The world of boxing is now looking forward to a big fight this month between Manny Pacquiao and Keith Thurman. The latter has been very confident that he can win the upcoming match and ultimately force the athlete-politician to retire from the sport.
Pacquiao’s next fight: Thurman promises it’s going to be opponent’s last
The 40-year-old Philippine senator is set to face the much younger boxer Thurman, 30, on July 20 for the WBA welterweight championship belt at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Since the announcement of their match in June, Thurman has been adamant that he will win the fight and that would force Pacquiao to retire from boxing completely. In a recent press conference for the match, Thurman reiterated his threats telling fans that he does not plan on losing to Pacquiao and that he does not see how the athlete-politician could win.
Thurman noted that Pacquiao is a boxing legend — he is the only boxer in history who managed to hold major world titles in eight different weight divisions simultaneously. But Pacquiao’s career records and his victory against Adrien Broner last January does not impress Thurman. The Clearwater, Florida-native maintained that boxing history has shown that the odds are in his favor.
“For those who know boxing and truly understand boxing history times change. I believe boxing has come to a new era. Floyd [Mayweather Jr.] is gone. Pacquiao is here. Come July 20 he will disappear,” the American boxer said.
Pacquiao’s thoughts on retirement
Age is an undeniable factor in the continuation of a professional athlete’s career, so the matter of retirement has been a frequent subject the media asks Pacquiao. But the Filipino boxer, who has won 61 of his 70 professional matches, does not seem to plan on making his fight this month to be his last.
The always-smiling athlete had a sharp response to Thurman’s latest taunts. “He’s saying things before we fight, but I will send a message to him in the ring about exactly who he’s fighting; he will come to know that,” Pacquiao said. “No man can dictate when I’m going to retire.”
