Thurman Intends To Announce Himself

By Olly Campbell - 05/04/2015 - Comments

After Saturday night in Vegas and the subsequent news that Floyd Mayweather intends on vacating ALL his 3/4 share of the world welterweight world titles, it leaves the way open for a few of the “next-generation” at 147 to stamp their name firmly onto the elite world boxing scene should he do so.

WBA (reg) champion Keith Thurman is one name ready to claim the full version of the title he owns as well as any others along the way.

Tonight the Dan Birmingham trained fighter posted on his twitter;

“If Floyd Mayweather is really vacating the belts, it’s time for me to get back in the gym to work on collecting some new hardware!”

For arguments sake, lets assume we have seen the last of Manny Pacquiao. Floyd will most likely see out his contractual obligations and box a non-title fight in September.

With the 41 year old Juan Manuel Marquez carrying an injury and all but retired at the moment then the future at 147, excluding fighters like Danny Garcia who is supposed to be moving up, is potentially going to be led by the likes of Thurman and Britain’s 147lb IBF champion Kell Brook.

Alongside those two you have Maidana, Bradley, Khan, Porter, Rios all of whom are ranked pretty highly with the different governing bodies. North American guys like Canada’s Antonin Decaire (#2 WBC) would also be in the mix potentially too.

Yet for me the fight the fans would most like to see for the Florida man, who had a career best win over Robert Guerrero in his last outing, would be a challenge to Sheffield’s Kell Brook. Assuming that Floyd vacates, Thurman may be upgraded to Super champion with the WBA and a unification with Brook at the end of the year in Britain would be fantastic.

Thurman spoke to iFLtv in Vegas before Mayweather v Pacquiao to suggest that Brook’s promoter Eddie Hearn was the man standing in the way of any potential fight being made. Due to Brook being scheduled to fight on May 30 against Frankie Gavin and Thurman being due out in July, any fight between them would have to wait until the end of the year anyhow, yet Thurman made clear his intention to accept any such fight should it come.

He even signaled his intention to come to the UK saying;

“We can go anywhere in the world and drop bombs baby!”

Thurman has also been heavily critical of Britain’s Amir Khan, who despite trying to force the Floyd fight is another potential name for Kell Brook. Keith has called him out as a cherry picker.

Khan v Brook is a massive fight for the British public and should already of been happening in May. Yet Khan has Algieri and Brook has Frankie Gavin. With Thurman out in July a fight at the end of the year with either name will be massive for “One Time”, yet sadly it’s Al Haymon who looks after business for Keith and one has to hope he doesn’t “shelter” Thurman against his wishes as he is doing with WBC 122lb champ Leo Santa Cruz.

The public can only wait and see, yet Thurman himself want’s fights. And he is willing to come to England to get them.

“I would love to come over there to the UK and fight your boy Kell Brook. Hopefully we make it happen for December.”

Or once he’s done with Ramadan, maybe Khan could take the fight in December? It may be an interesting second half of 2015?

Twitter @Undilutedpoison