Muling itataya ni 8 division champion Manny Pacquiao ang kanyang lakas kontra Keith Thurman para sa WBC welterweight crown sa Hulyo 20 sa MGM Grand sa Las Vegas. Ang salpukan ay nakabalandra sa Fox Sports Pay-Per-View card.
Lumapag kamakalawa si Pacquiao kasama ang Team Pacquiao sa Los Angeles, kung saan nasa training mode ang Pambansang Kamao para sa nalalapit na bakbakan nila ni Pacquiao kay Thurman.
Sinabi ni conditioning coach Justin Fortune na pinepeste ni Keith Thurman si Pacquiao, at puntirya ni Pacquiao na i-knockout ang Kano.
Tinalakay din ng trainer ang magsisilbing diskarte ni Pacquiao diretso sa kanyang aktuwal na laban.
Ipamamalas ko kay Thurman kung paano niya ako haharapin - Pacquiao
Fortune sa pagkokondisyon kay Pacquiao:
“He’s good. He just did a hill run, it was good...he’s a bit jet-lagged but we trained the last three or four weeks in the Philippines so we trained for this, so his conditioning will be very, very good.”
Sa kanyang pag analisa tungkol sa training clips ni Thurman , pag-umbag sa heavybag:
“So what? ‘Cause the bag doesn’t punch back. So everyone looks good on the bag, everyone looks good on mitts.
“Listen, Thurman’s a dangerous guy. He’s a world champion so he’s not to be taken lightly and Pacquiao never takes anybody lightly. We never do because when you fight Manny you fight 10-times better.”
Sa kanyang palagay na pag tinamaan si Thurman ng lakas ni Pacquiao:
“Yeah. They all do. They all do. Listen, Thurman can’t stay in the pocket with Manny — he’s too fast, he’s too strong. So logically, or fight-wise, if he wants to win this fight, he has to try to box him. We plan for both, so...”
Ekstrang motibasyon ni Pacquiao sa atungal ni Thurman na magretiro na siya:
“Yeah, he said some pretty silly stuff. I don’t know why but it is what it is. Yeah, he pissed off Pacquiao. We like it though because he pissed off Manny, it’s better for us. I haven’t seen him this upset for a long time. So he’s not happy, he really wants to knock Thurman out. He said it a couple times...Great, that’s great for us. That’s what you want, ‘cause that sort of Pacquiao is the Pacquiao of old. (Louis Pangilinan)