‘All Time’ Manny Pacquiao will humble ‘One Time’ Keith Thurman, trainer warns
- Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach thinks ‘many writers’ are backing the wrong fighter for Las Vegas showdown
- Pacquiao’s long-time coach says his protégé has pushed himself to the limit in training camp
Freddie Roach has warned that Keith Thurman is likely to “eat humble pie” when his protégé, Manny Pacquiao, takes care of his latest opponent in Saturday’s welterweight showdown in Las Vegas.
The Hall of Fame coach is somewhat surprised that fans and many sports journalists are picking the 30-year-old unbeaten American to defeat the Philippines icon for Thurman’s WBA super welterweight title at the MGM Grand – even though Pacquiao is bookmakers’ odds-on favourite.
Few people know the eight-division world champion Pacquiao better than Roach and the 59-year-old made his feelings known as the fighting senator from Sarangani wound down his training in Los Angeles before heading for the bright lights of Vegas to begin final preparations for the year’s biggest bout.
“Thurman may be 10 years younger, but Manny still has extraordinary talent and an era’s worth of experience against Hall of Fame opposition,” said Roach.
“The betting action on this fight reflects that. I have done a lot of interviews. All the media seem to be picking Thurman to win. They consider this a battle between Generation X and Generation Geritol. But we’re talking about Manny Pacquiao. He pushed himself to the limit in this training camp. Youth will be served a big slice of humble pie on Saturday night.”
Roach added: “It will be One Time versus All Time.”
Pacquiao has spent a month in Los Angeles, running the hills and blasting the mitts at Roach’s Wild Card gym in Hollywood, and the 40-year-old prize fighter (61-7-2, 39 KOs) is confident he will overcome Thurman (29-0-0, 22 KOs) in “Pacman’s” third world title fight inside 12 months.
The hugely popular Filipino, whose training in Los Angeles attracted hundreds of fans daily, promised to “school” Thurman when they touch gloves.
“Keith Thurman has it easy. His only job is to train for this fight. I have three jobs. I am a fighter. I am a public servant. And on Saturday, I am going to be Keith Thurman’s teacher,” said Pacquiao.
“I have heard everything he has said about me. I have heard everything he has said he will do to me in the fight. Those things he says about me do not make me angry. They inspire me. This has been the best training camp I have had in years.
“Keith Thurman thinks he is going to retire me. I am not ready to look back. I am still looking forward. Keith Thurman is going to be very surprised by what he sees from me in the ring. He is going to leave the ring a very disappointed fighter.”
So focused is Pacquiao on winning his fight against Thurman, he criticised his former foe, Floyd Mayweather Jnr, saying he wasn’t looking to fight the American superstar again.
Asked whether he was still holding out hope that he might get a rematch against Mayweather after their mega-fight of 2015, which “Money” won by unanimous decision, Pacquiao shrugged his shoulders and said: “I don’ know. I’m still active and he’s retired so I think [there’s] no need to bother him, right? Let him enjoy his retirement.”
