Pacquiao tablado kay Lomachenko

MANILA, Philippines — Kasalukuyang nagdo­do­mina si Ukrainian superstar Vasyl Lomachenko sa super featherweight di­vision.

Kaya naman kaagad tinanggihan ng kampo ni Lomachenko ang pakikipagharap ng two-time Olympic Games gold me­dalist kay Manny Pacquiao sa isang catchweight fight sa Abril.

“No, we are not fighting Pacquiao. Manny Pacquiao is calling out Lomachenko, who is three weight classes down the scale from him. Manny Pacquiao is 147 pounds and he’s calling out Lomachenko, who is 130 pounds. That’s insane,” sabi ni Egis Klimas, ang mana­ger ng Ukrainian champion, sa panayam ng ESPN.

Kinumpirma rin ni Bob Arum ng Top Rank Promotions ang kanilang pakiki­pag-usap sa kinatawan ni Lomachenko.

“There had been discussions to fight Lo­machenko but the father of  Lomachenko didn’t  want him to jump two weight classes,” wika ni Arum sa World Boxing Organization super featherweight titlist.

Matagal nang lumalaban ang 39-anyos na si Pacquiao sa welterweight division habang plano naman ng 29-anyos na si Lo­machenko na umakyat sa lightweight class nga­yong taon.

Ayon kay Arum, posible pa ring maplantsa ang laban nina Pacquiao at Loma­chenko bago matapos ang taon.

“Lomachenko will fight first at lightweight and then what we’re trying to do is have Manny fight a keep-busy fight and then fight Lomachenko in the fall,” wika ni Arum.

Kamakalawa ay ibinun­yag ng Filipino world eight-division champion ang pa­kikipag-usap nila sa kampo ni Lomachenko.

“There are still talks on the weight, reducing the weight,”  ani Pacquiao (59-7-2, 38 KOs) sa kanyang pagsagupa kay Lo­machenko (11-1-0, 11 KOs).