VIDEO: Manny Pacquiao Vs. Erik Morales, Pacquiao’s Last Loss

Want to see video footage of the last time Manny Pacquiao lost a professional boxing match? HBO has you covered. It was six years ago the man to defeat Pacquiao was none other than Erik Morales. ESPN explains the significance:

When: March 19, 2005, Las Vegas
Result: Morales by decision in 12
What it means: Morales is the only man ever to beat Pacquiao by decision, and video of this war is must-see TV for Mosley, just as Morales himself had studied tape of Pacquiao’s fights with Marquez and Marco Antonio Barrera. Morales saw something and decided on a strategy of returning Pacquiao’s firebombs immediately, like email sent to a bad address.

So the fight played out like a series of alternating waves: Pacquiao would rush in, driving Morales to the ropes, and Morales would return the favor, punching Pacquiao back to where he started. Morales managed to be fearless without being reckless. By Round 5, Pacquiao was taking it worse and was cut badly. By Round 6, it already seemed he needed a knockout. Morales was huge in the 11th. Pacquiao took an epic 12th, but it was too late. The judges all had it 115-113 for Morales. This fight provides a blueprint for future Pacquiao challengers. Whether a 39-year-old Mosley can channel a 28-year-old Morales to execute it is another question.

Pacquiao would go on to defeat Morales via TKO in the tenth. He hasn’t looked back since. The ESPN write-up suggests Mosley could glean details that might help him in his fight this Saturday. Scott Christ of Bad Left Hook doesn’t agree:

We talked about this fight last November, just after Pacquiao moidalized Antonio Margarito in Texas. I think it’s a fun fight to look back on, especially for those who may have never seen it. Watching Manny in this fight is incredible. He is almost nothing like the fighter we know today.