Iginiit ni Hall of Fame referee Joe Cortez na bagama’t wala nang hihilingin pa sa boksing si eight-division world titlist Manny Pacquiao, mataas ang pride ng Pinoy boxer kaya tatalunin si Briton Amir Khan sa huling laban bago magretiro.

Sa panayam ni Robert Brown ng On the Ropes Boxing Show, malaki ang paniniwala ni Cortez na may kakayahan pa si Pacquiao na manalo sa huling laban lalo kung ikakasa sa dating ka-stable na si Khan.

“I would like to see Pacquiao fight a well deserved fighter like Amir Khan who’s been waiting on the sidelines for an opportunity,” ani Cortez na boxing analyst ngayon ng ESPN. “I think Amir Khan deserves the match at 147lbs. I think it would be a good fight with Pacquiao against Amir Khan.”

Para kay Cortez na nag-referee sa ilang laban ni Pacquiao, malaking advantage para sa Pilipino ang karanasan nito sa boksing at naniniwala siyang kaya pa nitong manalo sa huling laban nito.

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“Well, you have to see what Pacquiao has left. He’s coming back from the surgery on his shoulder. He’s a fighter with a lot of experience with a lot of top caliber fighters,” ani Cortez. “Amir Khan has fought a lot of top caliber fighters as well, so it’s gonna be a fight where the hungry fighter, Amir Khan, wants this fight so bad and Pacquiao wants to go out with a big win. Right now it’s hard for me to make a prediction, it’s a toss up either way.”

Kahit paborito niya na manalo si Pacquiao, lamang si Khan dahil mas bata ito at sabik sa karangalan.

“Pacquiao has enough to give Khan a good fight. I don’t know what he has left. He’s a very determined fighter, he’s one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet in boxing. He has great skills, he has a lot of experience and I think he has enough to beat Amir Khan, but Amir Khan is the younger and hungrier fighter,” diin ni Cortez na tutol naman na isabak ng Top Rank si Pacquiao kay WBO light welterweight titlist Terence Crawford sa 140 pounds division. “I don’t know if Pacquiao can make 140lbs, I think he’d (Bob Arum) be pushing it.”

Kung matutuloy ang sagupaang Pacquiao-Khan, kahit may edad na ay pupusta pa rin si Cortez sa Pinoy boxer.