by Nick Giongco
LOS ANGELES – Manny Pacquiao is a senator and a boxer but the Filipino legend will be someone else come fight night on July 20 in Las Vegas.
Against Keith Thurman at the MGM Grand late next week, Pacquiao will be a teacher.
“I am going to teach him a lesson,” said Pacquiao with a smirk on Thursday as he was getting himself ready to train at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood.
With former Los Angeles Times sports editor Bill Dwyre conducting an interview alongside a Manila-based scribe, Pacquiao was obviously slighted by Thurman’s acerbic tongue.
Ever since they ran into each other during the press tour last May, Thurman has become obsessed with dissing Pacquiao.
“He talks a lot,” said Pacquiao while watching a clip of Thurman ranting like Muhammad Ali during his open media workout in Tampa Bay, Florida.
Pacquiao wonders why he doesn’t seem to send shivers down Thurman’s spine.
“Does he really know who he will be up against?” asked Pacquiao, looking a bit confused.
“Does he know who’s he fighting next week? He sounds as if he’s just fighting a nobody.”
Next week, Thurman, Pacquiao feels, will come to the realization that he picked the wrong guy to mess with.
Everyone who’s been in and out of the gym swear to the high heavens that Thurman is in for a rough night.
Meanwhile, Pacquiao continues to refrain from issuing bold statements in an attempt to match Thurman’s penchant for the outrageous and insane.
Instead of his mouth, it’s going to be those furious fists of Pacquiao that will do most of the talking.
