It looks like Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao and Keith “One Time” Thurman are headed to a clash of WBA world champions on July 20th for FOX Pay-Per-View.
According to boxing insider Mike Coppinger his sources tell him that the two champions are ironing out a deal for July 20, 2019 in Las Vegas. The winner will be the official WBA welterweight champion. Pacquiao owns the regular version of the title while Thurman is the super champion widely considered the real holder of the belt.
“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,” @MikeCoppinger April 23, 2019
Pacquiao, 40, fought Adrien Broner on January 19, 2019 Showtime PPV and won a clear decision over the flamboyant former four-division champion. The Pacquiao-Broner PPV fight did a little over 400,000 buys.
Thurman, 30, fought Josesito Lopez on January 26 after a nearly two-year layoff and although he won the fight by majority decision he got rattled and rocked bad by Lopez in the seventh round.
Since signing with Al Haymon and PBC, Pacquiao has been the primary target of all the younger welterweights including undefeated IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. who brought Pacquiao to the ring after his fight with Mikey Garcia at the Dallas Cowboys stadium to politely challenge the Filipino ring legend to a super-fight.
Thurman took a different approach than Spence. He’s been taking shots at the Filipino Senator and eight-division champion on social media and begging him to sign the contract.
It looks like Thurman will finally get his wish and if the fight gets signed the two will clash in what will be Thurman’s first Pay-Per-View headliner and could generate another 400,000 PPV buys or more depending on the promotional push by FOX and casual fan interest.
