NANG ihayag ang 12-round battle nina Manny Pacquiao at Keith Thurman, agad naging betting favorite ang American boxer.

Matapos ang mahigit isang buwang training ng dalawang boksingero, nabaligtad na at ngayon ay bahagya nang pinapaboran ang Fighting Senator ng Pilipinas na siyang magwawagi sa July 20 fight.

Dahil ditto, tila nakaramdam ng kawalan ng respeto umano sa kanya ang mga eksperto sa pagpabor sa 40-anyos na si Pacquiao.

Kaya naman, muling umatake ang matalas na dila ni Thurman sa pamamagitan ng Face to Face ng Premier Boxing Champions site, kung saan ipinaalala niyang siya ang sentro ng magaganap na laban dahil championship belt niya ang nakataya.

“This is my fight. He’s fighting for my belt. And yet, it’s as if the world has forgot. So I wanted to … stab him a little bit, hit him where it hurts,” Thurman said on PBC’s Face to Face. “He’s fighting for my belt…it’s as if the world has forgot.”

Ang 30-anyos na si Thurman, undefeated sa 29 laban, ang WBA welterweight super champion.

Inulit din ni Thurman na paubos na ang oras ni Pacquiao sa boksing. At target niyang siya ang magpa-retire sa Pambansang Kamao.

“I just believe the hourglass is almost finished,” komento ni Thurman. “He doesn’t have much left. Go play basketball, Manny! You say you like to play basketball every day. Go shoot hoops with the guys, man!”

Ayon pa kay Thurman, magaang ang naging panalo ni Pacquiao kay Adrien Broner noong Enero, dahil hindi naman sumuntok ang kalaban. Pero, laban umano sa kanya, tiyak na makakatikim ng sakit ang Filipino ring icon.

“He said I felt good [after the Adrien Broner fight], In my head at home I said, ‘He felt good because he didn’t get punched in the face, he felt good because he didn’t get punched in the body’. How good is he gonna feel after 12 rounds of boxing with your man right here, Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman?” wika pa ni Thurman.