Justin Fortune: 'Keith Thurman a slow guy in the welterweight division'

Eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao is 40 years old, but his strength and conditioning coach Justine Fortune warns that his ward is still the faster pugilist over WBA world welterweight champion Keith Thurman.

Pacquiao and Thurman is set to collide inside the ring on July 20 (July 21 PHL time) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

According to Fortune, Thurman would learn the hard way just how difficult it is to handle Pacquiao's speed and power on fight night.

"Keith Thurman is a puncher, but he's not fast. He's the slow guy especially in that division," Fortune told GMA News Online.

"You saw what Pacquiao does to his opponents, he beat them bloody. Manny will bust you up because he's very very fast and hits very hard."

Even though he won his last fight, Thurman was hardly impressive in his last outing against Josesito Lopez.

Fortune says that Team Pacquiao knows better than to merely base their opponent's capabilities in his last showing, and that the team is preparing Pacquiao for the best possible version of Thurman.

"We expect to get a good Thurman, and not mistake him for his performance in his last fight. We go for the actual best, he's a very good fighter and a world champion," he said.

"Manny has to fight him. Thurman says Pacquiao is slow and predictable, I don't know what fight he's been watching, but slow is the last thing Manny Pacquiao and he's totally unpredictable." — BAP, GMA News