Will The Legend Of Manny Pacquiao Continue After Historic Thurman Victory?
22nd July 2019
The 40-year-old Filipino legend wrote another improbable chapter in his glittering career on Saturday, with an age-defying split decision victory over the hitherto unbeaten Keith Thurman
- Father Time may be undefeated, as the old boxing saying goes, but Manny Pacquiao is not going down without a fight
- Pacquiao, a full decade older than the 30-year-old Thurman, rolled back the years with a vintage performance that had a sold out crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena roaring in delight
- It was the Filipino's 62nd win of a 71-fight career that has spanned 24 years. Veterans at ringside described the performance as Pacquiao's best since his dazzling win over Antonio Margarito in 2010
LAS VEGAS, United States- Father Time may be undefeated, as the old boxing saying goes, but Manny
Pacquiao is not going down without a fight.
The 40-year-old
Filipino legend wrote another improbable chapter in his glittering career on
Saturday, with an age-defying split decision victory over the hitherto unbeaten
Keith Thurman.
Pacquiao, a full
decade older than the 30-year-old Thurman, rolled back the years with a vintage
performance that had a sold out crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena roaring in
delight.
It was the
Filipino's 62nd win of a 71-fight career that has spanned 24 years. Veterans at
ringside described the performance as Pacquiao's best since his dazzling win
over Antonio Margarito in 2010.
Thurman, who had
returned to boxing in January after a 22-month layoff, admitted he had not been
able to cope with Pacquiao's relentless energy.
Post-fight
statistics told the story, with Pacquiao outpunching Thurman by 686 to 571.
A weary Thurman
later said he had been chasing the fight from the moment he was sent crashing
to the canvas by a stunning combination in the first round.
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"He had a lot
of momentum from that point," Thurman said. "I ended up paying
attention to the number of rounds. By the time we got to the seventh I was like
'Damn, we're in the seventh already'."
- 'So many wars' -
Pacquiao's
experience and conditioning had proved crucial at key moments, Thurman added.
"He's been in
so many wars, he just knows what to do at the right time," he said.
"I had a good training camp but I felt like I needed a better output to go
toe to toe with Manny Pacquiao."
Thurman wasted no
time after the fight in requesting a rematch.
While fans would
happily line up for a sequel to what is a strong candidate for the fight of the
year, Pacquiao's camp were more circumspect.
Pacquiao, who paid
tribute to Thurman's "heavy hands" and punching power after the
fight, pocketed an estimated $20 million from Saturday's contest.
By recapturing a
slice of the welterweight division in such dazzling style, he has thrust
himself back into relevance.
Even more lucrative
paydays are his for the asking if he chooses to pursue them.
A unification fight
with Errol Spence Jr, the International Boxing Federation's welterweight
champion, would sell itself.
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The question of a
rematch of his 2015 "Fight of the Century" against Floyd Mayweather
also continues to linger.
Mayweather, who was
at ringside to watch Pacquiao's masterclass on Saturday, remains firmly
retired, and has not fought since his cross-combat spectacle with mixed martial
arts star Conor McGregor nearly two years ago.
- Long rest -
Leonard Ellerbe, the
chief executive of Mayweather Promotions and a close confidante, said last week
Mayweather has "zero interest" in a second Pacquiao fight. Whether
that interest could be piqued by the prospect of a gargantuan payday remains to
be seen.
Pacquiao, whose
departure from Las Vegas for the Philippines was delayed until 6pm (0100 GMT)
on Sunday as a precaution, suggested he will not fight again this year.
Long-time trainer
Freddie Roach, meanwhile, told AFP that Pacquiao's camp would take their time
before choosing their next opponent.
"Someone just
asked me 'What's next?'," Roach said. "Well, you know what? We don't
need to think about what's next for a while.
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"Manny can go
away and rest and we'll think about it later on. We need to see what's out
there."
Roach acknowledged
however that he thinks a Mayweather sequel is unlikely to happen.
"I can't see
it," Roach said. "Floyd's retired and his people say there is no
interest. But there will be other options."
Roach, his usual
calming presence in Pacquiao's corner, was left reflecting on his fighter's
astounding energy levels.
"Manny never
gets tired in the gym, but he got tired in the middle rounds tonight,"
Roach told AFP. "I was keeping a close eye on it. But Manny is so fit he
got through it and finished strong.
"I think he
showed tonight that there's plenty of boxing left in him, even if he is in his
40s."