MORALES AND HATTON PICKS PACQUIAO WHILE BRADLEY PREDICTS THURMAN TO WIN
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 08 Jul 2019
Three of Manny Pacquiao's former foes predicted the outcome of the Paquiao-Thurman WBA welterweight unification match. These predictions were uploaded by FightHype.com. In the said video, Ricky Hatton chose Pacquiao as the winner, while Timothy Bradley favored Thurman to beat the senator.
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Hatton said he thinks that Pacquiao possibly may no longer be ?the same force he was a few years,? but was still winning his fights and the British former world champion believes that his former tormentor could still come out victorious even if he is 40. Hatton hopes though that Pacquiao should know when the proper time to retire.
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Bradley says Thurman is lucky because not too many fighters are given the chance to fight a boxing legend like Pacquiao. Bradley picked Thurman to win the fight because the American WBA Super welterweight champ is "smart and knows how to beat Pacquiao." Bradley clarifies that even if Thurman defeats the Filipino icon, what he's going to beat is "a 40-year-old boxer and not the prime Pacquiao."
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Morales was able to beat Pacquiao during his prime, in their first fight, one of the few fighters to do so. Morales has already predicted that Pacquiao will be able to KO Thurman in Round 10. Boxing legend turned Mexican Congressman ?El Terrible? Morales dropped by Los Angeles to meet Senator Pacquiao last week. Pacquiao posted a photo on Instagram with the caption: ?Great to see my good friend Erik Morales. #MoralesPacquiao4 This guy was a warrior in the ring.?
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Head trainer Buboy Fernandez says his boxer is ready to do a lot of damage to Thurman on their July 20 encounter. The fighting senator reportedly does not like the way his foe bad mouthed him. The undefeated champ said Manny should just concentrate on playing basketball. "I just believe the hourglass is almost finished,? Thurman told BoxingScene.com, ?He doesn?t have much left, go play basketball Manny! You say you like to play basketball every day. Go shoot hoops with the guys, man!?
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?Manny rarely badmouths an opponent, but he refers to Thurman as a braggart and arrogant," Buboy was quoted by Rappler. Buboy commented that he has not seen Pacquiao got so irritated since 2006, when the Filipino dropped Morales three times before the fight was stopped in the third round. "If he wants to run him over, then I?ll let him do it. We?ll do everything, but with caution," warns Fernandez.
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Thurman has to do a lot of bragging and again belittled Pacquiao?s age. He felt insulted when suddenly he became the underdog in Las Vegas? betting odds with Pacquiao now the -115 favorite (bet $115 to win $100) while Thurman is now at -105. "This is my fight, he?s fighting for my belt and yet the world has forgot. So I wanted to stab him a little bit, hit him where it hurts,? said Thurman.
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Kawhi Leonard joins the Los Angeles Clippers on a four-year $142 million deal. The Los Angeles-born Leonard?s choice of the Clippers was not really surprising since the team was one of the rumored potential destinations including Los Angeles Lakers and his old team the Toronto Raptors. It was reported that Leonard was lured by Paul George's joining the Clippers via a trade from Oklahoma City Thunder.
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After signing Leonard and trading for George, the L.A. Clippers are now the new favorites to win the 2019-20 NBA title, per the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook betting odds at 3/1. Last June, the Lakers overtook the Milwaukee Bucks as favorites for the title when they acquired Anthony Davis. The Lakers are now third at 5/1 behind the second running Bucks at 9/2. Philadelphia 76rs are fourth at 8/1 while Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets are tied at fifth with 12/1.
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Leonard played two seasons for the San Diego State Aztecs in college and was a consensus second-team All-American as a sophomore. The Indiana Pacers chose him with the 15th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft but traded him to the San Antonio Spurs on the same day. Kawhi was twice an NBA champion (2014, 2019), twice an NBA Finals MVP (2014, 2019), thrice an NBA All-Star (2016, 2017, 2019), twice an All-NBA First Team (2016, 2017), an All-NBA Second Team (2019), twice an NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2015, 2016) and an NBA steals leader (2015).
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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