Pacman, magiging 'greatest welterweight' kung manalo kay Spence

ni Gerard Arce - @Sports | August 10, 2021

Sa edad na 42, maaaring makapag-ukit ng kasaysayan sa welterweight category si eight-division World champion Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao sakaling magtagumpay laban kay unified titlist Errol “Truth” Spence Jr. sa Agosto 21 sa T-Mobile Arena sa Las Vegas, Nevada.

Naniniwala si MP Promotions President Sean Gibbons na may tsansang tanghaling ‘pinakamahusay na kampeon sa 147-pound dibisyon’ ang Filipino boxing legend sa oras na maagaw ang IBF/WBC titles sa undefeated American boxer, gayundin ang bakanteng The Ring title belt.

“To me, it would be the greatest win in welterweight history,” pahayag ni Gibbons sa panayam rito ng Little Giant Boxing. “Again, he’s 42 years and eight months old. It doesn’t happen. It’s never happened. It’s never been done in history. The great ones at welterweight, when [Sugar Ray] Leonard was there, [Tommy] Hearns was there, [Roberto] Duran, Sugar Ray Robinson. Nobody’s accomplished beating a guy in their prime, undefeated, like Errol Spence, at this age in boxing.”

Makailang ulit ng lumikha ng mga pambihirang kasaysayan ang Pinoy Senator sa boksing nang gapiin ang mas matatangkad, mabibigat, malalaki at batang mandirigma, na hindi maikakailang nasa linya na ito ng tatanghaling Hall of Famers sa oras na magretiro.

Ilan sa mga tinalo ng dating World Boxing Association (WBA) Super-World champion ay sina Antonio Margarito, Miguel Cotto, Timothy Bradley, Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar dela Hoya, Floyd Mayweather Jr., at ang huli ay sa mas batang si Keith Thurman, na inagawan niya ng titulo noong Hulyo 20, 2019 via 12-round split decision sa MGM Grand sa Las Vegas.