No Mr. Nice guy: Buboy confident ruthless Pacquiao will show up vs Thurman

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Manny Pacquiao won’t be Mr. Nice Guy against Keith Thurman, as far as his trainer and childhood friend Buboy Fernandez is concerned.

Pacquiao seemed to have lost his killer’s instinct in the latter part of his career but Fernandez expects the eight-division champion to revert back to his merciless ways and put the trash-talking Thurman in his place in their welterweight title unification bout on July 21 (Manila time) in Las Vegas.

“Tama na yung sobrang bait tayo. Ang pinaguusapan dito yung career mo atsaka yung reputasyon mo sa tao, paano ka nirerespeto ng tao. Turuan mo si Thurman kung paano ka niya respetuhin,” Fernandez told reports Friday.

(We’ve been nice for too long. What’s at stake here is your career, your reputation and how you’re going to be respected by people. You need to show Thurman that he has to respect you.)

Thurman, who is 10 years younger at 30, has been talking a lot of smack, saying that he will send Pacquiao into retirement and even speaking about his intention to “crucify” the Filipino legend inside the ring, a remark that irked the senator as he plans to make the undefeated American eat his words come fight night.

Fernandez said talking trash is Thurman’s way of dealing with his anxiety ahead of the fight.

“Ganoon yan kapag kinakabahan. Di ba kapag kinakabahan kang mamalengke, natataranta ka humingi ng discount sa palengke,” Fernandez said. “Pero gagawin natin lahat, wag lang mag-kumpiyansa.”

(That’s how fighters are when they’re nervous. Like when you’re in trying to shop in the market and you get nervous, you panic when you haggle. But we’ll do everything. We just can’t be complacent.)