WBA at WBO Crown, aagawin ni Spence kina Pacman at Crawford

ni Gerard Peter - @Sports | June 09, 2021

Gagawing isang hagdan patungo sa inaasam na pagiging undisputed welterweight champion ni unified WBC/IBF 147-pound title holder Errol “Truth” Spence ang susunod na laban sa nag-iisang eight-division World titlist Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao sa Agosto 21 sa Las Vegas, Nevada.

May pagkakataon na muling ibalik ng World Boxing Association (WBA) ang binawing titulo kay Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39KOs) matapos ilagay ito bilang “Champion in Recess” dahil nabigo itong idepensa ang titulo ng mahigit isang taon. Kasalukuyan pang na kay Cuban Yordenis “54 Milagros” Ugas ang “super” title, na siya ring target ni Spence (27-0, 21KOs) para sa three-belt unification.

Ngunit dahil mas matunog ang tapatan kay Pacquiao, tila nangangamoy ang muling pagbabalik ng titulo sa future Hall of Famer. At sakaling maging matagumpay ito laban kay Pacman at makamit ang WBA title, paniguradong pupuntiryahin na nito ang WBO 147-pound title ni unbeaten American Terrence “Bud” Crawford (37-0, 28KOs) para sa undisputed welterweight king

“Once I get that belt, I mean, like I told Al, I want that fight with Crawford, but if it doesn’t happen I’ll probably just move up or something. I’m not going to waste my time trying to fight somebody who doesn’t have any interest anymore, doesn’t want to fight me anymore,” pahayag Spence sa Barbershop Conversations. “Terence Crawford has been trying to get that fight for how many years now? It’s excuses after excuses that Bob comes up with. Bob talks a lot of shit saying all of these things but Al (Haymon) gets the job done. I told (Haymon) I wanted the fight and it worked out in my favor.”

Inamin ng 2012 London Olympics campaigner na nakikita niyang may nalalabi na lamang siyang dalawang laban sa welterweight class, kaya’t hangga’t maaari ay nais niyang makalaban sina Pacquiao at Crawford. Ganun na lamang ang papuri ni Spence kay Pacquiao na tanggapin ang alok na laban, na kung hindi matutupad ang kahilingang makalaban si Crawford ay maghahanap na lang ito ng ibang makakalaban dahil patuloy itong hinahadlangan ni Top Rank CEO Bob Arum.

Obiena, naka-silver sa FBK Games sa Netherlands

ni Gerard Peter - @Sports | June 08, 2021

Muli na namang pinatunayan ni 2021 Tokyo Olympics bound na isa siya sa mga maituturing na pinakamahuhusay sa larangan ng men’s pole vault sa buong mundo nang sungkitin ang panibagong karangalan nang talunin ang silver medal finish sa likod ng world record holder at World no.1 Armand Duplantis ng Sweden, Linggo, sa FBK Games sa Blankers-Koen Stadium sa Hengelo, The Netherlands.

Bilang paghahanda sa nalalapit na pagbubukas ng Summer Olympic Games mula Hulyo 24-Agosto 8, muling nagpamalas ang 25-anyos na 2019 SEAG gold medalist nang tumalon ng 5.80m mark para sumegunda sa 21-anyos na Swedish American na nagtala ng tournament best at meeting record na 6.10m, na maikokonsiderang mataas sa World Athletics Continental Tour.

Nakabawi ang Lafayette, Louisiana native silver medal performance sa World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series matapos maputol ang 23-meet winning streak sa Wanda Diamond League meeting sa Gateshead noong isang buwan, matapos yumuko kay dating two-time world champion Sam Kendricks ng U.S.

Inamin ng Filipino pole vaulter na gumawa ng record sa 2019 Doha Asian Athletics Championships na naging maayos ang isinagawang talon nito, ngunit tila may pagkakamali itong nagawa nang hindi makuha ang inaasam na sukat. “It was a decent jump, but I am not hitting the things I need to hit, and I am making mistakes that I don’t usually do,” pahayag ni Obiena sa panayam ng Bulgar Sports sa online interview.

Ito ang ikalawang outdoor tournament ng 2019 Universiade champion, kasunod ng top-performance niya sa nagdaang 2021 Folksam Grand Prix sa Göteborg, Sweden noong nakaraang linggo sa itinalong 5.70m.

Pumangatlo sa FBK tourney si crowd favorite Menno Vloon sa parehong 5.80m, ngunit nadaig ito dahil sa countback. Sinundan siya ng kapwa Dutch na si Rutger Koppelaar, 2016 Rio Olympics gold medalist Thiago Braz da Silva ng Brazil at Tokyo bound Ben Broeders ng Belgium sa pare-parehong 5.62. Sumunod sina American Cole Walsh at Melker Svard Jascobsson ng Sweden sa 5.50 at pumang-huli sina Pal Haugen Lillefosse ng Norway sa 5.30 at Harry Coppell ng Germany.

May babala sina Hatton, Fortune at Penalosa kay Errol Spence

ni Gerard Peter - @Sports | June 07, 2021

Ilan sa malalaking personalidad sa boxing ang nagsasabing kayang talunin at pabagsakin ng nag-iisang 8th Division World champion Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao ang makakatapat na si unified WBC/IBF welterweight titlist Errol “Truth” Spence sa Agosto 21 sa Las Vegas.

Binalaan ni dating light-welterweight at welterweight titlist at minsang pinatulog ni Pacman na si Ricky Hatton ang 31-anyos na unbeaten champ mula Texas na huwag maliitin ang kakayahan ng Filipino future Hall of Famer dahil delikado ang mga patama nito kahit 42-anyos na ito.

“Manny is absolutely incredible. Why he wants to be fighting on at 42 against Errol Spence Jr with everything he has achieved I’ll never know! When I met Manny Pacquiao, he seemed to be a very sensible person, very educated. He’s a very clever person,” wika ni Hatton sa Metro column. “Traditionally boxers don’t know when to call it a day. They don’t know when to pick the right time to hang their gloves up but you would like to think he is clever enough to do that and the fact that he is accepting this fight only means he must feel he is still capable of mixing it up at that level.”

Kumpiyansa ang strength and conditioning coach na si Justine Fortune na maipaparamdam ni Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39KOs) ang bilis at lakas laban sa mas batang undefeated American champion, na tsansa ng Filipino boxing legend na maging 5-time 147-pound title holder. “Pacquiao is on a different level. Pacquiao is a different animal. It's just the volume of Pacquiao's punches, ferocity and speed and the power,” pahayag niya sa panayam ni Ellie Seckbach ng EsNews. “It ends in a stoppage,” bulalas ni Fortune, na siyang tatapos sa unbeaten mark ng 2012 London Olympian na may record na 27 wins at 21 rito ay mula sa knockout.

“Speed, power and the will to win of Manny will make him win,” saad ni Peñalosa kay Lito delos Reyes sa panayam ng Philboxing.com. “Pacquiao by late KO, referee will stop the fight or the cornerman will stop it,” saad naman ng 48-anyos na dating WBO bantamweight champion.