Umaasa si Mexican boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. na matutuloy ang welterweight unification megabout nina WBC at WBA champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. at WBO titlist Manny Pacquiao sa Mayo 2 sa Las Vegas, Nevada.
Bagamat nagdududa siya kung matutuloy pa ang sagupaan sa Mayo, umaasa siyang maikakasa ang negosasyon at lalagda sa kontrata ang dalawang boksingero sa Setyembre.
“The fight is meant to be done. Unfortunately, there has been no fight. They need to do it for the benefit of fans around the world,” pahayag ni Chavez kay boxing writer Miguel Rivera ng BoxingScene.com. “However, it is a fight that eventually has to happen because Mayweather is being pressed hard by the fans and he’s being pressed by the television network. Either way, they need to reach an agreement.”
Ngunit duda ang minsang tinalo ni Mayweather sa kontrobersiyal na 12-round split decision noong 2007 na si six-division world champion Oscar de la Hoya na matutuloy ang laban sa paniniwalang gustong magretiro ng Amerikano na walang talo sa kanyang rekord.
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Ayon sa big boss ng Golden Boy Promotions, patuloy na umiiwas si Mayweather kay Pacquiao na hindi tulad niya na hinarap ang lahat ng bigating boksingero na tulad nina Chavez, Ike Quartey, Pernell Whitaker, Felix Trinidad, Bernard Hopkins, Felix Sturm, Fernando Vargas, Shane Mosley, Ricardo Mayorga at maging si Pacquiao.
“I can not understand why this [fight] has not been done. I can not understand why, because in my day, during Chavez’s time, we saw the best fight with the best. I have that pride. I wanted to fight with the best, win or lose, but it was against the best. I can not understand these things,” saad ni De La Hoya sa ESPN Deportes.
“Mayweather will not fight [him], because he thinks that if leaves the sport undefeated [he will be considered the best ever], but he won’t be - because people will respect you more when you face the toughest, the strongest, the most dangerous,” dagdag ni De La Hoya. “It doesn’t matter who, all of the biggest names lost - Sugar Ray Robinson, [Muhammad] Ali, Pacquiao. What matters is the legacy we’re leaving behind.”
