MAIDANA, KURSUNADANG BUMANAT KAY PACMAN

MULING isusuot ni dating world champion Marcos ‘Chino’ Maidana, 36-anyos ang kanyang gloves, limang taon mula nang huli siyang lumaban kontra Floyd Mayweather, Jr., pero sa pagkakataong ito ay wala siyang ibang hinahamon kun’di si Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao na ikinagulat niya ang husay ng performance noong Hulyo 21 kontra WBA welterweight champion Keith Thurman.

Sinabi ng Argentinian na si Maidana (35-5, 31 KO’s) na hindi gaya ng laban niya kay Mayweather, hindi niya tatakbuhan o iikutan sa loob ng ring ang Pinoy icon kun’di, tunay na bakbakan at magandang laban ang ibibigay niya kay Pacman dahil estilong sugod nang sugod ang 8th division world champion. “I’ve already fought with everyone. Pacquiao would be the only one that I haven’t been in with, and I would go directly into that fight,” saad ni Maidana sa ESPN Deportes ni Miguel Rivera. “What I like is that he comes forward and so do I, and it would be like a crash. I like Pacquiao’s style, it’s going to be a good fight, a fight that people would enjoy, not like the one with Mayweather where you have to run around the ring.”

Nakaiskedyul sana si Maidana na muling lumaban ngayong taon matapos ang tatlong fight deal sa Premier Boxing Champions. Pero, kinansela niya ang plano na iyan at sa halip ay nagretiro na siya dahil na rin sa away sa pera sa PBC.

Inakusahan niya ang PBC na hindi nagbigay ng pangakong advance payment sa kanya.

Gulat na gulat si Maidana kung paanong tinalo ng 40-anyos na si Pacman ang 30-anyos na si Thurman.

“It was surprising how he looked, he looked better than he did in other fights. He did very well, at 40, it’s surprising,” gulantang na sabi ni Maidana.

Si Maidana na nakasagupa sina Victor Ortiz, Devon Alexander, Adrien Broner, Josesito Lopez, Amir Khan, Erik Morales at si Mayweather ng dalawang beses, ay nakikitang si Pacman ang kanyang final challenge. “There is only one boxer left for me to test myself against, Manny Pacquiao. So with that we are waiting, I would return for him, I would like to do that,” paghamon ni Maidana. (MC)