Pacquiao gumawa ng kasaysayan na ‘di na mauulit — Thurman

MAHIGIT isang taon ding hindi umakyat sa ring si Keith “One Time” Thurman.

At sa kanyang pagbabalik sa ring, naranasan niya ang unang talo sa kanyang professional career  sa kamay ng 40-year-old Manny Pacquiao na kinuha sa kanya ang WBA welterweight world title, para taguriang  pinaka­matandang boksingero na tumangay ng world title sa 147 pounds.

Pagkatapos ng laban ay kailangang sumalang uli sa surgery si Thurman mula sa preexisting injury bago ang laban.

At ang Covid-19 pandemic ay lumukob sa mundo at ang muling pagbabalik niya sa ring sa taong 2020 ay lumabo dahil sa mga restrictions  sa malakihang pagtitipon dahil sa   nakakahawang virus na nagpatigil sa pag-ikot ng mundo ng sports.

Sa kasagsagan ng quarantine sa Florida, nananatili siyang abala sa mga interviews, pakikipag-usap sa mga media outlets at nag-eensayo sa bahay.

Sa isang interview ng  AHAT TV, natanong siya kung sino nga ba kina Floyd Mayweather Jr. at Manny Pacquiao ang makakapag-iwan ng matinding pamana sa boksing.

Matatandaan na hinabol ni Thurman ang laban kay Mayweather pero lumanding siya sa ring kay Pacquiao.  Nagbigay siya ng honest assessment tungkol sa dalawang fighters na may pagkakaiba ng approach sa kanilang boxing careers.   Kinumpara ni Thurman si Pacquiao  sa namayapang si Muhammad Ali.

”It’s hard to say, I want to say its almost a preference,” sabi ni Thurman. “Floyd ended undefeated. Pacquiao, he lived the Muhammad Ali life. You win some, you lose some, and you win again. You just show how it’s a never ending story like how Ali told everybody, “I’m gonna show you how great I am, they knocked me down, they knocked me out, but I’m still gonna show you how great I am.” That’s what Pacquiao did he lived the Ali life.

Patuloy na pinuri ni Thurman si Pacquiao sa inaani nitong panganib sa pagsuong sa mga laban at naniniwala siyang ang winning titles sa walong weight division ay hindi na kailanman MAUULIT.

”Floyd he did a little bit more of a pretty boy aspect. A little bit more in controlled settings. Didn’t always fight the toughest fight of his career at that time. Like I say man when it comes to athleticism and when it comes to all those weight classes, I’m probably about 100 percent right when I say nobody will ever do what Pacquiao did ever again. I’m probably 100 percent right. It’s very unlikely, and a lot of people don’t have the opportunity. A lot of people really don’t have the speed and power to go through that many weight classes. And a lot of times once when they do they are going to find their limit and their gonna get hurt and then after they get hurt they’re normally going to put themselves back in a more comfortable situation, Pacquiao never did that. Like I said, been knocked down, been knocked out, still going to show you how great I am. That is what Pacquiao did, he made history. He made a type of history that will most likely never be repeated.”