Re: Manny Pacquiao

[H2O Man]

My younger son is in California now. Today, he got to hang out with Manny Pacquiao's team – though not Manny himself. He sent me photos and video of it. Pretty cool.

Manny challenges Keith Thurman for his WBA welterweight title on July 20 in Las Vegas.

[stonecutter357]

1. You must be so proud of your son !

congratulations H2O Man well done

[H2O Man]

3. Thank you!

Yes, I am!

[True Dough]

2. 40-year-old Pacman

versus 30-year-old and undefeated Keith Thurman.

Pacquiao is a legend, but he's playing with fire. If he doesn't stop Father Time is going to do to him the same as Roy Jones Jr.

[H2O Man]

4. I agree.

Thurman didn't look impressive in his last fight, after being out of the ring for 22 months. But that doesn't mean he won't be in much better condition now, six months later. Young guys have that ability.

After he knocked Floyd Patterson out the second time, a reporter asked Sonny Liston if Floyd should retire? "Who can tell a bird it can't fly?" was Sonny's response. I think the answer is Father Time.

Recently, my boy hounded me for weeks to go watch Zab Judah fight at the Turning Stone Casino. He said that I'd always loved Zab, and that this might be Zab's last hurrah. I noted his last hurrah was years ago. At the last minute, we did go. The first fight we saw resulted in a guy being taken out on a stretcher. And Zab ended up getting hurt by a kid he would have easily handled in his day. It's a tough sport.

Win or lose, I hope Manny retires. There are a couple welterweights ranked above Thurman, who would hurt him at this stage.

[True Dough]

5. Zab Judah had absolutely incredible hand speed as he was coming up through the ranks

I just hope these fighters can retire with CTE stealing the last decades of their lives.

[H2O Man]

6. One of his

most impressive wins was over Micky Ward in June of 1998. It was only Zab's 16th fight, but it indicated he would become champion. He won all the rounds but the last, when he got hit with Ward's left hook to the liver. And he did what few others could -- he stayed o his feet.

While we were leaving the casino, Zab's family rushed by us. My son said, "That's not good." And, of course, Zab ended up in the hospital, with a brain injury. I was relieved to learn he was okay through friend Monte Barrett. There were crazy rumors on the internet.

[True Dough]

7. Micky Ward isn't human

No human being should be able to sustain the punishment he absorbed.

[H2O Man]

8. Definitely agree!

He dished out some punishment, too! I liked that he threw the left hook to the head then body, rather than the far more common hook to body then head.

I got to know Mick after the last Gotti fight. Heck of a good man. I've got pictures of him with each of my children. I don't get to see him often, now that he's living in Florida. But he comes up for the Hall of Fame weekend, and is very popular.

[True Dough]

9. I'm sure he has many fans

especially in Ireland. He's revered there, from what I've read.

[True Dough]

10. The stare down from the weigh-ins

Link to tweet

Looking like killers. Hopefully the show in the ring is just as good.

[H2O Man]

11. It should be a good fight.

Last edited Mon Jul 22, 2019, 05:47 PM - Edit history (1)

If if goes to a decision, I hope it's fair.

A case can be made for each man winning. That's a good thing.

[True Dough]

12. It was a good fight from what I read

Last edited Sun Jul 21, 2019, 04:41 PM - Edit history (1)

Did you see it?

Sounds like Manny won a convincing decision (Thurman didn't dispute it, which is good). Pacman's chin held up really well because he did absorb quite a few power shots from Thurman.

The rumor now is that Manny will take on the winner of the freshly-announced Errol Spence Jr./Shawn Porter clash. I like Spence Jr. in that one and I'd like to see Pacquaio retire rather than keep pressing his luck. But people can always cite examples like Bernard Hopkins and George Foreman, who showed it's possible to remain world class in your 40s. But that's the exception to the rule, for sure.

There's also speculation that Floyd might be up for a rematch with Manny. That would represent BIG bucks!!

[H2O Man]

13. It definitely was good.

(I just noticed my last post said "a food fight. I shouldn't type in the dark!)

I've been reading posts on a number of FB boxing forums. Some are saying Thurman was not a good fighter. Baloney. He's definitely good, but was fighting a great fighter. Also, I thought it was relatively close in most rounds.

It looks like Manny will be fighting Spence soon. I hope not, as I think Spence would be a step too far. But who really knows?

I'd prefer Spence vs Crawford.