Nearly three weeks after being schooled by Manny Pacquiao in their thrilling welterweight showdown in Las Vegas, Keith Thurman can?t accept the fact he lost to a better man. He thinks he earned a rematch. And he wouldn?t mind going toe-to-toe with ?Pacman? in the Philippines if it means getting a second chance to make things right, believing their fight was ?nothing more than a draw?. The 40-year-old Pacquiao surprised pundits with a split-decision victory against ?One Time? last month, but the Florida native feels he was hard done by the judges and wants revenge against the eight-times division champion after their bout at MGM Grand turned out to be a candidate for fight of the year.
?We been good. We ready for the rematch. I want a rematch,? the 30-year-old Thurman told TMZ Sports. ?He just got off to a good start and I was behind, he was a little calmer than I expected Manny Pacquiao to be. At his age he?s calming down, he?s not taking chances like a younger fighter. He?s smarter, he?s been through it all.
?I got a lot of respect for him. I still think the fight was nothing more than a draw, I don?t think he won the fight. It was helluva close. Sometimes it?s a coin toss, might be 50-50 but you gotta pick heads or tails. I?m salty, no tears. I?m not gonna cry. Why I?m gonna shed tears? I got paid.?
In many fans? eyes, Pacquiao (62-7-2, 39 KOs) was the clear winner of their clash after dominating the first eight rounds and starting off the fight with a bang by scoring a first-round knockdown. But the previously unbeaten American came back strong in the later rounds. The Philippines icon hung on till the end of the scheduled 12th round before judges scored it 115-112, 113-114 and 115-112 in favour of the Filipino.
It was the American?s first loss in 30 fights and he lost his WBA super welterweight title in the process. Thurman (29-1-0, 22 KOs) still feels he deserves a rematch to settle things once and for all.
?Why not [a rematch]? I think it?s the best fight of the year,? Thurman said. ?I might go to the Philippines, we might need to talk in person, I might have to go down there [Philippines]. Apparently the Philippines loves me, they?re big fans of Keith Thurman out there. Before they weren?t, now they?re big fans.
?They loved the fight, they loved the action ? it wasn?t the Floyd Mayweather fight, it wasn?t the Adrien Broner fight, it was a real deal championship boxing match. ?I?ll definitely be champion again, there ain?t no stopping me. I?m gonna come back deadlier because to be the champ you gotta beat the champ and if I?m not the champ that means I gotta work hard again.?
Evidently, Thurman is desperate to get his belt back and was particularly vocal in the interview. When asked whether he had a message for Pacquiao, he replied: ?Where?s the contract Pac? Sign the contract. Rematch, rematch. Any time, anywhere.?
Pacquiao is likely to brush off Thurman?s calls for a rematch, saying he has bigger fish to fry. With his third straight victory in the bag since his controversial loss to former Australian schoolteacher Jeff Horn in 2017, the fighting senator from Sarangani could end up having a rematch against American great Floyd Mayweather Jnr, with the pair adding fuel to reports that Pacquiao-Mayweather II could be in the works judging by their sparring on social media lately.
