‘Professor’ Pacquiao vows to teach Thurman a lesson
MANILA - Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao said Friday he plans to teach WBA welterweight champion Keith Thurman a painful lesson when they face off in Las Vegas on Saturday.
"I want to teach him, like a professor," 40-year-old Pacquiao, who is 10 years Thurman's senior, told Fox Business on Friday.
Pacquiao said he was in better shape now than when he faced Adrien Broner in January in a fight the Filipino won by unanimous decision.
40 is the new 20: Pacquiao outpoints Adrien Broner to remain world champ
"I am so prepared for this fight," he told a supportive crowd at Friday's weigh-in, where both fighters tipped the scales at 146.5 pounds.
"This was one of the best training camps that we've had and the best conditioning. So it's all set for tomorrow," said Pacquiao, the only 8-division world champion in the history of the sport.
Undefeated American Thurman (29-0-1) looked anything but intimidated by the Hall of Famer ahead of the biggest fight of his career.
"It is my time," said the former unified welterweight world champion, who has held the WBA title since 2015.
"I will still be champion tomorrow night. Manny Pacquiao ain't doing nothing to me baby!"
The fighters will meet at the MGM Grand with the "PacMan" favored to take the title from "One Time" Thurman.
Pacquiao: Thurman will be tough but I know I’ll win
Forty years old and already in the twilight of his career, yet Manny Pacquiao has decided to take on a challenging fighter in Keith Thurman.
He knows the brash American owns a mean overhand right and is 10 years younger than him, but Pacquiao’s instincts tell him he’ll be able to find ways to crack Thurman.
“I like the fight because it’s a challenge for me, but I know I’m going to win,” Pacquiao said in an article posted on BoxingScene.com.
He said the secret to his longevity has always been his work ethic.
“I just focus on discipline and work hard,” said Pacquiao. “Don’t think about anything else but the training. Boxing is all about focusing and working hard. Nothing else.”
They said when training is hard the fight would be easy and Pacquiao agrees.
“If you’re thinking about anything except preparation and training and your workout, you’ll forget about boxing. Boxing is about how you punish yourself,” he said.