Ram Felix Rengel, Jr.

The Heart of a Boxing Champion: Manny Pacquiao

A bigger, stronger, smarter, and more focused Manny Pacquiao gradually and dramatically wore down and stopped Erik Morales in the 10th round of an electrifying rematch Saturday before 14,618 fans at the Thomas & Mack Arena.

Pacquiao's victory evened their series at 1-1 and raised his icon status in his native Philippines even higher.

After struggling to find range and mount a sustained attack in the first five rounds of intense back-and-forth action that he often got the worst of, Pacquiao found his stride in the sixth round.

Using timing, feints and combinations, he set up his lightning-fast power shots. Then Pacquiao dominated the following rounds with intensity and intelligence until twice dropping the ever-game Morales in the 10th round, prompting referee Kenny Bayless to wisely step in and wave the contest off at 2:33 of the round, just seconds after the second knockdown.

Until Bayless called it off, Pacquiao's fanatical followers had to hold their breath as numerous times throughout the bout, just when it appeared that Pacquiao was about to overwhelm Morales, the hard-nosed Mexican would come back and stun their hero.

It happened in the second round, when Pacquiao (41-3-1, 32 KOs), landed a series of lefts that hurt Morales and sent him stumbling back into the ropes. Morales (48-4), waved Pacquiao in as if to say "Bring it!" and then fired back, driving the Filipino icon into the ropes.

It happened in the fourth round, after Pacquiao appeared to briefly stun Morales at the start of the round only to get knocked off balance by a counter punch.

Of course, this was to be expected from these two maulers. They have fighting styles and mentalities that ensure that when they step into the ring versus. one another the result is as good as it gets in boxing -- non-stop two-way action.

However, in the sixth round the benefits of the best training camp of Pacquiao's career began to show.

Coming into this rematch, Pacquiao did not have to deal with the drama that his former promoter, Murad Muhammad, used to invite by messing with the three-division champ's purse money, fight tickets, hotel rooms and contractual agreements (such as the kind of gloves he could wear -- for this fight he got to wear his favored Reyes-brand mitts).

Pacquiao also had a closed camp from his legion of L.A.-based Filipino admirers. Possibly for the first time in his career, he was able to focus on the instructions and game plans laid out by trainer Freddie Roach. And possibly for the first time, Pacquiao carried out those plans and instructions 100 percent.

Pacquiao did not rely on his speed, power and reflexes (in the form of his big left hand). He was a two-handed fighter this night. His right hook did as much damage as his vaunted straight left. He mixed his punches up well to the body and hand, and he worked Morales' mid-section consistently throughout the action.

Pacquiao paced himself. He picked his spots. He landed lead power punches to the body and head and flurried when appropriate. He did all of this with the kind of poise and accuracy expected of an elite fighter.

Gone were the manic charges and retreats of the first fight with Morales. This version of Pacquiao was not nearly as easy to anticipate and time with counter punches.

Still, even after looking the best he's ever looked versus Morales in rounds six and seven, the Tijuana native managed to give Pacquiao hell in the late rounds, despite absorbing the majority of punishment.

In the eighth round, Pacquiao hurt Morales early, driving the Mexican into the ropes, but the three-division champ might have been playing possum as he suckered his antagonist into a counter right. Furious exchanges ensued, but it was Morales, who didn't seem to enjoy the edge in size that he did in their first encounter, who was repeatedly hurt.

Even in the fateful 10th round, Morales was able to hurt Pacquiao with a right before absorbing the salvo from from the Filipino hero that put him down for the first time. Utter chaos mixed with absolute joy broke out in the Thomas & Mack arena following the precise combination that put Morales down again, and the Filipino fans quite exploded out of their seats when Bayless called a halt to what had become an unnecessary beating.

The knockdowns that Morales suffered in round 10 were the first times he's really been decked in a pro fight (the 12th round of his first fight with Barrera was more a slip or flash knockdown). And, of course, the stoppage itself was the first time Morales was knocked out in a hall-of-fame career.

Maybe all the ring wars finally have caught up with "El Terrible." But a more likely reason for his loss is that he was beaten by the better fighter this night.

Note: All screen shots and pictures are courtesy of ABS-CBN and Solar Entertainment.

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