Filipino legend Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao overcame US-based Keith “One Time” Thurman on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas. After twelve rounds, the judges scored as follows: 115-112 (Pacquiao); 114-113 (Thurman) and 115-112 (Pacquiao).
Pacquiao, an eight-time world champion of forty years of age, resolved the fight based on experience, power shots, agility, and skills that showed that the Filipino still has snap to follow with big blows.
Thurman, 10 years younger than Pacquiao, demonstrated great skills that were indicative of the good training camp he underwent. The American showed his wares and pushed the Filipinos back at times, but it was not enough to win.
Pacquiao and Thurman gave us a war from beginning to end that was worthy for the nearly 15 thousand fans who packed the MGM Grand Arena of the so-called “City of Sin”.
Before the opening bell the favorite was Thurman but it was early in the fight by a combination of the Filipino in the very first round that changed everything in favor of the ‘Pac-Man’, who dominated without problems the first half of the fight based on leg movement and powerful blows.
Halfway through the match, things changed, as Thurman’s team made the adjustment and the American settled on the counterattack to punish the Filipino with straight punches and combinations of 1-2. When it seemed that ‘One Time’ would turn the fight around, in the tenth round came a blow to the stomach by Pacquiao that drove Thurman back and thus lower his performance in the last stretch of the fight, with the end result being after 12 rounds in favor of the Filipino, who was deserving of said result.
With this demonstration, the senator and boxer became the absolute king of the 147 pound crown of the World Boxing Association (WBA), adding one more achievement to his already illustrious career.
On his near future, Manny will not return to the ring until next year, as he will fulfill his obligations as a Senator in the Philippines and then he will study the proposals on the table for his return in 2020.
