Welterweight champ Keith Thurman calls out Pacquiao
In this file photo, Keith Thurman celebrates his split decision win against Danny Garcia after their WBA/WBC Welterweight unification Championship bout at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. AP
Manny Pacquiao may have settled with fighting Australian welterweight Jeff Horn in July, but there’s still a lot of fighters who want to get a crack at the eight-division world champion.
Add Keith Thurman to that list.
The WBC and WBA welterweight champion has signified his intention to box with Pacquiao in the near future, adding that he’s willing to work around the Filipino prizefighter’s hectic schedule.
In an interview with TMZ Sports, Thurman’s goal is to be considered as the top boxer in the 147-pound weight class.
“I think it’s kind of ironic. You know what I mean?,” he said. “I’m the only welterweight in the world that holds two world titles, and he’s still ranked above me. So at the end of the day, we want that Pac-Man fight.”
He continued: “Let’s get that work, man. I would love to negotiate that fight. Shoot, he can pick the date. He can pick anything he wants because I’m ready to put hands on him and show the world who Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman truly is. I want the best fighters that the world has to offer right now at 147, hands down. We ain’t worried about nobody out there. We’re ready to do this work, man.”
Pacquiao (59-6-2, 38 KOs) will defend his WBO welterweight crown against Horn (16-0-1, 11 KOs) on July 2 in Brisbane, Australia, before signing up for another possible fight to be scheduled in November.
The 28-year-old Thurman (28-0, 22 KOs, 1 NC) definitely wants to be in that ticket, but he would need to stop the winner of the bout between IBF champion Kell Brook (36-1, 25 KOs) and mandatory challenger Errol Spence Jr. (21-0, 18 KOs) on May 27 to earn the right to be named as the world’s top welterweight.
If things don’t pan out, the Clearwater, Florida native shared that he’s open for a possible rematch against Danny Garcia (33-1, 19 KOs). Thurman won the title unification fight in a 12-round split decision last March 4 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
“It’s easy to negotiate, man,” he said. “Just negotiate. Start talking, act like you really want it and we can make it happen. I did it one time, I’ll do it two times. I ain’t worried about him.”
