HBO allows Morales-Pacquiao doubleheader to become a joke!

By G. Leon

12/07/2005

HBO allows Morales-Pacquiao doubleheader to become a joke!

Morales-Raheem and Pacquiao-Velazquez

If you thought HBO had finally awoken from their six month coma and returned to what made them the premier boxing network, -putting on great fights for their subscribers and even better ones on HBO PPV-think again. It has been well documented (first on Boxingtalk and then everywhere else) that HBO has been slipping and it appears now that their hypocrisy knows no bounds. Believe it or not HBO's September 10 Morales-Pacquaio doubleheader, the prelude to their potential December PPV showdown, is far from must see TV. Erik Morales will be facing 1996 Olympian Zahir Raheem, who coincidentally could NEVER get on HBO when he was undefeated and promoted by Tony Holden, but now that he's signed with Bob Arum, suddenly he's acceptable to HBO. In the co-feature Manny Pacquiao is expected to face Hector Velazquez. So let me get this straight, HBO expects to feature Morales and Pacquiao in fights that they will win easily before asking us reach into our pockets for another $50 PPV?  Perhaps if Shane Mosley signs with Bob Arum, HBO will give him the tune up date that's eluded him thus far. REMEMBER WHERE YOU HEARD IT FIRST! (6:20 PM ET)Â