Keith Thurman continues to drive the hype of his upcoming bout against Manny Pacquiao. The still undefeated boxer recently said that he promises to return to his prime self once the bell rings on July 20. He also promised that the upcoming bout would surely be a clash of great talents.
Thurman has a lot to prove in the upcoming bout against the former eight-division world champion. It is important to note here that Thurman was rocked during his last bout against Josesito Lopez in January. Lopez nearly landed Thurman his first loss after the former was seen obviously rocked on the seventh round of their fight. Nevertheless, Thurman still ended up with the win after dominating the fight during its early rounds.
Thurman said that he would be back to his prime form once he faces Pacquiao on the ring. Despite winning his last fight with Lopez, it is also important to note that prior to that fight, Thurman went on a two-year hiatus in order to recover from a sustained injury. Whether he had completely recovered from the injury is still unknown, and his rehabilitation will be put to the test with this upcoming bout. Thurman did admit that the extended hiatus has a significant effect on his performance against Lopez.
In a recent interview, Thurman said, "I was really nervous about making weight after walking around at 182 for the past two years."
Thurman has an impressive career. He has a clean record of 29 wins, 22 of which coming by way of knockout. While he is seen as a formidable opponent for the now 40-year-old Pacquiao, some analysts still favor the older boxer as Thurman cannot just disregard that veteran experience. Bettors tend to favor the older boxer, as well as the betting odds, appear to shift in favor of Pacquiao.
It is true that Pacquiao is well within the twilight of his career. However, many have tried to put the Filipino boxer in his place and ended up on the losing side. It appears that the veteran still has a punch left within him and a couple of tricks off his sleeve.
With many boxing analysts calling Thurman's last bout beyond mediocre, the Clearwater-native is now set to set the record straight with his upcoming bout. He will be putting his title on the line as he faces the future hall of famer at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on July 20.
