Keith Thurman isn't just excited to face Manny Pacquiao on July 20, he wants to be the one to retire the Filipino legend.
The undefeated WBA welterweight champion had a lot of things to say regarding his upcoming pay-per-view fight against Pacquiao, especially when it comes to being the one to send him into retirement. Thurman says boxing has entered a new era with Floyd Mayweather Jr. insisting that he remains retired and that Thurman wants to be the one to close the final chapter on Pacquiao's career, much in the same way Pacquiao ended Oscar De La Hoya's boxing career when the two fought in 2008.
"Pacquiao wants a challenge and I'm very grateful to be sharing a ring with a legend. If you understand boxing history, you know that times change. I believe boxing is in a new era. Come July 20, Pacquiao will disappear. He'll always be remembered in the sport, but I'm doing to Manny Pacquiao, what he did to Oscar De La Hoya," Thurman said in a New York press conference.
Thurman continued talking about the fight and his desire to beat Pacquiao. Although Thurman said he respects Pacquiao and what he has done for the sport, he added that he doesn't want his first pro loss to come at the hands of someone who has tasted defeat seven times prior.
"I'm excited to be the guy who shows Manny Pacquiao where the exit is. He's a legend who's done great things. But I've never lost to a fighter who's lost seven times. I have no intention of losing this fight and I don't see him winning in any shape or form," Thurman said.
Pacquiao vs. Thurman will take place in the main event of a Fox pay-per-view taking place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
