Manny Pacquaio, the Filipino Senator and the holder of eight division titles recently arrived in New York to commence the press tour for his upcoming fight with the 30-year-old undefeated WBA Welterweight champion Keith Thurman. The title bout, scheduled on July 20 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, is expected to be the highlight fight of the year. Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's long-time coach, and trainer said in one of his interviews that although Thurman is young, he was badly hurt during his previous fight with Josesito Lopez. The veteran coach has been studying Thurman's latest fights and believes that while the undefeated WBA Welterweight champ has the tools that could endanger his opponent, his performance is declining.
Pacquiao's opponent is strong and big, but he did not look as good as he once was in his previous fights, especially the last two according to Roach. But, the veteran trainer admitted that he is expecting Thurman to be in his best fighting form during his fight with the eight-world division title holder because he is fighting one of the best. Roach revealed that he has been studying the fights to find Thurman's weaknesses and confessed that Pacquiao is going to be in a tough fight. He added that the fight is a winnable bout; however, Pacquiao's speed could be too much for Thurman.
Roach shared that he was happy about 40-year old boxer's performance in his previous fight. The seasoned boxing trainer said that Pacquaio's fight with Adrian Boner is his most offensive since his Ricky Hatton days. Pacquiao dominated Adrian Broner to retain his share of the welterweight title last January. He will take on Keith Thurman for the WBA Welterweight belt. It can be recalled that Thurman defeated Joselito Lopez in January.
The Filipino pound for pound champion holds eight weight classes winning 61 out of 70 fights. Keith Thurman, on the other hand, is 10 years younger than Pacquaio holding a 29-0 record 22 of which were knockouts. Manny Pacquaio is nearing the end of his professional career. While fans are still looking forward to a rematch with Floyd Money Mayweather, nothing is on the table yet.
Sports analysts said that a loss to Keith Thurman would definitely close the book on the Filipino boxer's winning streak. Viewers at home can see the live action from the MGM Grand Garden Arena on July 20 through Fox pay-per-view. Manny Pacquiao's upcoming fight with Keith Thurman, who is currently the WBA Super champion, aims to unify the WBA belts
