Champ awaits Pacquiao-Marquez winner

The winner of the upcoming Manny Pacquiao-Juan Marquez clash on May 8 will get the biggest prize of all – a showdown with reigning WBC (World Boxing Council) super-featherweight champion Erik Morales.

HBO has announced its plans to line up the winner in the Pacquiao-Marquez bout against Morales despite the fact that the latter is scheduled to fight IBF (International Boxing Federation) champion Carlos Hernandez in a unification match.

Although the clash between two fast, strong and hard-hitting fighters at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas remains a toss-up, HBO executives are reportedly inclined to believe that Pacquiao is the more attractive name to put up against Morales on pay-per-view, according to Boxingscene.com.

At this stage, experts are still split on who will win between Pacquiao and Marquez and some of the top oddsmakers are confused as to who should be the betting favorite.

Pacquiao became the new toast of the boxing world after demolishing Mexican legend Marco Barrera last November. It was Barrera who inflicted Morales’ lone setback in a sterling fight record of 46-1, that includes 34 knockouts.

Experts also feel that the more ideal fight, one that could generate worldwide interest not to mention a megabuck deal, would be a Pacquiao-Morales bout, mainly due to the trash-talking Morales did towards Barrera over how the latter let Pacquiao take him apart.

"Although there is money in a Morales bout against Marquez, HBO execs would rather see Pacquiao take the fight in order to setup a Morales superfight," according to Boxingscene.com.

Morales, however, boasts that he is too strong for both Marquez and Pacquiao and if they sign to fight him, they will only get overpowered like his other victims.

The winner could face Morales as early as November, depending on the schedule of the other proposed HBO fight dates.

But one thing is sure – boxing fans are in for two great fights. — Dante Navarro