Reigning World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight regular champion Manny Pacquiao will be taking the risk of fighting an undefeated American WBA welterweight super titleholder Keith Thurman on July 20 in a still undetermined venue in Las Vegas, Nevada.
International matchmaker and Pacquiao?s right hand man Sean Gibbons praised the fighting senator on Monday for choosing the best available and most competitive fighter after the unavailability of the retired unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr.
?Adrian Broner was a window dressing. It was a fight to get warm up and now it is time to step up. Floyd Mayweather said he was retired, so the senator is picking up the next best guy available and that?s Keith Thurman,? Gibbons told The Manila Times from General Santos City.
Gibbons said the fight against Thurman (29-0 win-loss record with 22 knockouts) is absolutely no joke.
The 30-year-old Clearwater, Florida native has already defeated big welterweight names like Robert Guerrero, Danny Garcia and Shawn Porter in previous bouts.
?At his point of his career, I think the senator is absolutely taking one of the biggest challenges in his career for the last few years. He is fighting an undefeated super champion in Keith Thurman who defeated three former world champions ? Robert Guerrero, Danny Garcia and Shawn Porter.?
?I applaud the senator for taking on challenges like this, but these are the fights in America, in the Philippines, and the world that give people the excitement. After signing with Al Haymon and the PBC, Pacquiao has a clear play and has a mission to fight the best and that?s where we at,? he added.
