HINDI magkakampante si WBA welterweight “regular” champion Manny Pacquiao sa unification bout sa Amerikanong si WBA 147 pounds “super” champion Keith Thurman sa Hulyo 20 sa Fox Sports Pay-Per-View sa Las Vegas, Nevada.

Umasa ang kanang kamay ni Pacquiao na Amerikano ring si International matchmaker Sean Gibbons na isang agresibo at malakas na Thurman ang makakaharap ng Pinoy boxer.

“Adrian Broner was a window dressing. It was a fight to get warm up and now it is time to step up. Floyd Mayweather said he was retired, so the senator is picking up the next best guy available and that’s Keith Thurman,” sabi ni Gibbons sa BoxingScene.com. “At his point of his career, I think the senator is absolutely taking one of the biggest challenges in his career for the last few years. He is fighting an undefeated super champion in Keith Thurman who defeated three former world champions — Robert Guerrero, Danny Garcia and Shawn Porter.”

“I applaud the senator for taking on challenges like this, but these are the fights in America, in the Philippines, and the world that give people the excitement,” dagdag ni Gibbons. “After signing with Al Haymon and the PBC, Pacquiao has a clear play and has a mission to fight the best and that’s where we at. At 40, the senator earlier had a huge smile on his face when he saw the Tom Brady result and then when he saw Tiger Woods coming back after all those problems at 43. He feels like he is in 20s now.”

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-Gilbert Espeña