Pacquiao-Thurman reportedly close for July 20 on FOX PPV
The two welterweights are said to be “closing in on” a matchup in Las Vegas.
Manny Pacquiao vs Keith Thurman has been in the rumor mill recently, and now it looks like we might be getting close to real news on that.
SOURCES: Manny Pacquiao and Keith Thurman are closing in on a deal for a FOX PPV welterweight title bout that’s being pegged for July 20 in Las Vegas. There doesn’t appear to be any big hurdles to clear in completing deal. Big-time fight this summer
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) April 24, 2019
Pacquiao (61-7-2, 39 KO) holds the WBA “world” welterweight title, while Thurman (29-0, 22 KO) has the WBA “super world” welterweight title. Before you get excited about this being some sign that we’re coming to an end to the days of “super world” and “world” titles, I wouldn’t go that far. I’m sure after the winner of this one leaves as just “super world” titleholder, there will be another couple of guys picked to fight for the “world” title.
The 40-year-old Pacquiao is coming off of a Jan. 19 win on Showtime pay-per-view over Adrien Broner. He’s not the fighter or star that he once was, but he’s still the clear A-side of this matchup, too. Pacquiao-Broner sold 400K, compared to 325K for Wilder-Fury in December and 360K for Spence-Garcia in March. Manny remains a big name in boxing, and one of the top welterweights in the sport.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/16186377/1125212489.jpg.jpg)
Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images
Thurman, 30, returned to action a week later, beating Josesito Lopez by majority decision in a FOX main event. That was Thurman’s first fight since March 2017, when he beat Danny Garcia. He went through various surgeries and injuries and whatnot before returning to the ring. He looked a little rusty that night, but still has his world title and is still a top name at 147.
This would be Thurman’s first pay-per-view headline fight, and it would be whatever number for Pacquiao, I’m not going to go back over his career and count them. Several. A lot. However you want to put it. But it would be Pacquiao’s first pay-per-view under the FOX banner, so that’s something.
Back in March, when Errol Spence Jr beat Mikey Garcia in the first pay-per-view event that FOX produced, Pacquiao was in attendance at AT&T Stadium in Texas, and was brought into the ring. The idea of Pacquiao-Spence was floated there, with Spence saying it would be an honor to fight Manny and Manny saying, “Yeah, why not?” when asked if he wanted to do it, but it didn’t seem to go over great, either.
Since then, the talk has changed to IBF titleholder Spence facing WBC titleholder Shawn Porter in a unification, and Pacquiao taking on Thurman.