Manny Pacquiao doesn?t think his fight against Keith ?One Time? Thurman will last 12 rounds and he wants a ?quick? result because he needs to fly back to the Philippines immediately after the clash to resume duties as a senator. Pacquiao (61-7-2, 39 KOs) was in good form as he met the media on Wednesday ahead of his eagerly anticipated welterweight showdown against the unbeaten American (29-0-0, 22 KOs) and the 40-year-old senator from Sarangani was confident he would complete the job within 12 rounds at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on July 20. ?I have to go back right away [to the Philippines] after the fight because I have work in the senate,? he told Fight Hub TV.
Asked whether he would want to finish the fight quickly, the eight-time division champion laughed and said: ?We?ll do our best.? Pacquiao also feels he?s a better fighter now than five years ago when he fought the likes of Chris Algieri and Timothy Bradley Jnr, who were both defeated by the reigning WBA (regular) welterweight world champion, by unanimous decision.
?I did my [own] analyst for this fight and there?s a big percentage that says that this fight will not last 12 rounds. That?s a big percentage. I?m not predicting the fight but that?s my analysis for the fight. The way he talks that he wants to go toe-to-toe with me, we?ll see,? said the Filipino in Los Angeles, where he is based for his final tune-up before the showdown.
The Philippines icon said Thurman?s recent trash talk ? the Florida native threatened to ?crucify? Pacquiao recently among other trash talk that was out of line ? motivated the boxing legend to prove that he?s not the finished article at 40. ?That gives me more motivation. I?m not angry [about Thurman?s comments] but I?m motivated for this fight.?
Pacquiao said Thurman?s style reminded him of former foe, Miguel Cotto, who ?likes to fight toe-to-toe?. Pacquiao defeated Cotto in November 2009 by 12th-round TKO. The Filipino great said the 10-year age difference between him and 30-year-old Thurman ?wouldn?t really matter in the end?.
?They think at the age of 40 you?re slowing down but the way you have seen my training, the way I am training hard, the way I work hard at this age, I might not look 40. I?m excited, I love exercise. Even when I am not fighting, I continue my exercise. I play basketball for five to five hours a day,? said Pacquiao. The fighting senator said the hardest part of training at age 40 was to have sufficient rest to recover from his gruelling workouts.
?That?s the hardest part. You want to push your body but your body says oh, you need to recover first. You need time to give your body recovery. In fact, the coaching staff want me to limit the rounds [sparring] and they want to limit my training,? said Pacquiao.
?I?m more experienced. I learned a lot[during the past five years] especially about body recovery, training preparation for the fight and I?m better now than five years ago,? he insisted.
?Working hard and punishing yourself is the most important thing in boxing,? he told Manouk Akopyan on his YouTube channel ?Even if you?re so good a boxer and if you?re not working out and training, other boxers will overpower you. I have the drive to punish myself through hard work. That?s the key,? the Filipino boxer said.
