CONTRARY to the claim of a representative for undefeated fighter Shadi Hamsyo, superstar Manny Pacquiao’s trainer Buboy Fernandez yesterday said that indeed, the tall and rangy Swedish fighter went down during a sparring session with the pound-for-pound icon more than a week ago.
“Yes, there was a knockdown. Everybody in the gym knows about it,” revealed Fernandez in a long-distance interview yesterday from Los Angeles.
“The article is not true. I was on hand and witnessed the sparring session,” said Reidar Reidar, adding that the confirmation made by Filipino boxers Bobby Pacquiao and Gerry Pe?alosa of the supposed knockdown was “a terrible lie.”
“I talked to both fighters and neither said they made such a claim,” Reidar said.
However, Fernandez said that to Hamsyo’s credit, he was able to finish the sparring session on both feet, although it was clear that Pacquiao was holding back on his punches following the knockdown.
Los Angeles-based Philboxing.com correspondent Ed de la Vega, who first reported the incident in his report, also yesterday stood firm on his story that Hamsyo was indeed downed by Pacquiao.
Pacquiao is currently preparing for his third match against Erik Morales.
