Roach Considers Thurman A “Four Round Fighter”

Analyzing his fighter’s opponent for their July 20th showdown on Pay-Per-View, Freddie Roach does not think highly of Keith Thurman’s skill set.

“I thought I was watching a four-round fighter,” Roach told BoxingScene.com of the WBA “super” welterweight champion’s January performance against Josesito Lopez, who faces Manny Pacquiao next month.

“I mean, he was terrible. He didn’t do well at all. But if you look at each of his last three fights, he’s faded in each one. I’m not sure if it’s the biceps injury or whatever they’re crying about, but he hasn’t looked good in the three fights that I’ve seen and I do have his last seven fights on tape.”

“I don’t think he’s the fighter he once was,” Roach said of Thurman who was out for 22-months following lingering injuries. “That’s why at the press conference I kept telling him we’re gonna kick his ass. Manny was being too nice. I just wanted to let him know, because he was giving it to Manny. Manny’s a nice kid and he lets that bounce off him, and sometimes I can’t.”

“He definitely has more to prove than Manny because he hasn’t looked good in a long time,. And he needs his fan base back. There was a time when he was knocking people out, like Manny Pacquiao was at one time, also. They both need to be impressive in this fight. You know, this is kind of one of those fights that they both need to win to keep going.”