Boxers are never usually short on confidence and Keith Thurman declared he would retire Manny Pacquiao during their pre-fight press conference at Gotham Hall in New York on Tuesday.
Iconic Filipino fighter Pacquiao, nicknamed ‘Pacman’, and WBA super welterweight world champion Thurman, dubbed ‘One Time’ due to his ferocious punching power, meet on July 20 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
“I believe boxing has come to a new era. Floyd (Mayweather) is gone, (Manny) Pacquiao is here. Come July 20th he will disappear, ok he will disappear,” said Florida native Thurman, 30.
“I’m doing to Manny Pacquiao what he did to Oscar De La Hoya. You can google it if you want too. Oscar De La Hoya never fought again. Alright.”
Regular WBA world champ Pacquiao, on what else he has to prove at 40-years-old, responded: “To prove is, to prove that I can still fight at the age of forty.
“I’ve been in this sport for more then two decades and no one can intimidate me.”
