The undefeated WBA “Super” welterweight champion Keith “One Time” Thurman is extremely confident heading into his first Pay-Per-View headliner on July 20th against ring legend Manny “Pac Man” Pacquiao.
The 30-year-old claims his 40-year-old opponent will have no advantage over him come fight night and will retire him for good so he focus on being a Senator in the Philippines.
Thurman who went on a two-city press tour with boxing’s only 8-division world champion showed no sign of worry when it comes to facing a grizzled veteran like Pacquiao.
During the press tour he referred to Manny Pacquiao as a bunny rabbit who only does the same moves and hops around like a rabbit. He also suggested he will KO the WBA “Regular” champion in similar fashion to his vicious knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez.
Recently the Florida native went on INSIDE PBC BOXING on Fox Sports to discuss the showdown and he called Pacquiao a very basic fighter.
“I feel like I always could have beaten him (Pacquiao) at anytime throughout my career,” said Thurman. “I just feel like Manny Pacquiao’s style is really geared toward my boxing style. I just really believe I can dismantle his spurts, he kinda fights in spurts and for me it’s a very basic style of boxing. I’ve had over a hundred amateur fights, I’m 29 and 0 with 22 knockouts, I’ve seen it all and for me Manny Pacquiao is a basic, great fighter.”
Thurman expressed why Pacquiao will be a much easier opponent than Josesito Lopez who was able to rock him in the seventh round of their fight.
“You know Josesito Lopez actually brought something to the table that I haven’t had to deal with in a long time and that is a reach advantage on me. Shawn Porter I hold a small reach advantage on him, I held a small reach advantage over Danny Garcia, and I’m going to hold an even greater reach advantage over Manny Pacquiao.”
“Manny Pacquiao is not going to be able to catch me,” Thurman said with confidence. “I’ve been calling him T-Rex arms his hands are tucked in, they are too short, that is why Manny Pacquiao jumps in to commit and it only takes that one moment to catch him trying to commit with me and I commit with him and we go home early.”
The WBA welterweight championship fight will be held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 20, 2019 and broadcast live on FOX Pay-Per-View.
