Boxing: Manny Pacquiao vs. Keith Thurman Play-by-Play, Results & Round Scoring

WBA Welterweight Title Fight:
Manny Pacquiao vs. Keith Thurman

Round 1

Kenny Bayless is the referee for this WBA welterweight championship. The MGM Grand Garden Arena is loaded and loud, ready for action. The two fighters finally square off and the fight begins. They paw with their jabs as they size each other up. Thurman misses with a left hook but lands a three-punch combo to the body and head. Manny backs away. Manny with a jab-left but then is tied up. A stiff, lead right to the face by Thurman a minute in. Thurman dips low and eats a right hook, but he takes it well. After another three-punch combo, Thurman cracks the Filipino legend with a short right to the head. Thurman backs Manny into the ropes and they trade blows. Thurman backs away and then is dropped by a short right to the jaw. He’s up and they swing wildly. They calm down but Manny lands a glancing right to the head at the bell. 10-8 Pacquiao.

Round 2

Thurman goes right at Manny to begin the second but misses with his punches. Manny takes a body hot along the ropes but shakes his head. Thurman eats a right to the head and they trade punches quickly. Manny with another right up top and Thurman isn’t liking it. Thurman is looking to move and box now, but Manny is stalking him. Pacquiao with a right hook and then a left, but his left is blocked. Thurman comes at Manny but has to swallow three glancing blows to the head. Pacquiao is very aggressive, tossing out punches while Thurman backs away and looks for an opening. 10-9 Pacquiao.

Round 3

Thurman comes straight at Pacquiao early but can’t land anything flush. Pacquiao with a few jabs and then a right upstairs. Thurman goes to the body and then eats a big right jab. Thurman lets his hands go and lands four shot to the head and gloves, but Manny counters with a right. Manny is moving nicely with his jab, forcing Thurman backward. Manny is in complete control at this point. Thurman lands two the ribs, but the Filipino comes back with two to the head. They trade punches along the ropes briefly, but then the bell sounds. 10-9 Pacquiao.

Round 4

Thurman comes out and lands a right to the head and then a left to the body. Manny comes right back with hooks to the guts. Thurman backs Manny into the ropes and goes to the body. Pacquiao returns the fire with a combo to the head, but Keith blocks it. “One Time” then backs Manny into the ropes again. Pacquiao misses a wild right-left to the head, but the American isn’t in the position to counter him. A hard jab for Pacquiao backs Thurman up. Pacquiao with a right to the jaw, followed by a three-punch combo. Thurman misses a left, but then eats a left in return. Thurman digs two hard right hooks to the body right at the end of the frame. It’s a very close round, but Manny still takes it. 10-9 Pacquiao.

Round 5

Thurman rushes out with a jab and looks to back his foe up. Pacquiao is patient and tosses out a few jabs. “One Time” backs Manny into the ropes and digs a few hooks to the body and then the head. Manny eats another right, but he pops the American with a stiff jab to get him off. Thurman pops Manny with a sharp left-right to the head and it rattles him. Pacquiao comes back with a right and now Thurman’s bleeding from his nose. A three-punch combo from Manny, followed by a sizzling left-right through the guard. Thurman backs off and then lands a right. Thurman misses. Big right hook and then eats a right for his effort. Thurman’s nose is pouring blood and he is hurt by a flurry to the head. Pacquaio 10-9.

Round 6

Thurman lands a right and then a left to the body to begin the sixth. Thurman is trying to turn the tides here, but his punches are slow compared to Pacquiao’s. Thurman digs a left hook to the liver, but he has to take a right-left to the melon in exchange. Thurman pops the Filipino with a sharp right to the jaw at the midway point, but he shakes it off. Pacquiao lands another right to the head and then a jab, Thurman is still trying but he’s frustrated. “One Time” dodges a wild three-punch combo from Manny. Pacquiao is chasing Thurman around and swallows a right-left near the bell. It’s a close round but Pacquiao did more. 10-9 Pacquiao.

Round 7

Thurman rushes out swinging, but Pacquiao covers up. Thurman digs a right to the head, then a left to the body. Manny comes forward but is cracked by a sharp right upstairs, his best punch thus far. Thurman takes a left and then lands a right-left to the head of the Filipino. “One Time” pops Pacquiao with another hard right. Thurman has found a rhythm and rattles off a slick left-right late. Manny fires a right uppercut and it’s clean, but Thurman cracks him with a right hook. 10-9 Thurman.

Round 8

Thurman lands a few decent jabs, but Pacquiao pops him with a counter left to the face. Thurman misses a few shots, only to get countered by rights to the head. “One Time” lands two nice rights to the mouth. Manny isn’t quite as active as he was earlier and Thurman is capitalizing on it. Pacquiao finally lets his hands go and lands two rights and then a left to the face. Thurman’s nose is bleeding again late. They trade rights to the head late, and then Thurman pops the Filipino with another two-punch combo. 10-9 Thurman.

Round 9

Thurman paws with a few jabs and then tags Pacquiao with a right. Then hits him with another. Pacquiao looks a little sluggish here in the ninth while Thurman has taken control of this bout. Thurman lands a nice overhand right to the dome, but Manny shakes it off. Pacquiao lands a pair of jabs but takes another right in return. Pacquiao is backing up, and Thurman takes advantage by digging left hook to the ribs. Pacquiao backs into the ropes and Thurman goes to the head and body. Manny returns with a left and then a right, but Thurman answers with another right, 10-9 Thurman

Round 10

Thurman comes out on fire and drives Pacquiao into the ropes with a right and left hook combo. Thurman is in a groove, sticking and moving nicely. Pacquiao connects with a right and left, but Thurman comes right back with a jab and then a right. They collide and it seems like Thurman is hurt by an accidental head butt. He’s retreating and now Manny is chasing him. Pacquiao goes to the head and body and Thurman is still hurt. Thurman throws a right, but he takes a hard left to the ribs. Thurman finally comes alive late with two rights, but they miss. It’s a close round but Manny takes it. 10-9 Pacquiao.

Round 11

Replays in between rounds show that Thurman was hurt by a left hook to the body. Thurman looks okay to start the 11th and is tossing out his jab. Thurman is moving nicely, but Pacquiao is cutting off the ring and throwing jabs. A hard left to the body for Manny again. Thurman lands a solid three-piece to the head and body, but Pacquiao returns the favor with two lefts up top. A hard straight right to the jaw for Thurman and “Pac Man” backs away. “One Time” misses a right and then a left late. Pacquiao counters with a short right and then a hard left upstairs. Thurman lands a sharp right at the end of a three-pinch combo at the bell. Another close round. 10-9 Thurman.

Round 12

Thurman most likely needs a knockout here in the final round if he’s to win. But then again, this is Las Vegas so who knows how these judges have scored it. Pacquiao is moving behind his jab early. Thurman is aggressive and trying to pressure the Filipino, but nothing is landing. Thurman is very busy, but none of his punches are landing. Pacquiao, meanwhile, is moving and not throwing much. Pacquiao tags Thurman with a left to the body and then a hard left hook to the face. Thurman backs off to regroup. Thurman comes off the ropes and connects with a right to the ribs before tying Pacquiao up. Thurman throws a few rights to the head but they are largely blocked. Pacquiao swallows a solid right down the pike with 20 seconds left. A hard right to the face from Manny just before the bell. 10-9 Pacquiao, which puts the fight 116-111 Pacquiao.

The Official Result

Manny Pacquiao def. Keith Thurman via Split Decision (113-114, 115–112, 115-112) R12, 3:00