MANILA, Philippines - Bagamat nakopo ang pinapangarap na Congressional seat, naniniwala pa rin si American trainer Freddie Roach na hindi ito makakaapekto sa pagiging professional boxer ni Manny Pacquiao.
Sa panayam ng Telegraph.co.uk. kahapon, sinabi ng 49-anyos na si Roach na inaasahan niyang matutuloy ang inaabangang megafight nina Pacquiao at Floyd Mayweather, Jr. ngayong taon.
“I don’t think so. It makes me excited because we are now going to have Congressman Pacquiao knock out Floyd Mayweather,” wika ni Roach.
Tinalo ng 31-anyos na tubong General Santos City ang 61-anyos na si Roy Chiongbian, kilalang miyembro ng angkan ng mga politiko, para sa Congressional seat ng Sarangani na bayan ng kanyang asawang si Jinkee.
Noong 2007, natalo si Pacquiao kay incumbent Rep. Darlene Antonino-Custodio para sa Congressional post ng General Santos City.
Para sa laban ni Pacquiao sa 33-anyos na si Mayweather, sinabi ni Roach na posible itong maitakda sa Nobyembre 17 sa kabila ng naunang pamimilit ng American six-time world champion na sumailalim muna sila ni “Pacman” sa Olympic-style drug testing bago ito matuloy.
“I still think it needs to happen. It would be a shame if it didn’t happen. We need the best meeting the best in boxing,” sabi ni Roach. “We will meet somewhere in the middle and I’m sure we are going to work it out.”
Tiwala rin si Roach na hindi-basta-basta maiiwan ng Filipino world-seven divison king ang boxing matapos manalo sa pulitika.
“It’s his ambition to improve his country. I’m not concerned that he will lose his love of boxing. He won’t be distracted. He still knows what he does best. Without boxing, he wouldn’t be where he is today. He knows that. He’s a boxer first. He still has that hunger and hopefully it will now make his fire burn that little bit brighter,” ani Roach.
“I am so glad the kid won because he deserved to win. He went into his own pocket for a lot of money and he did without thinking of his own financial gain,” wika ng 78-anyos Top Rank promoter na si Bob Arum na nagtungo sa bansa.