ARUM, MAY TIP KAY THURMAN KUNG PAANO TALUNIN SI PACMAN

NAISAERE ni TOP Rank boss Bob Arum ang kanyang opinyon sa nalalapit na Keith Thurman versus Manny Pac­quiao bout.

Haharapin ni Pacquiao, 61-7-2 (39), si WBA welter­weight champion Thurman, 29-0 (22), sa MGM Grand sa Las Vegas, Nevada sa Hulyo 20.

May 12 taon nang stable fighter ng Top Rank si Pac­man mula nang lumagda siya kay Arum noong nasa super featherweight pa lamang ng taong 2006, ayon sa Ring­news24.

Sa tagal ng kontrata ni Pacman sa Top Rank, hindi na mabilang ang world titles nito hanggang sa junior middleweight.

Subalit ayon kay Arum, hindi naman niya binibigyan si Pacman ng mas malaking tsansa na tatalunin ang 30-an­yos na si Thurman. “Manny Pacquiao is 40-years-old and when you get to that age, you’re not the same fighter as you were 30-years-old, early 30’s or mid-30’s,” saad ni Arum sa J Calderon Boxing Talk.

“Pacquiao, he fought so many fights for us [Top Rank Boxing]; he’s always been a gutty guy, but he’s not the biggest guy in the world. I think Thurman is going to benefit from the fight that he had [against Josesito Lopez on January 26]. He was off two years. He didn’t look too good with Lopez, but I think he’s much better than that. If Thurman fights the way he had been, then I don’t think Pacquiao will have much of a chance. We don’t know if Thurman can ever recap­ture what he had before the two-year layoff.”

Natanong din si Arum kung ang ikinakasang welter­weight bout sa pagitan nina Mikey Garcia at Danny Gar­cia ay may sinasabi sa takilya ng pay-per-view. “It’s an interesting fight, but it certainly isn’t,” aniya. “Mi­key Garcia is not a welter­weight. Well, maybe Errol Spence is so much better, but Mikey Garcia is an excellent fighter. I really don’t think he should go passed 140. Remember, he started out as a featherweight.” (MC)