Undefeated WBA welterweight “Super” champion, Keith “One Time” Thurman, has been talking out of the side of his neck when it comes to ring legend Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao.
At first I thought it was Thurman just trying to sell the fight playing the bad guy, but I don’t think so.
I think Thurman is really psyching himself or just plain overconfident.
The disrespect is very strange. No other Pacquiao opponent has blatantly insulted, and made fun of Pacquiao the way Thurman has.
Floyd Mayweather only talked crap from afar, but when it came time to fight he was silent and did nothing but praise Pacquiao during the pre-fight presser and build up.
Adrien Broner talked trash but it was all fun, just funny jokes to make the mundane boring press tours interesting.
When boxing reporter Marcos Villegas of Fight Hub TV was doing a special interview with Thurman at his training camp, Thurman responded seethingly.
Thurman didn’t like Marcos saying Pacquiao really beat Jeff Horn and any type of praise being given to boxing’s only 8-divsion champion. Thurman insisted that Pacquiao didn’t do anything to Horn other than the ninth round. The Horn fight was when he gave Pacquiao the nickname “T-Rex Arms.”
At one point during the heated exchange Thurman got physical with the reporter, I wouldn’t say it was assault but you don’t put your hands on a reporter it’s unprofessional and intrusive. The worst part is he said he didn’t respect Manny Pacquiao, and that he couldn’t hurt Horn or touch him with his short arms.
Keith Thurman’s angry interview with reporter Marcos Villegas
Video by Fight Hub TV
The only damage done to Pacquiao was from several blatant headbutts by Horn that cut open his head, and the post-fight interview, Horn looked like he was hit with rocks his face was swollen and battered.
So how can Thurman say Pacquiao couldn’t touch or hurt him?
One has to think either Thurman has some type of delusional view or he is psyching himself so he doesn’t freeze up on fight night when he comes face to face with the giant killer.
Pacquiao doesn’t get emotional when people diss him he just sticks to his plan and will use his angles and power intelligently throughout the fight. So if Thurman thinks the disrespect will make Pacquiao emotional and swing wildly with anger, he is wrong.
Thurman also has to be careful if he thinks Pacquiao will be “Easy Work” as he puts it.
He is relying on the fact that Pacquiao is 40 years old, only 5’5 tall and has short arms to help build his confidence.
I wonder if Thurman knows boxing because that tiny Pacman destroyed much bigger guys like Antonio Margarito, Miguel Cotto, Jeff Horn, Chris Algieri, Shane Mosley to name a few.
I believe Thurman will run or get on his bicycle trying to catch Pacquiao reaching. I don’t think he will actually go toe to toe with Manny because if he does those short T-Rex arms will get to their target faster than Thurman’s wide looping hooks.
The moment he gets hit in the mouth and tastes that power, he will think twice about his strategy.
Thurman’s trash talk has put him in a lose-lose situation. If he loses he lost to a weak, small, old fighter, and if he wins he beat a weak, small, old fighter. Even if it’s psychological he basically put himself in a tough spot win or lose.
He basically shot himself in the foot. If he wins he already said he won’t fight Errol Spence Jr. or Terence Crawford anytime soon, because he wants to take the entire year off to enjoy his $10 million payday with his wife and family.
