heard asking referee Jon Shorle to wipe up the spot.
In the end, it wasn't enough to save Morales (48-3) from his
first loss to someone other than Marco Antonio Barrera.
Pacquiao, who lost his first fight as a super featherweight to
Morales, had a much easier time in his second go-around. The
Philippines native recorded a sixth-round technical knockout of
Hector Velazquez in his fight on the "Double Trouble" bill.
"I wanted to recover my name in boxing and I wanted to bring
honor to my country," Pacquiao said.
The usually aggressive Pacquiao (40-3-2, 31 KOs) launched a
consistent attack of power punches against Velazquez (42-11-3),
which paid off in the sixth round. Pacquiao connected with a
right hook that stunned the Mexican with just over a minute
left.
The former featherweight champion seized the opportunity and
battered Velazquez before flooring him with a left just before
the bell. Referee Dr. Lou Moret called it a knockdown and
stopped the fight after the count of eight.