THURMAN IS CONFIDENT OF DEFEATING PACQUIAO BUT ELLERBE WARNS HIM
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 22 Jun 2019
WBA super world welterweight champion Thurman respected WBA regular welterweight champ Manny Pacquiao including what he has achieved as an eight-division and eleven-time world champion. But the 30-year-old American is oozing with confidence that he will come out the winner in the biggest fight of his boxing career.
In his interview with The Fight Guys, Thurman revealed that he has been targeting a fight with Pacquiao for six years. Even if the senator has a legendary boxing career and is a sure Hall-of-Fame awardee, "One Time" has no doubt that he will defeat one of the greatest boxers in history.
Thurman says he could not be complacent against Pacquiao who is ten years older. Several profitable fights await the winner. There is a coming IBF champion Errol Spence Jr. and WBC champion Shawn Porter welterweight unification bout. The winner of the Pacquiao-Thurman match will likely face the winner of the Spence- Porter unifier.
"Pacquiao wants a challenge, and I'm very grateful to be sharing a ring with a legend," Thurman said at the press conference. "If you understand boxing history, you know that times change. I believe boxing is in a new era. Come July 20, Pacquiao will disappear. He'll always be remembered in the sport, but I'm doing to Manny Pacquiao, what he did to Oscar De La Hoya."
Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe gave a warning to Thurman that it is easier to defeat Pacquiao in words than in deeds.
?Keith is starting out in the fight talking lots of trash so he's got to live up to that word,? Ellerbe told Fighthype.com. ?That fight will be a barnburner. "
An ageing Pacquiao looked very impressive in his last two victories against Lucas Matthysse and Adrien Broner. But Thurman was less spectacular in his last two fights against Danny Garcia and Josesito Lopez.
?My message to Keith, I can tell you firsthand: it?s a little different how it looks when you first get up in there,? said Ellerbe, a confidante of Floyd Mayweather Jr. "It looks totally different until you get up in there.?
?But he's fighting a straight dog in Manny Pacquiao who's at 40 years old. To even be having a conversation that can a 40-year old beat a 30-year old, that tells you what kind of level or respect that the fans have for Manny Pacquiao and the accomplishments that he has,? he added.
* * *
Pascal Siakam is a Cameroonian playing for the Toronto Raptors in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected by Toronto in the first round of the 2016 NBA draft as the 27th overall pick.
Siakam was born in Douala, Cameroon to Tchamo and Victorie Siakam, being the youngest of four brothers. Siakam's father was employed at a transit company and was once the mayor of Mak?n?n?.
On October 26, 2016, Siakam became the first Raptors rookie to start a season opening game since Jonas Valančiūnas in 2012. He then delivered, grabbing nine rebounds and contributing four points in 21 minutes, winning 109?91 over the Detroit Pistons. It was Siakam's NBA debut and the first NBA game he had ever seen personally.
This season, Siakam helped the Raptors entered the NBA Finals for the first time in their franchise history. In Game 1, Siakam scored a playoff career high of 32 points and they won over defending champion Golden State Warriors, 118?109.
He was a great asset to the Raptors in defeating the Warriors in six games to win their first NBA championship and the first NBA title for a team from Canada.
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