'Professor' Pacquiao vows to teach Thurman a lesson

[July 20, 2019]  (Reuters) - Manny Pacquiao plans to teach WBA welterweight champion Keith Thurman a painful lesson when the two face off in Las Vegas on Saturday.

"I want to teach him, like a professor," the 40-year-old Pacquiao, who is 10 years Thurman's senior, told Fox Business on Friday.

Pacquiao said he was in better shape now than when he faced Adrien Broner in January in a fight the Filipino won by unanimous decision.

"I am so prepared for this fight," he told a supportive crowd at Friday's weigh in, where both fighters tipped the scales at 146.5 pounds.

"This was one of the best training camps that we've had and the best conditioning. So it's all set for tomorrow," said Pacquiao, the only eight-division world champion in the history of the sport.

Undefeated American Thurman (29-0-1) looked anything but intimidated by the Hall of Famer ahead of the biggest fight of his career.

"It is my time," said the former unified welterweight world champion, who has held the WBA title since 2015.

Manny Pacquiao (left) and Keith Thurman face off after weighing in ahead of their WBA welterweight world title boxing fight at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

"I will still be champion tomorrow night. Manny Pacquiao ain't doing nothing to me baby!"

The fighters will meet at the MGM Grand with the "PacMan" favored to take the title from "One Time" Thurman.

(Reporting by Rory Carroll, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

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