Manny Feels Thurman Is Underestimated
Keith Thurman will walk into his July 20th fight ten years younger than his opponent Manny Pacquiao, but the 40-year-old fighter feels he will be the faster fighter.
“I think what I saw in this fight is the speed, we know the fact that I’m faster than him,” Pacquiao said during FOX Sports’ “Face to Face” preview with Thurman. “We know that.”
“I think my speed is underestimated,” Thurman said in response. “I think Pacquiao is fast. But what makes him so fast is he’s relentless. This hand, that hand, bop, bop, bop, bop, bop. You know, and then the combination, you get to see it just continuously come out as fast as he can let ‘em fly. I don’t know if my combinations look that fast, but when I’m in the ring with people I know that I get right in between in those special moments. And it’s my speed that opens up other opportunities in that ring.”
Pacquiao feels Thurman is being underestimated due to his lackluster win over Josesito Lopez back in January, which the Filipino chalks up to it being Thurman’s first fight in nearly two years.
“As a boxer, I understand what happened to him,” Pacquiao said. “Two years layoff from boxing, it’s hard to come back right away, your style. But it’s good for him, because he survived that day, the last fight. But I’m pretty sure he’s different for this fight, because he already came back and he’ll work hard for this fight. I know he’s focused and thinking that he needs to train hard, to show 100 percent condition.”
Transcribed: Boxing Scene