Manny Pacquiao is not looking past Keith Thurman.
But if you ask his physical fitness coach, Justin Fortune, the 40-year-old megastar is capable of barreling through his talkative opponent, picking up another fight by December, and winning a fourth Fighter of the Year award.
Fortune and head trainer Buboy Fernandez said Pacquiao is already 90 percent in shape for the July 21 battle for the WBA welterweight belt at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
That despite the pronouncement of the 30-year-old Thurman that he will send Pacquiao into retirement.
Speaking at the fight primer by Premier Boxing Champions on Fox, Thurman had the audacity to ask Pacquiao: “Have you made retirement plans? Have you made vacation plans or something?”
The Philippine senator, who is the only eight-division champ in all of boxing, replied: “I’m not a talker, I let my action do the talking.’
Obviously, Pacquiao, who has won 60 fights (including 39 by knockout), lost seven and drew twice, refused to engage in a war of words.
Instead he allowed Thurman “to sell the fight.”
Boxing’s biggest megabuck draw despite his age, Pacquiao has been training twice-a-day in Los Angeles, including jogging on the hills to Griffith Observatory and sparring at Wild Card under the watch of Freddie Roach.
When he’s not busy trash-talking, Thurman, unbeaten in 29 fights with 22 stoppages, also trains in St. Petersburg, Florida, his home state.
“As soon as I hit him one time, I’m pretty sure I’m gonna hit that respect button real quick,” Thurman said on his latest Instagram post.