MANILA, Philippines – Maliban kay Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez, naidagdag na rin si American Timothy Bradley sa listahan ng mga gustong makasagupa sa mananalo sa pagitan nina Manny Pacquiao at Ricky Hatton.
Sa kanyang panalo kay Kendal Holt via unanimous decision kamakalawa para angkinin ang light weltertweight belts ng World Boxing Council (WBC) at World Boxing Organization (WBO), ipinarating ni Bradley ang paghahamon kina Pacquiao at Hatton.
“I want the big dogs,” ani Bradley, may malinis na 24-0-0 win-loss-draw ring record kasama ang 11 KOs. “I want the winner of Hatton and Pacquiao, definitely. If I can’t get them, I want (Juan Manuel) Marquez. I want to be the star of the light welterweight division.”
Nakatakda ang world light welterweight championship nina Pacquiao at Hatton sa Mayo 2 sa MGM Grand Garden Arena sa Las Vegas, Nevada na inaasahan ring panonoorin ng 25-anyos na si Bradley.
Si Marquez, inagawan ni Pacquiao ng WBC super featherweight title via split decision noong Marso 16 ng 2008, ang bagong WBO at World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight champion matapos talunin si Juan “Baby Bull” Diaz sa pamamagitan ng isang ninth-round TKO noong Pebrero 28.
Bago agawin ang WBO light welterweight crown ni Holt (25-3-0, 12 KOs), dalawang beses munang bumagsak si Bradley.
“This means the world to me,” wika ni Bradley. “I knew I had to prove myself by coming off the canvas twice, but Kendall Holt will be back. If you give him a chance to think out there, he’ll get you. I let him think twice tonight, and he floored me both times.”
Kabilang sa mga posibleng makasagupa ni Bradley ay sina dating WBO at WBA lightweight titlist Nate Campbell, Andriy Kotelnik at Junior Witter. (RC)