Nagpahayag ng takot si Billionaire promoter Bob Arum na inilalagay ni eight division fighting champion Manny Pacquiao ang sarili sa panganib sa posibleng magkaroon ng brain damage kapag umakyat na siya sa ring kontra WBA welterweight champion Keith Thurman sa Las Vegas sa July 20 sa MGM Grand sa Las Vegas.
Si Pacquiao, na mag-41 na sa December, ay sasagupain ang isa sa pinakamapanganib na kalaban sa mga nakalipas na taon sa katauhan ni Thurman, na wala pang talo sa 30 fights at 10 taon ang tanda kay Pacquiao.
Ang 87-year-old na ai Arum, sa pamamagitan ng kanyang kompanyang Top Rank, ang nagdala ng halos ng matitinfing laban ni Pacquiao.
Naghiwalay si Pacquiao kay Arum noong patapos na ang taong 2017 at pumirma nung 2018 kay Al Haymon's Premier Boxing Champions.
Naniniwalaa si Arum na ang malubhang brain injury na nararanasan ng 41-year-old Zab Judah dalawang linggo ang nakalipas ay magsisilbing babala ng pag-iingat.
Nagsalita para sa nakatakdang heavyweight fight sa pagitan ni Tyson Fury at Tom Schwarz ngayong Sabado sa Las Vegas, inamin ni Arum na natatakot siya para kay Pacquiao.
"Look, I love Manny Pacquiao," ani Arum sa mga reporter.
"I have a whole history with Manny Pacquiao. I'm really rooting for Manny Pacquiao, but you've gotta realise that he's 41 years of age, and when a fighter has been around so long passes his late 30s and goes into his 40s, he's not gonna be as good as he was in his prime.
"I wish him the best and I hope he wins the fight but I am concerned, as I would be for any fighter, that when they get to a certain age that they probably should not be fighting anymore.
"You know, I mean, the doctors will tell you that the cranium as you get older, thins out. So a guy that's younger gets hit and the cranium absorbs the blow so that it doesn't affect the brain matter.
"When they get older the cranium is thinner, and when you get hit it affects — that would be the worst thing in the world if Manny Pacquiao suffered brain damage at this point." ( Louis Pangilinan)
PHOTO CREDIT - MIKE Q, Los Angeles