Keith still doesn't understand the dynamics of the boxing BUSINESS
Keith Thurman: How Am I the 'B' Side Against Manny Pacquiao?
Read More By : Keith Idec
Keith Thurman: How Am I the 'B' Side Against Manny Pacquiao?
By Keith Idec
NEW YORK – Keith Thurman unquestionably is headed toward the biggest fight of his 11-year pro career.
When the unbeaten WBA “super” welterweight champion meets Manny Pacquiao on July 20, he’ll encounter one of the most iconic boxers of this generation. The 40-year-old Pacquiao has headlined numerous pay-per-view shows, has made hundreds of millions of dollars and participated in the most lucrative event in boxing history – his unanimous-decision defeat to Floyd Mayweather in May 2015.
The 30-year-old Thurman (29-0, 22 KOs, 1 NC), who’ll take part in his first pay-per-view main event, still doesn’t feel like he is the proverbial ‘B’ side of this promotion.
Thurman replied incredulously when he was asked after a recent press conference in Manhattan if he feels defeating the Philippines’ Pacquiao (61-7-2, 39 KOs) will make him the ‘A’ side of his next pay-per-view fight, perhaps a long-awaited showdown with Errol Spence Jr.
“There ain’t no ‘I’m on the B side,’ ” Thurman said. “How am I on the B side? That’s just advertisement purposes, playa.
You know what I mean? When I fought Danny Garcia, we had it both sides. You had Thurman versus Garcia and Garcia versus Thurman. Why? Because it’s both champions. You know what I mean? I’m not gonna argue over the petty things. That’s petty, boy. That’s petty.