Boxing's only 8-division world champ and regular WBA welterweight champ Manny "Pac Man" Pacquiao shall return to the United States to face off against undefeated Super WBA Welterweight World Champion Keith "One Time" Thurman in an exciting World Welterweight Championship match live on Saturday, July 20 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Their faceoff could be the highlight fight of the summer.
WBA Super Welterweight Title Fight - Manny Pacquiao vs. Keith Thurman
Date: Saturday, July 20th, 2019
Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada
Manny Pacquiao
Even for those who are not much of a boxing fan, they still would know a thing or two about boxing icon Manny Pacquiao. While everybody knows that he no longer has the same monstrous punching power that he did when he was in his prime, the now 40-year-old boxer from the Philippines is still deemed to be one of the most technically sound fighters in the world. After all, he won four of his last five fights.
He scored a TKO win over Lucas Matthysse mainly thanks to his outstanding fighting technique. He followed that up with beating Adrien Broner, and now Pacquiao is getting ready to take on Thurman.
Pacquiao is expected to rely on his angles and movement to keep Thurman off balance and avoid getting hit with one of his heavy punches. While Pacquiao is indeed a great boxer, will his performance be enough to bring down one of the most talented opponents he will have faced in recent years come Saturday?
Keith Thurman
Thurman is considered to be one of the hardest punchers in the welterweight division.
Keith Thurman is 29-0-1 all time, and he appeared to be just doing fine when he returned last January. Nicknamed "One Time" for his formidable knockout power, Thurman unfortunately got into a car accident that cost him two years of his promising career. However, after he recovered from all the injuries he sustained and trained to get back into his fighting shape, Thurman beat down Josesito Lopez to retain his WBA (Super) welterweight title.
To Thurman, he says his victory over Lopez was his "tune-up" for his upcoming fight against Pacquaio. There is no doubt he has a good chance to win, especially with his strength and size advantage over Pacquiao. Only the boxing ring can tell in the end whether power and strength will be enough to overthrow the veteran Pacquiao.
Betting
Keith Thurman, one of the hardest punchers in the welterweight division, will definitely use his strength and size as his main advantages in this bout. He is expected to keep Pacquiao at a distance using his jab and dictate where the action happens in the ring. Note that in his last loss to Jeff Horn, Pacquiao lost in a decision due to the fact that Horn used his size to become the aggressor in the fight.
While the numbers may point to favor Thurman in many categories, it still cannot be overlooked when it comes to Pacquiao's incredible experiences and achievements in the ring. He's been knocked out only once since 1999, so most people expect this upcoming fight has higher chances of reaching the full 12 rounds. If that happens, it could give Pacquiao, a technical master noted for his ability to calculate his rhythm and manage a fight, the edge in case it goes to a decision.
These elite-ranked welterweight boxers shall clash fists in Las Vegas on Saturday, July 20, 2019, with the WBA supremacy on the line.
At age 40, this could possibly be the final fight for Pacquiao. On the other hand, Thurman is just 30 years old and is on the quest to put his name on the top ranks in the boxing world.
On one corner of the ring Pac Man will have all the experience, while on the other Thurman has the youth card and holds an undefeated record.
The bookmakers cannot really determine the outright favorite to win the fight. However, according to most Manny Pacquiao vs Keith Thurman betting tips, Pac Man still has what it takes to deliver victory. Even if he's already 40, such sheer will and strong determination puts Pacquiao ahead with 1.68 odds to beat Thurman. Meanwhile, Thurman has an inch and a half height and 2-inch reach advantage to Pacquiao. His undefeated record of 22 Kos and physical advantage gives him the value of 2.20 to beat Pac Man.
As of writing, here are the current odds on the upcoming Manny Pacquiao vs Keith Thurman fight, from our partner sportsbetting sites:
Unibet:
Betsafe
Bwin Sports
Cloudbet
