Manny Pacquiao’s trainer says Keith Thurman is ‘slower than Heinz ketchup’
- ‘I’m faster than him – I’m going to teach him,’ Filipino boxing icon vows ahead of Las Vegas fight against unbeaten American
- ‘Manny is moving around the ring with the same speed he had when he was just a seven-division world champion,’ says Hall of Fame trainer Roach
Keith Thurman may question whether Manny Pacquiao has still got the same zip around the boxing ring at 40 years old – but the Filipino icon’s trainer Freddie Roach has no doubts.
Pacquiao faces unbeaten American Thurman, 30, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on July 20, and up until this week was the betting underdog for the first time since his fight against Floyd Mayweather in 2015.
“Manny is so unbelievably fast. He’s 40 years old and moving around the ring with the same speed he had when he was just a seven-division world champion,” Roach said in a press release. “Manny has Keith Thurman’s number. Thurman is slower than Heinz ketchup. Manny is going to beat him 57 ways on July 20.
Pacquiao (61-7-2, 39 KOs) has now put two weeks of rigorous training at Roach’s Wild Card Boxing Club under his belt ahead of his challenge against WBA welterweight super champion Thurman (29-0, 22 KOs).
It is Pacquiao’s third title fight in 12 months, and he’s been preparing with daily morning runs of three to five miles, followed by one thousand sit-ups and assorted drills. He then does 10 rounds of sparring at the gym, 10-12 rounds of mitts with Roach and Buboy Fernandez, heavy bag and speed bag work, and then another 1,000 sit-ups.