WBA World welterweight champion Keith Thurman(25-0, 21KO’s) recently told Fighthype.com that as a result of his poor showing on May 2nd in his super-fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr, Manny Pacquiao has gone down in his estimation. As well as in the wider picture of the much-maligned ‘pound-for-pound’ rankings.
The gap between Mayweather and Pacquiao on that night was remarkable, and Thurman feels there are plenty of ranked contenders in the 147 .lb. division who will see the lopsided loss as a call for open season on the Filipino star.
“To me Manny Pacquiao is no longer the second best, he’s no longer the third best. I don’t know where they’ve put him in the rankings but you know, we’ve seen the formula to beat Pacquiao many times, and I think there are several welterweights that are able to go toe-to-toe with Pacquiao who are in the top ten.”
That list would obviously include himself alongside names like IBF champ Kell Brook(34-0, 23KO’s), Amir Khan(30-3, 19KO’s) and Shawn Porter(25-1-1, 16KO’s); young, strong, hungry fighters all of them. However, you would have to think that the durable brawlers of the group such as Robert Guerrero(32-3-1, 18KO’s) and Marcos Maidana(35-5, 31KO’s) would perhaps lack the speed to match Pacquiao even at this stage. If he chooses to fight on after his planned twelve-month sabbatical, he must concede that the landscape has changed insofar as other fighters will view him as a much more beatable opponent after getting shut out by Mayweather.
Thurman though, ever the thoughtful type, gave Pacquiao credit for the tremendous career he has had up to this point; a long campaign that has simultaneously ensured his name will echo through the ages, and also guaranteed his eventual decline.
“I think Pacquiao will hold the high rank out of respect for all that he’s done in his career, but I do see him with not too many more fights. Pacquiao is younger than Mayweather, but Pacquiao’s had more fights; more wars and brawls. That can make a young fighter age quicker.”
There can be no questioning the fact that Pacquiao’s attritional battles in the past have inevitably caused him more damage than Mayweather’s defensively based approach. But he didn’t appear shot against Mayweather. He just looked like a man ill-equipped to deal with the physical talent and technical competence of a fellow all-time great. He did no disgrace himself. Mayweather just confirmed what he’s been telling us for all these years; that he is the best around.
