MANILA, Philippines — Kailangan na ni Filipino world eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao na magdesisyon kung ipagpapatuloy pa ang kanyang boxing career o tuluyan nang magreretiro.
Ito ay dahil sa hindi hihintayin si Pacquiao ng mga kagaya nina world welterweight titlist Jeff Horn at world unified light welterweight king Terence Crawford.
“Horn’s not waiting for Pacquiao and Terence Crawford’s not waiting for Pacquiao,” sabi ni Top Rank president Todd DuBoef sa panayam ng Boxing News kahapon. “The welterweight division is a wonderful division, all these guys are wonderful athletes. They’re not going to wait on guys.”
Binugbog ni Horn si Pacquiao via unanimous decision para agawin sa Filipino boxing superstar ang hawak nitong World Boxing Organization welterweight belt noong Hulyo 2 sa Suncorp Stadium sa Brisbane, Australia.
May nakasaad na rematch clause sa kanilang fight contract kung saan ito ay maaari lamang gawin sa Australia at hindi sa Pilipinas kagaya ng gustong mangyari ni Pacquiao.
Tinanggihan ni Pacquiao ang rematch kay Horn sa Australia.
Ang kanyang pagiging abala sa Senado ang idinahilan ni Pacquiao.
“If he wants to dedicate himself to the people in the Philippines, that’s what his duty is, that’s what he should do and if he wants to come back and have a fight in the fall or the spring, winter, whatever it is, obviously we love working with him and his team and facilitating his boxing career,” wika ni DuBoef.
Dahil sa pag-atras ni Pacquiao sa rematch ay itataya ni Horn (17-0-1, 11 KOs) ang kanyang suot na WBO welterweight crown laban kay Gary Corcoran (17-1-0, 7 KOs) ng England sa Brisbane Convention Centre sa Disyembre.