Let’s Get It On

     
LAS VEGAS, NV - It's a done deal. Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao and Erik "El Terrible" Morales will face each other on a rubber match this coming November 18.

Manny Pacquiao got what he wanted from Top Rank Promotions’ head Bob Arum and yesterday signed a contract, stipulating a $3 million guaranteed purse, to fight Erik Morales in a 12-round rubber match at the Thomas and Mack Center.

Arum had initially offered Pacquiao a $2.5 million guaranteed purse.

A major clause in the contract stipulates a $1 million payoff for Pacquiao in case Morales weighs in at 132 pounds or two over the limit. The penalty is $500,000 if Morales tips the scales at 131. If Morales weighs over 132, Pacquiao takes home $1 million and has the option to accept or decline the fight.

"If Erik fails to make 130 pounds, he will have to pay Manny half a million dollars for every pound that he is over the contracted weight," said Finkel, quoted by the boxing website fightnews.com. "In the press conference for their last fight, Erik said the weight was killing him and he would never fight at 130 again. So we are doing this now so it won’t be an issue later. We are basing it upon what happened in the third fight between (Jose Luis) Castillo and (Diego) Corrales."

Last June, Castillo failed to make the 135-pound limit and Corrales exercised his right to decline the fight. In their second meeting, Castillo also went over the limit but Corrales agreed to fight and was knocked out.

"Erik has a job to do," said Finkel. "Manny has to make the weight, too. It may be easier for him but he still has to make it. Manny has the same penalty if he doesn’t make the weight either."