Keith Thurman at the dais during the final press conference for his fight against Manny Pacquiao. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—Keith Thurman continued to run his mouth Wednesday during the final press conference ahead of the welterweight clash with Manny Pacquiao three days from now at MGM Grand Garden Arena here.
Thurman did acknowledge Pacquiao’s greatness but made it clear to everyone that he’s not in the main event to be nice.
“I’m not here to hug him, I’m not here to pat him on the back, I’m here to fight him,” said Thurman, the undefeated WBA (Super) welterweight champion.
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“For me, it just puts me in the fight mode when I let him know he ain’t gonna do nothing with those little T-rex arms, he’s about to get beat up, I get to punch a senator in the face and he’s gonna feel it and he’s gonna be upset about it and he can do something about it Saturday night. It’s called swing, swing, swing baby.”
Pacquiao found Thurman’s antics entertaining enough to just laugh it off.
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“For me, nothing is personal. I just have to do my job. Nothing personal with him. Our job as fighters is that you have to prove something. That’s why I’m so motivated for this fight and this training camp,” he said.
Talking is one thing, backing it up is another and Pacquiao wants Thurman to walk the talk when they meet in the ring.
“It’s easy to say but I don’t think it’s easy to do in the ring. You know me, I’ve been in the sport more than two decades and my experience will prove it,” Pacquiao said.