MANNY Pacquiao is now in Los Angeles for the second and final phase of training camp for his upcoming world title fight against Keith Thurman.
The 40-year-old ring legend arrived in LA on Saturday (Sunday, Manila time) after a 13-hour flight from Manila with his compact entourage led by trainer Buboy Fernandez and top adviser Sean Gibbons.
Pacquiao will take a rest for a day before plunging into training on Monday at the famed Wild Card gym with former trainer and boxing adviser Freddie Roach.
The only eight-time world division champion had the initial phase of his training at the Elorde gym at the Mall of Asia grounds and began his sparring session two weeks ago against Australian Tim Tyszu and Frenchman Jaber Zayani.
A new set of sparring partners, however, will be brought in for the US camp
Pacquiao will train at the Wild Card gym for approximately four weeks and then travel to Las Vegas on fight week (July 15).
The 12-round match with the unbeaten Thurman is set July 20 at the MGM Grand.
Thurman, 30, holds a perfect 29-0 record (22 KOs) and has repeatedly vowed to send his veteran opponent into retirement.
Pacquiao (61-7-2, with 39 KOs), however, remains unfazed.
“At age 40, I want to prove I can still beat an undefeated champion,” said Pacquiao, who sparred one final time on Saturday afternoon before flying out of the country later in the night.
“I like being an underdog in this fight. It is nothing new and it is fun. I have been an underdog my entire life. Keith Thurman does not scare me. Keith Thurman does not intimidate me. Keith Thurman has inspired me. I am training harder than ever. This is the biggest test of my career. It is a story that is forty years in the making.”
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