THURMAN SAYS HE WILL WIN IN LESS THAN SIX ROUNDS, PACQUIAO STILL HAS SOMETHING TO PROVE
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 13 Jul 2019
Pacquiao does the mitts Buboy Fernandez in Los Angeles Thursday.
WBA "Super" welterweight champion Keith Thurman forecasted the outcome of his fight with WBA "regular, champion Manny Pacquiao, but did not mention any specific round he's going to stop the eight division world champion as told to Boxing Scene. ?My prediction?,? Thurman stated during the presser. ?Less than six rounds. I would love to be 30-0, with 23 knockouts. We?ve got 22 and we?ve held those 22 knockouts for a little too long. It?s time to get one more knockout.?
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The undefeated American said he can always entertain his audience like Pacquiao. ?It doesn?t matter who it is, when Keith Thurman fought Shawn Porter, it was nominated fight of the year. When Keith Thurman fought Danny Garcia, the fans had a tremendous show,? said Thurman per RingTV. "Keith Thurman fights Manny Pacquiao, or Keith Thurman fights Errol Spence, or Keith Thurman fights Bud Crawford, I think Keith Thurman is the new Manny Pacquiao.?
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Pacquiao clarified that there are a lot of people who doubted his abilities at age 40. "I feel I have something to prove, I still feel hungry, I still enjoy training, boxing, I'm still giving my best," Pacquiao said to ESPN Deportes. "The reality is that I have not noticed my age, God has blessed me with good health, I could continue fighting," Pacquiao said. He feels more experienced and his style has not changed, but his timing, his intelligence, his foot movements, and everything is better according to the former world number one pound-for-pound fighter.
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The fighting senator said that this is going to be an interesting fight, and he has not so focused for a fight like what he is right now. He added that Thurman?s trash talk even made his mother Dionesia angry, that's why he is very motivated and focused to come out victorious. "And believe me, this is a very interesting fight for me, because it?s been a long time that I?ve never focused like this in my fight," added the Filipino icon.
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?We?re going home early on fight night,? chief trainer, Buboy Fernandez told Philippine Daily Inquirer. "If a 7.1-[magnitude] earthquake rocked LA, then we?ll bring the earthquake to Las Vegas, but a 10.5 magnitude,? he said. But he warned that they should watch out for Thurman?s powerful blow, saying he can throw a knockout punch.
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Amir Khan wants to fight Pacquiao and said there are several investors in Saudi Arabia, and people in their government, who want to make Pacquiao vs. Khan happen in their land. ?[Me and Pacquiao] did talk about it, that we?ll fight each other one day,? Khan said. ?And it will happen - maybe it will happen next. It just depends on how he does in his next fight and how I do in mine.," Khan was quoted by Boxing Scene.
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According to Khan: "Manny and me are friends, but it?s a business and if we?re going to go into the ring and fight one another we?d obviously take it seriously." Khan added that it?s all up to the top guys in the Middle East countries, if Dubai wanted it, and if Saudi wanted it. He considered it a big fight internationally that it could happen anywhere: America, England, Dubai, Saudi Arabia.
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Just one day after formally trading Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers for several draft picks, the Oklahoma City Thunder have reportedly dealt 2017 NBA MVP Russell Westbrook to the Houston Rockets. Westbrook would be reunited with his former OKC Thunder teammate James Harden, the 2018 NBA MVP. In exchange, Chris Paul and a lot of first-round picks will be swapped to Oklahoma City, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The picks traded are first-rounders in 2024 and 2026, together with pick swaps in 2021 and 2025.
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Westbrook is the NBA Most Valuable Player (2017), eight time NBA All-Star (2011?2013, 2015?2019), twice NBA All-Star Game MVP (2015, 2016), twice All-NBA First Team (2016, 2017), twice NBA scoring champion (2015, 2017) and twice NBA assists leader (2018, 2019).
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In 2017, the year he became league MVP, Westbrook became one of only two players in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season, the other being Oscar Robertson in 1962. He also established a record for the most triple-doubles in one season, with 42. He continued to average triple-double the following two seasons, while leading the league in assists and becoming the first player to lead the NBA in points and assists in several seasons.
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