Keith Thurman works out for members of the media ahead of his fight against Manny Pacquiao on July 20th at St Pete Boxing Club on July 10, 2019 in St Petersburg, Florida. Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images/AFP
HOLLYWOOD—Keith Thurman has been studying Manny Pacquiao thoroughly to know that he can’t fall into a trap of being a standing target to the Filipino offensive machine.
Thurman doesn’t plan on being buried under Pacquiao’s avalanche of punches when they square off in the ring on July 21 (Manila time) in their welterweight unification title fight at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
In a media conference call, Thurman said he is wary of Pacquiao’s relentlessness and he aims to counter that by moving more inside the ring.
“Watching the tape and just knowing Pacquiao, he is a guy who will produce numbers as long as you let him. Movement can always make it difficult for a fighter like Pacquiao to put out the output that they might want to put out or an output that they’re used to putting out,” the unbeaten American said as posted on Philboxing.com.
“But movement can also neglect the activity of an overall fight. I just know how boxing works. If I ever feel like he’s getting off a little too much maybe I will increase some of my movement.”
Pacquiao, who is out to make a strong statement at 40, is also known for his stamina and high work rate, but Thurman feels he has a way how to slow down the eight-division champion.
“At the same time, his conditioning is always great. But when I look back at films there’s not a lot of people that go to Manny Pacquiao’s body. I don’t know if that’s because of his small, short size. I don’t know if it’s difficult.”