ni Gerard Peter - @Sports | November 19, 2020
Para kay Top Rank CEO Bob Arum, nakahanda na sana ang salpukang pinaka-inaabangan ng unification title fight sa pagitan nina eight-division World champion at World Boxing Association (WBA) super welterweight titlist Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao at World Boxing Organization (WBO) at undefeated 147-pound title holder Terrence “Bud” Crawford, kung hindi lang napigilan dahil sa banta ng COVID-19 na maaaring ganapin sa Gitnang Silangang Asya.
“The money was there. It had been committed. It was a fight that was going to take place in a country in the Mid-East (naiulat na sa Qatar). And then the Minister of Health in that country said ‘you can’t do it,’ because I can’t guarantee that we’ll allow spectators (due to Covid 19 increasing worldwide). And, it would’ve been this week. So, he was right. Now, they’ve called us and said, if Terence is successful, we want to resume the talks in the Spring, either before or after Ramadan (Muslim holy holidays),” pahayag ni Arum sa panayam ng isang website.
Kasunod ng matagumpay na 4th round knockout victory ng undefeated American na si Crawford (37-0, 28KOs) laban kay dating IBF champion Kell Brook ng United Kingdom nito lamang weekend sa MGM Grand Garden Conference Center sa Las Vegas, Nevada, mainit na nag-aabang ng susunod na makakalaban si Crawford na nais muling buhayin ang naudlot na pagtatapat ng dalawang pinakamahuhusay na boksingero sa mundo.
Idinagdag pa ng dating 2006 Omaha Golden Gloves amateur lightweight silver medalist na walang ibang nais itong sunod na makalaban kundi ang Pambansang kamao. “I already said who I want {next}. I want Pacquiao,” saad ni Crawford. “I want to revisit that fight. That was a fight that should’ve happened right now. But being that the pandemic happened, and they weren’t going to allow fans in the Middle East, they had to put a hold to that. Everything was 95 percent done. We had a venue. The money was almost there. It wasn’t quite there. That was the only thing we were waiting on.”
Napag-alaman na sa isang report na aabot umano sa $23.5 million ang matatanggap ni Pacquiao sakaling matuloy ang laban kay Crawford, habang halos 2/3 lamang ang mapapasakamay ng American boxer, na maituturing malaking bayad na matatanggap nito sa kanyang karera bilang boksingero.
Bukod sa 41-anyos na Filipino Senator, puntirya rin ng 33-anyos na Omaha, Nebraska-native na maipagsama rin ang titulo nila ng wala pa ring talong si Errol Spence Jr. (26-0, 21KOs) na nagmamay-ari ng WBC at IBF titles, na kanyang itataya sa Disyembre 5 laban kay two-division champion Danny “Swift” Garcia (36-2, 21KOs) sa AT&T Stadium sa Arlington, Texas.
Hindi pa rin sigurado kung sino ang sunod na makakalaban ni Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39KOs) sa darating na taon, kung saan napabalita ring makakalaban nito si dating UFC two-division champ Conor “The Notorious” McGregor sa isang boxing match, na ang kikitain ay ipamamahagi sa pagtulong sa Covid-19.
Sakali namang hindi maging interesado si Pacquiao na labanan si Crawford ay susubukang hintayin ni Arum ang magwawagi sa buntalang Spence-Garcia, baka sakaling pumayag ang Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) na itapat ito sa bata ni Arum.
“Lemme tell ya something, and I mean this, Spence and Garcia are fighting December 5. If they really want to make a big PPV, I’ll put Terence Crawford in with both of them, one at a time. And, he’d beat both of them the same night.”