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Morales faces stiff penalty if he comes in overweight
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LOS ANGELES — A weighty issue involving Mexican Erik Morales surfaced on Friday after Manny Pacquiao’s American trainer Freddie Roach bared that “Morales will be slapped at least 0,000 if he comes in overweight” against the heavy-handed Filipino southpaw in their megabuck Jan. 21 battle in Las Vegas.

"For every pound above the 130-lb weight limit, Morales will pay 0,000 and that money will go to Manny," said Roach, who revealed that it was Shelly Finkel, Pacquiao’s chief handler who put the particular clause in the contract that was signed in October 2005.

Although there’s no major title up for grabs, both parties agreed that on fight night, each must weigh not heavier than 130 lbs.

Pacquiao and Morales are guaranteed -million each.

Roach said the issue on Morales’ weight was raised because the Mexican has been having problems making the superfeather limit of 130 lbs.

Interestingly, in his last fight, a loss to Zahir Raheem of the US, Morales came in over the agreed weight of 133 lbs after weighing in at 134.

Morales, 29, from Tijuana, started out in the superbantamweight class of 122 lbs.

A similar arrangement was forged during a key fight last year featuring Diego Corrales of the US and Jose Luis Castillo of Mexico in Las Vegas, wherein Castillo also failed to make the 135-lb limit as their match was for Corrales’ World Boxing Council lightweight belt.

For failing to make the weight, Castillo was also fined although he made up well with a devastating seventh-round knockout victory over Corrales.

Corrales had won their first fight with a dramatic 11th-round knockout and they are poised to slug it out for the third time sometime next month.

Faced with the prospects of losing mucho dinero, Morales should come in extremely prepared and in tough mental state unlike during his fight with Raheem when the Mexican was not in razor-sharp form.

"This time, Morales will be prepared," said Roach. "But Manny is going to be ready for whatever he brings to the ring."

"This could be his (Pacquiao) best condition ever because his sparring were all very good and Manny is the kind of guy who easily gets in shape."

Pacquiao arrived at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood on Dec. 3 and was already banging bodies a few days later with a wide array of quality sparring partners like Jose Sta. Cruz, Japan-based Venezuelan Jorge Linares and Ruston Nugaev, a Russian lightweight.

Roach said he expects Pacquiao, 27, to "easily make the weight and come in at 129 or 130 lbs during the official weighin and 138 lbs when he gets up the ring."

NOTES: Here’s an interesting anecdote about the Porsche Cayenne S that Manny Pacquiao bought during the Holidays. According to somebody who spends his time with the fighter here, they weren’t given a second look when they checked out the super-luxurious SUV at Beverly Hills. Pacquiao was bewitched by the beauty of the vehicle after seeing one parked in the underground of the Palazzo, the high-end apartment complex that’s been his home the past few months. "At first, he wanted an Escalade, but got turned on when he saw up close the Cayenne (at the Beverly Hills dealership of the German carmaker), which he paid in cash at almost ,000," said the LA-based friend of Pacquiao. "So, we returned the next day with someone from Pacquiao’s management team joining us and a deal was immediately sealed between Manny and the dealer."…Filipino super-feather Jimrex Jaca sparred for the first time on Friday and made a good impression. Jaca, who arrived here on Wednesday night via PAL, is set to see action against Ivan Valle of Mexico in the Pacquiao-Morales undercard.

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