Manny Pacquiao has fought some of the biggest names in boxing, and in 2019, at the age of 40, rolled back the years to defeat a durable opponent making a comeback next Wednesday.
Manny Pacquiao accomplished much in his boxing career, with a record of 62-8-2, he conquered some of the biggest names in the sport at the time. From Ricky Hatton to Oscar De La Hoya, he fought the best and Pac-Man proved himself to be one of the greatest boxers of all time.
He officially retired in 2019 at the age of forty, though returned in an unsuccessful comeback against Yordenis Ugas in 2021.
The last opponent he defeated returns to the ring next week after a long hiatus.
Keith Thurman is back against Brock Jarvis after fighting once in six years
Keith Thurman boasts an impressive record of 30-1, with his one loss coming by split decision against Pacquiao, who once punished an opponent for mocking Freddie Roach’s Parkinson’s.
Thurman has faced names such as Danny Garcia and Shawn Porter, who recently scolded the system of mandatories in boxing, and was once the WBC welterweight champion.
After losing in 2019 to Pacquiao, whose one-shot KO of Hatton is one of the greatest ever, Thurman took three years out of the sport, before returning to defeat former world champion Mario Barrios by unanimous decision.
He has since taken a further three years off, but is set to come back next week.
His opponent is Brock Jarvis, who holds a record of 22-1 with 20 knockouts to his name. Thurman marks the Australian’s first big fight since stepping up against Liam Paro, a fight which saw Jarvis stopped in the very first round.
Thurman was set to return last year against Tim Tszyu, but had to withdraw due to a bicep injury.
Keith Thurman confronted Manny Pacquiao after he named a dog after him
Following Pacquiao’s win over Thurman in 2019, it was reported that Pac-Man named his new dog ‘Thurman’ after his defeated opponent.
Years later, Thurman finally confronted Pacquiao about this on a talk show, surprising him and asking:
“Do you still have a dog named Thurman?”
The pair share a moment of laughter over the pet name, before Thurman sings the praises of his former foe.
Thurman is now 36 years old, whilst his foe, Jarvis, is almost ten years younger, aged 27. Both men seem confident they have what it takes to defeat the other, with many speculating inactivity may be Thurman’s downfall, and experience may be Jarvis’s.
The fight will take place in Sydney, Australia on Wednesday the 12th March.