LAS VEGAS – Manny Pacquiao, boxing’s only eight-division world champion and a living legend, will look to turn back the clock again at age 40 when he steps into the ring Saturday night with the powerful and unbeaten Keith “One Time” Thurman for Thurman’s WBA (Super) welterweight title under the bright lights of the MGM Grand Garden Arena on pay-per-view.
Pacquiao’s career has experienced a spectacular resurrection after back-to-back impressive outings against Lucas Matthysse and Adrien Broner. The Filipino senator will have his third fight in just over a year and easily his most challenging test since Floyd Mayweather Jr. as he looks to climb back into the esteemed pound-for-pound rankings.
Across from him will be Thurman (29-0, 22 KOs, one no-contest), the former unified welterweight champion who will look to end Pacquiao’s career and remarkable comeback story. Turning back the challenge of Pacquiao (61-7-2, 39 KOs) would be the biggest victory of Thurman’s career, one that would catapult him back into the pound-for-pound conversation and, perhaps more importantly, the mainstream.
Both fighters will enter the ring with a ton of questions about them. Can Pacquiao really be one of the best in the world at 40? How will Thurman look after being hurt badly by journeyman Josesito Lopez in his last outing, which was Thurman’s first after a nearly two-year layoff? Who wants it more?
We will soon find out.
Also, in the Fox PBC Fight Night main event, Caleb Plant will put his IBF super middleweight title on the line against Mike Lee in a showdown that has developed some serious bad blood. Plant (18-0, 10 KOs) claimed the title with a brilliant performance against Jose Uzcategui earlier this year. Lee (21-0, 11 KOs) is a face you may have seen in a Subway commercial, but the 32-year-old from Illinois is out to prove that he’s not just another opponent and can snatch the title from Plant.
