ni Gerard Peter - @Sports | July 13, 2021
Sa edad na 42 ay target pa rin ang mga bigating kalaban ng 8th Division World champion na si Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao tulad nang pinili niyang makatapat na si unified IBF/WBC welterweight titlist Errol Spence, Jr. para sa unification bout sa Agosto 21 sa T-Mobile Arena sa Las Vegas, Nevada.
Pormal na nagkaharap sina Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39KOs) at Spence (27-0, 21KOs) sa kauna-unahang press conference kahapon para sa FOX pay-per-view. Nagpakita pareho ng ‘mutual respect’ na bukod sa 2 titulo ng 31-anyos na unbeaten American na nakataya ay pag-aagawan din ang bakanteng The Ring 147-pound title.
“There was a lot of opportunity to pick a — not easy fight, but a much easier fight compared to Errol Spence,” paliwanag ni Pacquiao. “But I decided to pick Errol Spence because I want to give a good fight to the fans, I want a real fight. I’m a fighter and boxing is my passion.”
Dalawang taon na natengga sa laban ang Filipino boxing legend at future Hall of Famer mula noong Hulyo 2019 nang makuha ang WBA (Super World) 147-lbs title laban kay Keith “One Time: Thurman. “It’s one of the biggest challenges in my career,” pahayag ni Pacman. “I cannot say the biggest challenge because I have been fighting the best fighters in the world — Keith Thurman, De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, a lot of those fighters. But one of the best, I can rate (Spence).”
Aminado naman ang 2012 London Olympics quarterfinalists na si Spence na mahirap patumbahin ang Filipino boxing icon na minsan lang napatumba ni Juan Manuel Marquez sa 6th round noong 2012.
“I definitely have the ability to finish him, but for me it’s about winning the fight,” wika ni Spence. “It’s to stay focused and win the fight. When you go out there and rush it and try to go for the knockout, I feel like from my experience, even in the amateurs, you look sloppy and something goes wrong. You look like you’re trying too hard. For me it’s to go have my fight at my pace. If the knockout comes, go for it. If not, go for the victory.”