Buboy bares preferred Pacquiao styles vs Thurman

LOS ANGELES — If Buboy Fernandez would completely have his way, he would like Manny Pacquiao to fight Keith Thurman the way he did in scoring two of the biggest wins of his career.

In a chance encounter with Filipino sportswriters at the Tom Bradley International Airport here Wednesday (Thursday Manila time), Pacquiao’s head trainer said he is looking at the Filipino icon’s previous showdowns with Ricky Hatton and Oscar De La Hoya.

“He (Pacquiao) should move the way he did against De La Hoya, and attack the way he did against Hatton,” Fernandez said.

Pacquiao’s stellar footwork against De La Hoya during their 2009 clash is still fresh in Fernandez’s mind, and he believes it will also work against the slower Thurman next week in Las Vegas.

Fernandez then said his childhood body should up his counterpunching game against Thurman, who has a tendency to wind up his punches, leaving him exposed to counter attacks.

“Those counter punches worked well against Hatton,” added Fernandez.

Pacquiao ended up stopping Hatton in the second round a year earlier before sending De La Hoya to retirement. 

Next Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas (Sunday Manila time), the fighting senator will try to become the first fighter to beat Thurman, who is on a 29-bout winning streak.

On Wednesday afternoon, Pacquiao and his team opened the doors of the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood to treat mediamen to an open workout.

Like Fernandez, Pacquiao conjured memories of his fight with Hatton, saying Thurman’s style resembles that of the Englishman.

"Thurman reminds me the most of Ricky Hatton, of fighters that I've faced. Will it be the same result? You never know,” he told reporters.

But Pacquiao said he is banking on volume punching and his long-known qualities of speed and power to overcome Thurman and become the WBA “super” welterweight champion.

"Boxing is about throwing punches, not who has the bigger body. My speed and power will speak for itself. He may underestimate me now, but he'll talk differently once he's in the ring with me,” he added.

Fernandez, for his part, is confident that his ward can get the job done and even look great in the process.

“If the recent earthquake here was intensity 7, it will be intensity 10 in Las Vegas,” he quipped.