IF NO MAYWEATHER, NO MORE WELTERWEIGHT FIGHT FOR PACQUIAO
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 27 Nov 2014
Boxing hero Manny Pacquiao?s overwhelming win over previously unbeaten American title-pretender Chris Algieri was, for all intent and purposes, his last fight as a welterweight.
This, Pacquiao, who successfully kept his 147-pound title by knocking down his challenger six times en route to what emerged as the most lopsided win in memory, assured this writer in an interview while on board a Philippine Airlines flight from General Santos City to Manila last Tuesday.
?Last na yun,? Pacquiao said. ?Puwera na lang kung tatanggapin ni (Floyd) Mayweather and hamon natin na maglaban kami na sa tingin ko ay baka hindi na mangyari.?
?I only repeated the challenge because of the clamor of boxing fans, which became stronger after I beat Algieri,? the only to man to crown himself world champion in eight weight division, said.
?But instead of getting an answer whether he will finally accept the challenge, here he comes again making statements insulting me in person using social media,? the 35-year-old ring icon said.
?Even his offer na $100 million ang purse nya at $60 million lang ang akin, papayag na rin ako like when I acceded to his earlier demands on drug-testing,? he recalled.
"Everything he demanded, we acceded, but until now, after five years of negotiations there and negotiations here, wala pa ring nangyayari.?
?Hindi nga tayo nakasi-siguro na talagang payag siya sa offer niyang hatian. Knowing him, I?m sure he will be demanding for more concessions or the fight is again off,? he lamented,
?Me, I?ll just wait what will happen. Pag natuloy ang laban, good for the fans and boxing as a sport. Pag hindi, tuloy ako sa juior-welterweight,? he assured.
Earlier last Sunday, right after the fight held at the Cotai Arena inside the Venetian Resort Hotel, chief trainer Freddie Roach also announced his pupil?s most-likely transfer to the lesser weight.
?We?ve been talking about that issue as early as during our preparations at the Wild Card training camp in General Santos City,? Roach said, adding lack of opponents in the 147-pound category as among the reasons.
For Pacquiao?s business consultant Mike Koncz, his boss doesn?t need Maywether as his legacy as the eight?division world champion and four-division lineal champion will be kept intact.
?Manny can?t ask for more, his legacy is already there and I don?t believe any man can surpass in this present generation,? he reasoned out. ?So whether he fights Manny or not, I don?t care.?
?Of course, Manny cares about the fans, he wants to continue giving the fans the happiness they?re enjoying whenever he fights,? Pacquiao?s Canadian adviser said. ?And it looks like Mayweather is not concerned about the fans.?
Photo: Pacquiao takes a Philippine Airlines plane from General Santos to Manila Wednesday. Photo by Wendell Rupert Alinea.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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