Boxing Hall of Fame trainer Nacho Beristain believes Manny Pacquiao is heading into a very dangerous fight with Keith “One Time” Thurman on July 20 at MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas, Nevada.
In an interview with Fino Boxing on Saturday, Beristain briefly discussed Pacquiao’s upcoming welterweight championship clash roughly a week from now.
After going through so many battles with Pacquiao as the trainer for his archrival Juan Manuel Marquez, no one can deny that the Mexican boxing legend is just one of few boxing experts who have the credentials to talk about Pacman’s boxing style.
A Dangerous Fight
Beristain, though now a self-professed Pacquiao fan, feels the WBA championship clash with Thurman fight presents a strong challenge to the 40-year-old fighter from General Santos City, Philippines.
“It’s a very dangerous fight for Pacquiao, and I hope to God he gets the victory, but it’s very dangerous for him due to his age, Beristain said in the Fino Boxing video.
When asked who will win the fight, the trainer said his “heart is with Pacquiao” but he doesn’t see the bout to go 12 rounds, knowing that both fighters are capable of landing a devastating punch.
Pacman ready for Marquez-liked counter
Speaking more of Beristain’s greatness, the Mexican legend is revered within the boxing community for laying the blueprint on how to beat Pacquiao in his own game.
Marquez’s sensational one-punch KO over Pacquiao is without a doubt the crowning jewel of Beristain’s career as a trainer.
Since then, many fighters have tried to lure Pacquiao into the pocket in an attempt to land that antidote of an overhand punch but until today no one has perfected that art.
Buboy Fernandez, who has taken over as the chief trainer of Pacquiao in the last two fights, claims that Thurman’s camp will be trying to replicate Marquez’s counter-punch based on the leaked video from the American’s training camp.
“The leaked videos I saw showed Thurman’s camp continuously trying to do what Marquez did. Every day they were trying to do it.
We should expect a punch from out of nowhere 100 percent of the time that’s why we need to step away as fast as we can because that kind of punch is what they will use as a weapon,” Fernandez told Philippine Inquirer.
While Pacquiao remains an offensive-oriented fighter, it’s very evident in his last few fights that he no longer attacks with reckless abandon. He has matured a lot since that fateful day, darting in and out of opponents' defenses without exposing him for another overhand coup de grace.
Pacquiao’s team has now arrived in Las Vegas on Monday with the Filipino fighter scheduled to go through roadwork and mitts training on Tuesday and Wednesday before wrapping up the camp on Thursday.
