Keith Thurman Needled and Jabbed in PBC on Fox Segment
One of the more admirable traits of the Premier Boxing Champions is their dedication to employing both active and retired fighters. Over the years, the PBC has routinely utilized these fighters both in front of, and behind the camera. Having this knowledgeable staff helps in terms of authenticity and has often lead to many fun and intriguing moments.
This was the case when WBA welterweight champion Keith “One Time” Thurman recently appeared on a YouTube PBC on Fox segment. The eight-minute feature served as a device to hype up Thurman’s July 20 pay-per-view bout with Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao. It began with a promo video, then bled into a brief interview. The hosts presenting the inquiries were Kate Abo, Abner Mares and WBC welterweight world champion Shawn “Showtime” Porter.
Thurman on Pacquiao
To begin, “One Time” explained how he thought that Pacquiao was essentially no longer hungry. He added that he is past his prime and utilized a ‘basic’ style that he could easily exploit. In many ways, it could be said that Thurman was making himself look poorly. Instead of hyping the “PacMan” up, and acknowledging him as a threat, the jovial Floridian insisted that he was basically there for the taking.
At one point, Thurman flat-out said he meant to prove that Pacquiao was “no longer a top welterweight”. This was a bad look because a number of the top welterweights have been calling him out and accusing Thurman of holding his belt hostage. This decorated list of would-be opponents includes Terence Crawford, Errol Spence Jr, and one of the panel hosts, Shawn Porter.
“Showtime” and “One Time” fought a gritty, action packed battle in the Barclays Center back in June of 2016. Thurman walked away with the unanimous decision win. However, that bout remains a highly debated decision and Porter has never stopped calling for a rematch. Therefore it’s no surprise that it was Porter who asked the first stinging question.
After claiming that Manny was past his best and ready for the plucking, “Showtime” asked if it bothered Thurman that he was still the B-side of the fight. While good-natured, the two engaged in a testy, yet factual back and forth regarding who truly was the A-side. It made for a fun time. In the end, “One Time” had to concede that “PacMan” was the ‘anchor’ supporting their upcoming PPV battle.
Lingering Questions
Since returning to the ring and facing Josesito Lopez, Keith Thurman has all but been drowned in questions about when he will fight the other top, in prime welterweights. In particular, the fans want to see him face off with Errol Spence Jr. Fans have requested this bout since at least 2015. While it’s clear that Thurman is past sick of answering these questions, it’s also obvious the public and press will not stop asking them.
If successful on the July 20 date, it will be very interesting to see who Keith Thurman chooses to fight next.
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By: Bakari Simpson
