Handang labanan ni eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao ng Pilipinas ang dating sparring partner si Briton Amir Khan sa Abril 9, 2015 sa Las Vegas, Nevada pero hindi pa siya nagpapasiya kung sino ang huling makakatunggali bago magretiro sa boksing.
Tinawanan lamang ni Pacquiao ang pahayag ni Khan na lumagda na siya ng kontrata para sa kanilang laban sa Las Vegas pero inamin niyang kabilang si Khan sa kanyang pinagpipilian.
“I’ve not talked to Bob Arum yet, but it’s possible. It’s part of our plan, we have Amir Khan, Danny Garcia, Terrence Crawford or Timothy Bradley,” sabi ni Pacquiao sa Gulf News. “But I don’t know yet, a lot of names have been given to me by my promoter Bob Arum. [It’s] not yet [decided, but] we are going to finalize.”
Akari Sports wala pang balak pasukin ang PBA
Iginiit ni Pacquiao na desidido siyang magretiro sa boksing na larangang nagpasikat sa kanya sa buong mundo para harapin ang karerang pampulitika.
“I’ve already achieved what I want to do in my career, I just want to continue and maintain my name at the top of boxing. It’s very important to finish my career with victory,” giit ni Pacquiao. “This is my last fight in boxing because I’m going to focus on serving the people in the Philippines and I believe I can achieve that dream.”
Sinabi naman ni Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum ng Top Rank na mag-uusap sila ng pangunahing adviser ni Pacquiao para sa susunod na laban ng Pinoy boxing icon.
“(Pacquiao adviser) Michael Koncz is flying over to the Middle East where Manny Pacquiao is at this moment - with tapes of the Crawford fight and tapes of Amir Khan,” sabi ni Arum sa BoxingScene.com. “We will be discussing everything with Manny next week after the Bradley-Rios fight and we will have a decision probably by mid November.”
Hinggil sa pahayag ni Khan na mayroon na silang kontrata ni Pacquiao, iginiit ni Arum na wala pang deal para sa laban nit okay Pacquiao.
“I said to them, even if Manny Pacquiao picks them - they are going to have to come to Vegas. I have to sit with the kid and work out the deal - because the deal is far from being worked out. Certain points have been agreed to,” dagdag ni Arum. (Gilbert Espeña)
