Labis ang kasiyahan ni Top Rank big boss Bob Arum nang personal na masaksihan ang pagsasanay ni eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao sa Wild Card Boxing Club sa Los Angeles, California.
“I was very pleased with how Manny looked,” sabi ni Arum sa panayam na nailathala sa BoxingScene.com. “This Manny Pacquiao is the best Manny Pacquiao I’ve seen before the (Oscar) De La Hoya fight.”
Naghahanda si Pacman para sa kanyang ikatlong pakikipagtuos kau American Timothy Bradley sa Abril 9 (Abril 10 sa Manila) sa MG Grand Arena sa Las Vegas.
Halos isang taon nang hindi sumasampa sa ring si Pacquiao mula nang matalo noong Mayo 2, 2015 kay dating pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. Isinisi ng kampo ni Pacman ang kabiguan sa napinsalang kanang balikat na kagad namang ipinaopera matapos ang sagupaan.
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“Because he could function with the right hand but he’s had that tear since the De La Hoya fight which is now repaired and he’s using that right hand a lot more effectively,” paliwanag ni Arum. “I just saw him hitting the pads and he’s using that right hand, it’s cracking as good as the left and that hasn’t been the case before.”
Malaki rin ang paniniwala ni Arum na muling lalaban si Pacquiao matapos ang pagsagupa kay Bradley at hindi pa magreretiro ang Pinoy boxer.
“Again, that hasn’t changed. Manny says what Manny says but my belief is my belief,” giit ni Arum.
“He says this is his last fight. You can take that with a grain of salt, though. I think he believes it’s going to be his last fight. But I’m not saying it’s his last fight. This isn’t my first rodeo. I’ve had a lot of fighters tell me this is their last fight and six months later they’re back in the ring. I had a fighter who retired at a press conference and half an hour later he unretired.”
Nagbigay si Arum ng halimbawa ng mga boksingerong gustong magbalik sa ring matapos magretiro tulad ng Amerikanong si Sugar Ray Leonard.
“I have an instinct with all of them. These top fighters have a hard time giving it up, and if Manny’s performance is an outstanding one against Bradley, he’ll want to continue. Sugar Ray wanted to continue. George Foreman after he knocked out Michael Moorer wanted to continue. How many times has Floyd Mayweather retired?” tanong ni Arum. “It sounds great when they say they want to retire. And it’s not just the money. They miss the limelight. There’s nothing like the adrenalin and all the attention you get and all the press that surrounds you. Then you go into the ring and all the eyes are on you.” (Gilbert Espeña)
