MANILA, Philippines - Sa nakakaantok na laban ni Sugar Shane Mosley kay Sergio Mora kamakalawa, hindi interesado si Bob Arum ng Top Rank Promotions na itapat ang American fighter kay Manny Pacquiao.
Ayon kay Arum, ayaw niyang maging tampulan ng kritisismo sa pagtatakda ng Pacquiao-Mosley fight.
“I have to constantly be aware of this, the flak from the naysayers. We’ve faced with (Antonio) Margarito for Nov. 13 and we got real, instant flak,” ani Arum. “But now even the naysayers are looking at that just as a fight. Now the pendulum is swining the other way and they’re saying maybe Antonio is too strong or too big for Manny.”
Nakatakda ang Pacquiao-Margarito light middleweight championship sa Nobyembre 13 sa Cowboys Stadium sa Arlington, Texas.
Matatandaan na nauwi sa draw ang 12-round light middleweight bout ni Mora sa Staples Center sa Los Angeles, California.
I’ve always considered Shane to be a nice guy but this is what happens to fighters when they age,” sabi ni Arum sa 39-anyos na si Mosley. “It’s like (Bernard) Hopkins, he still knows how to fight but who wants to pay to see him now? His fights are not very scintillating. What you see with Hopkins we’re beginning to see with Mosley.”
Dumating na sa bansa kamakalawa si trainer Freddie Roach kasama ang mga sparring partners ni Pacquiao na sina Michael Medina ng Mexico at Glen Tapia ng Dominican Republic.
Nakatakda namang sumunod sina American Rashad Holloway, Armenian Vanes Martirosyan at Mexican Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr., ayon kay Arum.
Nauna nang tumanggi si Chavez na magtungo sa bansa subalit nakumbinsi rin ni Arum na maging sparmate ni Pacquiao sa training camp ni Roach sa Baguio City.
Plano ni Arum na ilaban si Chavez kay Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto sa susunod na taon.