(NI VT ROMANO, Saksi Ngayon, Sports Editor)
HINDI pa rin bumibitiw si eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao sa posibilidad ng rematch kay Floyd Mayweather, ayon kay Sean Gibbons.
Pero, inamin rin niyang sa ngayon ay malabong mangyari ang rematch at hangga’t walang pormal na inihahayag ang retiradong American boxer, lahat ng lumalabas na balita ay pawang espekulasyon lamang.
“End of the story on the Floyd thing right now. There is no fight, there is no possibility at this moment. Floyd has said numerous time that I’m retired, I’m enjoying my retirement,” pahayag ni Gibbons, president ng Manny Pacquiao (MP) Promotions, nang maging panauhin kahapon sa PSA Forum sa Amelie Hotel.
Dagdag pa niya: “We’ll let thing unfold and see what happens.”
Maging ang rematch kay Keith Thurman ay malabo ring mangyari.
Si Thurman ay tinalo ni Pacquiao noong Hulyo 20 sa Las Vegas para maging WBA welterweight super champion.
“He (Thurman) had his opportunity, he had his shot,” lahad ni Gibbons, na isa ring veteran international matchmaker, at dating light-heavyweight boxer.
Ayon kay Gibbons, malinis na tinalo ni Pacquiao si Thurman at kung mayroon mang kontrobersiya sa nasabing laban, ito ay ang iskor ng isang hurado na pumabor kay Thurman.
“There was no controversy. At the end of the day, everybody knows who won the fight,” wika ni Gibbons.
“If there’s a real demand for it like the (Juan Manuel) Marquez, the (Marco Antonio) Barrera, the (Eric) Morales, those type of fights. If the public have a huge demand to do it again, if there’s an outcry for it. But he (Pacquiao) beat him clean,” lahad pa niya.
Kaugnay nito, tatlong pangalan ang posibleng susunod na makalaban ni Pacquiao. Ito ay sina Danny Garcia, Mickey Garcia at Shawn Porter.
“Danny Garcia, Mikey Garcia, there’s other guys out there to fight. Shawn Porter,” banggit ni Gibbons.
Kung matatandaan, bago hinarap si Thurman, una nang ikinunsidera ng Pacquiao camp si (Danny) Garcia, dating holder ng World Boxing Council (WBC) version ng 147-lb title, kasunod ng panalo nito kay Adrian Granados noong Abril.
Si (Mickey) Garcia, na bagamat natalo kay reigning IBF champion Errol Spence, ay dating lightweight at junior welterweight champion.
Habang si Porter ay dating sparring partner ni Pacquiao at current WBC champion na nakatakdang sumagupa kay Spence sa susunod na buwan para sa unification match
“Let’s say if Shawn Porter somehow came out winning, he can get into the mix. I’m not against fighting Shawn Porter,” komento pa ni Gibbons.
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