19 years ago

Manny Pacquiao vs Erik Morales III

18th November 2006

Fight Details

Date: 18th November 2006
Venue: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
Title: WBC International Super-featherweight Title
Promoter: Top Rank
TV: HBO PPV

Fighters

Manny Pacquiao

Record: 42-3-2

Weight: 129 lbs

Erik Morales

Record: 48-4-0

Weight: 129 lbs

Fight Summary

On November 18, 2006, Manny Pacquiao and Erik Morales faced off for the third time in a highly anticipated bout dubbed "The Grand Finale". The fight took place at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, and was promoted by Top Rank. The WBC International Super Featherweight Title was on the line, which was Pacquiao's third defense of the title.

Going into the fight, Morales was considered the underdog with 2-1 odds against him. The bout generated an estimated 350,000 pay-per-view buys and $17.5 million in revenue. This was in addition to the previous two Pacquiao-Morales fights, which totaled 1,060,000 pay-per-view buys and $49.5 million in revenue.

The third and final fight of the trilogy did not disappoint. Pacquiao emerged as the winner with a third-round knockout victory, finishing the trilogy in style. He knocked Morales down three times during the fight, and threw a total of 175 punches in just nine minutes. Pacquiao landed 54% of his punches, including 51 of his 71 power shots in the third round alone. In contrast, Morales landed only 26% of his punches.

Pacquiao was guaranteed $3 million for the match, while Morales was set to receive at least $2.75 million. The fight was an impressive display of Pacquiao's skill and dominance in the ring, cementing his status as one of the best boxers of his time.

In the aftermath of the fight, Pacquiao's record improved to 43-3-2 with 33 knockouts. Meanwhile, Morales' record fell to 48-6 with 34 knockouts. The third fight between the two fighters marked the end of an era in boxing, as both fighters moved on to other opponents and challenges.