Ni Gilbert Espeña
WALA pang tatalo kay Manny Pacquiao kung lalaban ang dating pound-for-pound king sa super lightweight o 140 pounds division.
Iginiit ito ng kanyang sparring partner sa loob ng halos 12 taon na si Mexican Raymundo Beltran na natamo ang bakanteng WBO lightweight title via points kontra ex-WBA lightweight champion Paulus Moses ng Namibia kahapon sa Grand Theatre, Reno, Nevada sa United States.
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Sa panayam ng BoxingScene.com, sinabi ni Beltran na napakaliit ni Pacquiao sa welterweight o 147 pounds division kaya walang napatulog mula noong 2009 nang mapatigil si Miguel Angel Cotto ng Puerto Rico sa 12th round pa matamo ang WBO welterweight title.
Para sa kanya, sobrang liit ni Pacquiao nang idepensa ang 147 pounds title sa Australian na posibleng middleweight boxer nang harapin ang Pilipino sa Brisbane, Australia noong nakaraang taon.
“I’ve been with Manny for like 12 years, maybe more,” diin ni Beltran. “People just know what they see on TV or what they read on the Internet or in the magazines. But Manny is actually a lightweight. He’s a lightweight fighting at welterweight. That’s what a lot of people don’t know.”
Nilinaw ni Beltran na kung sa light welterweight division lang lalaban ang 39 anyos nang si Pacquiao ay walang mananalo sa Pilipino,
“They say, ‘Oh, Manny’s not the same. He’s not knocking people out.’ It’s hard to knock big guys out. They can take the punches better. There’s a lot of things people don’t know. A lot of people just follow what they see on social media and whatever they read. But Horn was way too big, and I think Manny should be fighting at 140. Manny would destroy anybody at 140,” ani Beltran.
“I think he has made such a big name that his situation kind of demands for him to be at 147,” dagdag ni Beltran.
“All the fans look at him as a welterweight. I think that’s his situation. But I believe Manny could easily make 140 and 135. And Manny would be a killer, a monster at that weight.”
Malaki rin ang paniniwala ni Beltran na kung matutuloy ang laban ni Pacquiao kay ex-WBO light welterweight champion Mike Alvarado sa Abril 14 sa Madison Square Garden as New York City ay magaang na magwawagi ang Pilipino.
“I think Manny should be OK in that fight,” diin ni Beltran. “Manny should do good. Manny’s not as young as he used to be and Mike Alvarado’s a big guy. But I think based on styles, Manny should take care of him.”
