PACQUIAO TO TRAIN WITHOUT SPARRING PARTNER KAMBOSOS
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 17 May 2019
Kambosos (R) with Pacquiao.
Brian Mazique of Forbes.com wrote that Manny Pacquiao?s main sparring partner and Top Ten ranked WBO and IBF lightweight contender George Kambosos Jr. will not be in his training camp with the senator's upcoming unification bout with WBA super champion Keith Thurman.
* * *
Kambosos had worked with Pacquiao together with strength and conditioning coach Justin Fortune in the eight-division champion's last three fights with Adrien Broner, Lucas Matthysse and Jeff Horn.
* * *
According to Forbes.com, the 25-year-old Australian separated with Fortune this week and presently preparing for his coming fight on June 7 in Athens, Greece which will be held in Davie, Florida with his new trainer Javiel Centeno.
* * *
A date has already been set on July 20 and the location was established for the Pacquiao-Thurman fight which is Las Vegas, but still the venue has not been officially announced yet. Pacquiao?s fight last January 19 against Broner was at the MGM Grand.
* * *
According to MyBookie, Thurman is a minus-145 favorite with Pacquiao coming in at a respectable plus-115. Thurman of Clearwater, Florida is undefeated and ten years younger than the 40-year old Pacquiao.
* * *
A likely $20 million or more guaranteed purse certainly helped convince Pacquiao to fight Thurman, wrote ESPN senior writer Dan Rafael. The Pacquiao-Thurman winner most likely will face the winner of a unification fight between Errol Spence Jr. and Shawn Porter.
* * *
Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers announced that the team's leading scorer Kevin Durant will not be going with the team to Portland and will miss Games 3 and 4 of the Western conference finals against the Trail Blazers.
* * *
The former MVP suffered a calf injury during Game 5 of the conference semi-final series against the Houston Rockets. Durant missed Game 6 of that series and likewise Game 1 of the Warriors' conference finals against the Portland Trail Blazers.
* * *
June Mar Fajardo led the San Miguel Beermen in the PBA Philippine Cup finals against the Magnolia Hotshots. But according to ESPN, he only felt too much pressure in the final 4.8 seconds of Game 7, when he missed a pair of free throws that could have kissed the Beermen's All-Filipino five-peat goodbye. "Everyone stepped up. We refused to give up. And we're thankful to repeat as champions," Fajardo said.
* * *
But the Cebuano center remains hungry for more, even after winning seven titles, five MVPs, and several other individual awards with SMB. "I always tell myself I have yet to win any award or championship, [because] that's what keeps my desire burning. That's what motivates me to improve my game," he was quoted by ESPN.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Fight of the Night in Thailand: Ador Torres and Sairike Tuolewutayi Battle to a Thrilling Draw
By Carlos Costa, Wed, 11 Feb 2026Young Australian Benji Birchell Claims Title Win in Thailand
Wed, 11 Feb 2026Tickets for the Inaugural “Mike Tyson Invitational” Amateur Fight Night on Saturday, March 14, in Las Vegas Are on Sale Now
Wed, 11 Feb 20262026 USA Boxing Men's Elite High Performance Team and Squad Rosters Announced
Wed, 11 Feb 2026IIEE, SAEP shared lead, PIChE won 3rd in a row in the PTC WED NEMO Chess
By Marlon Bernardino, Wed, 11 Feb 2026The Ninth Annual Box Fan Expo RETURNS! Saturday May 2, 2026 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV
Wed, 11 Feb 2026THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 9 FEBRUARY 2026: Figueroa Stops Ball in 12; Medina Outpoints Curiel; Asanau, Unal Win in Montreal
By Eric Armit, Tue, 10 Feb 2026Paradero gets a rematch against Francisco
By Lito delos Reyes, Tue, 10 Feb 2026Carcedo wins WBA Asia South super welterweight title
By Lito delos Reyes, Tue, 10 Feb 2026Shark attack in Florida Marco “El Tiburón” Romero Making waves on Feb. 19
Tue, 10 Feb 202619-1 Albanian heavyweight Kristian Prenga returns on February 21 to Atlantic City
Tue, 10 Feb 20262026 USA Boxing Elite High Performance Women's Team and Squad Rosters Announced
Tue, 10 Feb 2026Filipino child prodigy Asher Judd Sy tops the 3rd King’s College Bangkok Chess Championship
By Marlon Bernardino, Tue, 10 Feb 2026Chaos in Liverpool: Figueroa Silences Echo Arena with 12th-Round Fireworks
By Dong Secuya, Sun, 08 Feb 2026Gabriel Santisima Stuns Unbeaten World Ranked and WBO Asia Pacific Champion Subaru Murata to Capture WBO Asia Pacific Title at Korakuen Hall, Tokyo
Sun, 08 Feb 2026