ni Gerard Peter - @Sports | October 22, 2020
Sobrang interesado si unified WBC-IBF welterweight boxing champion Errol Spence Jr. na maipagsama ang kanilang titulo ni WBA 147-pound titlist Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao sa oras na maging matagumpay itong maipagtanggol ang dalawang titulo kay dating two-time division champ Danny Garcia sa Disyembre 5 sa AT&T stadium sa Arlington, Texas sa Estados Unidos.
Tutok sa kanyang paghahanda ang 30-anyos na Long Island, New York-native na si Spence (26-0, 21KOS) laban sa mandatory challenger at dating WBC-WBA title holder na si Garcia (36-2, 21KOs) sa kanyang muhon sa Alamodome, Texas. Ito rin ang unang pagkakataon na babalik sa boxing ring ang undefeated champion matapos ang malagim na aksidente noong Oktubre 10, 2019 sa isang car crash sa Dallas, Texas.
Mahigit isang taon na ring hindi sumasabak ang nag-iisang Filipino eight-division World champion sapol ng mapanalunan nito ang WBA title laban kay Keith Thurman noong Hulyo 20, 2019 sa pamamagitan ng 12-round split decision victory. Higit pang nagpaliban sa mga laban ni Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39KOs) ay ang pagkakaroon ng pandemya sa buong mundo dulot ng novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
Ayaw mangyari ng dating 3-time US National welterweight champion na mawalan ng tsansa na hindi sila magkadaupang kamao ng Filipino boxing legend, na napabalitaang muling aakyat ng boxing ring laban kay one-time boxing fighter at dating UFC two-division champ Conor “The Notorious” McGregor sa susunod na taon.
Kung mabibigyan lamang umano ng pagkakataon ay nais nitong makalaban ang Fighting Senator sa first half ng darating na taon. “After this fight, of course I would like to fight Manny Pacquiao. He's on his way out so I'd love to have that fight. He's a living legend, and I've never fought someone of that caliber. He's big and not just a boxing star, he's an icon, a mega-star. That would be different, and it would send me somewhere else popularity wise,” pahayag ni Spence sa panayam ng The Sun. “Pacquiao has been in the sport 20-something years, he's an icon even outside the sport. Everybody knows who Manny Pacquiao is. That would be a great fight for me.”
Hindi naman masisi ni Spence na sa tagal ng panahon na nakikipagsagupa sa ibabaw ng ring ang 41-anyos mula General Santos City, may karapatan itong pumili ng isang laban na mas ligtas at may tumataginting na pay check gaya ng kay McGregor. “I don't blame him, Manny Pacquiao earned that right. He's earned his right to make his money and fight whoever he wants to fight, because he fought whoever was lined up to fight him,” wika ni Spence. “I'm not mad at it at all, if I was 40-something and was offered that kind of money to fight Conor McGregor, I'd take the fight too, I don't blame him.”
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