Boxing News: Keith Thurman Says Manny Pacquiao Is No Longer A Top Fighter In The Welterweight Division

After Floyd Mayweather Jr. defeated Manny Pacquiao on May 2 in Las Vegas, welterweight contender Keith Thurman had a few choice words for Pacquiao, saying that the Filipino can no longer be considered among the top fighters in the division. Thurman shared his opinions in an interview with FightHype.com.

"Manny Pacquiao is no longer the second best, he's no longer really the third best. We've seen the formula to beat Pacquiao many times and I think there are several welterweights that are either able to go toe to toe with Pacquiao or actually beat him," Thurman said.

Mayweather Jr. defeated Pacquiao via a 12-round unanimous decision via judges’ scores of 118-110, 116-112 and 116-112. But some considered it a controversial victory for Mayweather Jr. after reports that Pacquiao fought with a shoulder injury. Their highly anticipated bout was considered the most lucrative fight in the sport's history, with revenue for gate ticket sales and pay-per-view numbers hitting record highs.

The 26-year-old Thurman, like Mayweather Jr., is undefeated as a pro. Thurman is the current World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight champion, with 25 wins, 21 of which did not go the distance, plus one no-contest bout.

Thurman, from Clearwater, Florida, is the No. 3 welterweight in the world in most rankings, and the No. 2 American in the division, behind Mayweather. Thurman, who turned pro in 2007, is coming off a convincing win over fellow American Robert Guerrero on March 7. Thurman won via judges’ scores of 120-107, 118-109 and 118-108 to retain his welterweight title.

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