Morales confident, says he’s ready to win

Erik Morales, confident of making the weight limit 11 days before his keenly awaited rubber match with Manny Pacquiao, yesterday said he’s in tip-top form and all geared-up to win the Grand Finale set Nov. 18 at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas.

"I’m ready to win," said Morales in an interview with Fightnews.com in the final days of his preparation at the Otami mountains north of Mexico City. He is expected to hit Las Vegas this weekend.

While admitting the upcoming fight will be tough, Morales remains confident he’s going to win it as he bids to erase the stigma of his harrowing setback to the Filipino icon last January.

Pacquiao dealt Morales his worst loss in a checkered boxing career, a 10th round knockout that cast doubts on the former three-time world champion’s future.

But Morales, who ballooned to 165 lbs and had to undergo a drastic weight-reducing program to make the weight, is so determined to prove his worth that he even agreed to pay a huge penalty if ever he fails to hit the 130-lb limit on the eve of the fight.

"It’s a tough fight, it’s a difficult fight but it’s one that I’m going to win and that’s all that is on my mind," said Morales, who decisioned Pacquiao in their first meeting last year.

"We took a lot of time to get ready for this fight, a lot to make the weight and I feel real strong and I think that’s going to be the key, not only lose the weight but be real strong after it."

"For this fight, I know I’m going to be 100 percent. I feel real good, I’ve worked real hard for the last three months, and I’m going to be as ready as I’m ever going to be for a fight. I feel no pressure, I know what I need to do to win this fight, and I’ve done it," he added.

With barely 11 days before the big fight, promoter Bob Arum said that 13,000 tickets have already been sold with just 4,000 remaining. Arum said he expects a sellout several days before the fight.

Pacquiao is currently training at the Wild Card gym in Los Angeles and is expected to hit Las Vegas a week prior to their 12-round war.

Meanwhile, veteran referee Vic Drakulich of Nevada will be the third man in the right for the Pacquiao-Morales bout while Guido Cavalieri (Italy), Glenn Towbridge (Nevada) and Doug Tucker (Nevada) will be the ring judges.

Among the most recent high-profile fights refereed by Drakulich this year include the Jorge Barrios-Joan Guzman WBO bout and Eagle Kyowa-Rodel Mayol WBC fight, as well as the Oscar De la Hoya-Felix Sturm middleweight bout, De la Hoya-Javier Castillejo rumble, De la Hoya-Yori Boy Campas fight, Morales-Carlos Hernandez and Morales-Jesus Chavez bouts.