Ni VT ROMANO
MAHIGIT isang linggo bago ang laban, napalitan ang kalaban ni Manny Pacquiao sa katauhan ni Yordenis Ugas ng Cuba.
Napilitang mag-backout ni Errol Spence Jr. sa August 21 title fight bunga ng eye injury.
Inihayag ng Premier Boxing Champions (PBC), promoter ni Pacquiao, nadiskubre ang retinal tear sa kaliwang mata ni Spence sa mandatory pre-fight medical exam na isinagawa ng Nevada State Athletic Commission nitong Lunes.
“I’m very disappointed that I won’t be able to fight Manny Pacquiao on Aug. 21,” saad ng official statement ni Spence.
Dagdag niya: “I was excited about the fight and the event. Unfortunately, the doctors found a tear in my left eye and said I needed to get surgery on it ASAP and that there was no way I could fight with my eye in that condition.”
Agad ding umuwi sa Dallas, Texas si Spence upang sumailalim sa operasyon.
Ang 35-anyos na si Ugas, bronze medalist ng Cuba sa 2008 Olympics sa Beijing ay undercard sa Pacquiao-Spence bout, kung saan idedepensa niya ang WBA welterweight crown kay Fabian Maidana, na nag-backout din sanhi ng injury natamo sa sparring.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Pacquiao, but I am coming to win this fight,” lahad ni Ugas (26-4, 12 KOs), na itinaas ng WBA sa champion status ng welterweight matapos hubarin kay Pacquiao ang titulo bunga nang pagiging inactive.
“Everyone knows my story about how I came to America to follow my dreams of becoming a world champion, and now it’s time to stamp my legacy with a victory as one of the best Cuban fighters to ever put on a pair of gloves,” dagdag pa ni Ugas.
Ang Pacquiao-Ugas fight ay gaganapin pa rin sa T-Mobile Arena sa Las Vegas.
Agad naman nagpaabot ng mensahe si Pacquiao kay Spence sa kanyang twitter account: “I pray for a quick and full recovery for Errol Spence.”
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