Hopkins, duda sa injury ni Spence at biglaang umatras

ni Gerard Arce - @Sports | August 17, 2021

Diskumpiyado at tila kaduda-duda umano ang biglaang pag-ayaw sa laban ni unified IBF/WBC welterweight champion “The Truth” Errol Spence sa nakatakdang laban nito kontra kay 8th-division World titlist na si Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao sa Agosto 21 na nagresulta sa biglaang pagpapalit ng kalaban sa katauhan ni WBA (Super-World) title holder Yordenis “”54 Milagros” Ugas ng Cuba.

Naglabas ng opinyon at paghihinala ang dating undisputed middleweight kingpin na si Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins, na kasalukuyang kasosyo ni Oscar dela Hoya sa Golden Boy Promotions, sa biglaang desisyon ng kampo at mismong si Spence sa agarang pagpapaopera ng punit sa kaliwang retina (mata) matapos matagpuan ng Nevada State Athletic Commission sa Las Vegas nitong Lunes at sisimulan ang operasyon nitong Miyerkules.

“The only thing I can do is listen to what you said to me and listen to what I heard. That’s conversation and I don’t know if it’s true, if it’s not true. I like Spence, I respect Spence. I know he is always ready for any challenge. I just think … I just have some suspicions about this whole thing. I just think the way it manifested and came out suddenly and so fast … I’ll just say stay tuned. If you hear something other than what everyone was given and what was told. I think there is more to the story than what it is. But if it is true, I wish him a speedy recovery. But I just have to say that first because I want to be the first one that people say, ‘what did I know that everybody else didn’t first know’ or ‘what did I know that a few people did know but nobody was bold enough or brave enough to say it,” pahayag ni Hopkins sa panayam ng Little Giant Boxing at KO Artist Sports.

Nakatakdang magpagaling ang 31-anyos mula Dallas, Texas at maaaring makabalik muli sa boxing ring, ngunit nagmungkahi ang 56-anyos na two-division World titlist na magpakita ng sapat na katibayan ng kanyang pinagdaanang operasyon at karamdaman.