Malaki ang paniniwala ni future Hall of Fame trainer Abel Sanchez na hindi pa handa sa welterweight division si WBO light welterweight champion Terence Crawford kaya tatalunin ito ng pinakamaliit sa dibisyon na si dating pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao.
Kasalukuyang trainer ni undisputed middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin ng Kazakhstan, iginiit ni Sanchez na dapat kumasa si Crawford kay Pacquiao sa light welterweight division dahil hindi pa hinog ang katawan ng Amerikano sa 147 pounds limit.
Nangunguna si Crawford sa mga boksingerong puwedeng huling laban bago magretiro si Pacquiao kaya hiniling niya mismo kay Top Rank big boss Bob Arum ang pagsagupa sa Pinoy boxing icon.
“That fight I see being a little more competitive than some of the other guys at 147, because Manny is a small guy.
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He’s not only small in stature but he’s not very physical,” sabi ni Sanchez sa BoxingScene.com.
“I don’t see Terence being as effective at 147 as he is at 140, yet. I think he’s still maturing. I think he’s still growing. I think he’s a heck of a fighter,” giit ni Sanchez. “At 147, it’s a different animal up there. Those guys have matured, those guys have been up there for a while and seasoned. But it won’t be long before he is up there on that level.”
Sinabi naman ni Crawford sa On the Ropes Boxing Radio na handa siyang labanan si Pacquiao upang maging bagong idolo sa boksing.
“Well yeah of course, this is his last fight when he fights me. Mayweather is already retired, Cotto in a few is going to be retiring. Bradley in a few he’s going to be retiring, so it’s time for a new generation to take over boxing,” ani Crawford na hindi alam kung ano ang lakas ni Pacquiao. “I don’t know, I never like to say what’s my biggest strength against another fighter because I haven’t fought that fighter, and I never know. So until we fight, I really wouldn’t know.” (Gilbert Espeña)
