It’s Morales vs Barrera in November

Handlers of WBC/IBF super featherweight champion Erik Morales and former featherweight king Marco Antonio Barrera on Thursday agreed to put up a third and final confrontation between the two talented Mexican fighters in November, leaving Filipino champion Manny Pacquiao without an opponent worthy of his reputation.

Todd DuBoef of Top Rank, which handles Morales, has confirmed the reports to Boxingtalk.com, saying: "Yes, we have an agreement for Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera to fight on HBO PPV (pay-per-view) on Nov. 27."

DuBoef, however, added that the venue has yet to be firmed up although he said that the fight will take place either at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas or at the Staples Center in California.

This development came on the heels of reports that the Pacquiao camp has arranged a date with Morales on Nov. 6, prompting Pacquiao’s US-based promoter Murad Muhammad to ponder on their next move.

"(Pacquiao’s) manager and I will have to go back to the drawing board and get the next best thing." Muhammad recently told Boxingtalk, adding that the Morales-Pacquiao clash was "done" in principle.

In fact, Muhammad said Bob Arum of Top Rank had told him he had a deal.

"I’m not the type of person who gives my word on something and pulls out because there’s a little more money somewhere else," said Muhammad, who felt that Top Rank/Team Erik Morales had apparently used the whole Manny Pacquiao bout as leverage to put pressure on Golden Boy Promotions/Team Barrera to finalize the rubber-match.

"That could be the case here, Barrera may have had nowhere else to go and been forced back to the table. But it’s evident that none of the top Mexican fighters are in a rush to fight Pacquiao. Since his last fight we’ve reached out to Juan Manuel Marquez and Barrera for rematch and Morales. None of them wants to fight him. At least I got a courtesy call from Richard Schaefer to tell me Barrera didn’t want the fight," said Muhammad.

Actually, Morales has expressed interest in his proposed fight with Pacquiao, even saying that "a fight with Pacquiao will bring out the best in me. It will be a classic."