Four candidates for Fight Of The Year so far, and we still have five months to go

08/03/2016 James Slater

In a sign of how good a year it has already been for boxing here in 2016, we have at least four absolutely cracking fights being looked at as candidates for winning this year’s FOTY distinction – and as great as these fights have been, we still have some potential thrillers to look forward to in the remaining five months of the year.

So far, fans and experts are agreed how the Keith Thurman-Shawn Porter fight, the Orlando Salido-Francisco Vargas fight and the more recent Carl Frampton-Leo Santa Cruz fight are all up there as genuine FOTY candidates. I would like to add to the list the terrific Jamie Conlan-Anthony Nelson fight.

Keith Thurman likely to be out of action for the remainder of 2016

07/29/2016 James Slater

WBC heavyweight champ Deontay Wilder is not the only big name who will likely be out of action for the rest of the year due to injuries picked up in the ring. According to Showtime boss Stephen Espinoza, WBA welterweight king Keith Thurman will probably rest up for the remainder of 2016, so as to allow the cuts he picked up in his tremendous war with Shawn Porter to heal. And as gruelling and as draining as the June fight was for both winner and loser (there really was no “loser” in the FOTY candidate) a good break would not be a bad idea for both Thurman and Porter.

But, as Espinoza told RingTV.com, Thurman could be back with a massive fight in 2017: a unification fight with WBC welterweight ruler Danny Garcia. While “One Time” will live up to his nickname by having fought just one time this year, Garcia is reportedly in talks to face former champ Andre Berto in either September or October. A possibly risky fight for Garcia, who is unbeaten like Thurman, the rumble with Thurman would ideally come next should “Swift” get past Berto okay.

Keith Thurman ordered to defend WBA welterweight title against David Avanesyan

07/15/2016 James Slater

WBA welterweight king Keith Thurman, last seen thrilling his millions of fans with that tremendous effort against an equally determined Shawn Porter, must next defend against David Avanesyan; the WBA interim champion who was last seen pounding out a wide 12-round unanimous decision over the ageing bit still tough Shane Mosley. The WBA named this mandatory title defence for Thurman and if the fight cannot be agreed upon by the respective camps, within a 30-day period, the fight will likely go to purse bids.

Keith Thurman-Kell Brook: who wins?

06/28/2016 James Slater

WBA welterweight champion Keith Thurman may need a substantial rest after the quite breathtaking battle he and Shawn Porter (who will also need to recharge his batteries) put on this past Saturday, but Thurman has no shortage of future big fights. One man who says he “needs” to fight Thurman is IBF welterweight ruler Kell Brook. Speaking with Sky Sports shortly after Thurman’s thrilling, FOTY candidate of a win, Brook said he feels that if he and Thurman clash, the excitement would even top the Porter war.

Kudos to Keith Thurman

06/27/2016 Christopher Jason Young

I must applaud Mr. Keith Thurman for two things. For one, for him and Shawn Porter the fight the fans want to see at the right time. Secondly, for wanting to fight on free TV. To bring boxing back to mainstream we need more of that.

In his post-fight interview he states,” I don’t want pay-per view. I don’t want you to pay for this entertainment. I don’t want you to pay for this entertainment. There’s too much world-class athletic entertainment for free. I want all of America to see…I didn’t have HBO growing up. I didn’t have Showtime growing up. And if you have HBO and you have Showtime, and they make it a pay-per-view, now you’ve got to come out of your pocket some more. I’m not trying to gouge the American people and the American public. I want to get everybody on my side. I want everybody to have an opportunity to witness One Time. And I want boxing to come back to the forefront of network television.”

So, who’s the best welterweight in the world?

06/27/2016 James Slater

One thing fight fans readily agree on is the fact that the almost ludicrously talent-rich welterweight division is the best, the most entertaining and the most competitive weight class in boxing today. But something that is very much up for debate is this: who is the best 147-pound operator in the sport today? With the “retirement” of Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, fans have wondered which fighter will become the undisputed pick as the best in the world.

Keith Thurman defeats Shawn Porter

06/26/201606/25/2016 Premier Boxing

(Photo: Esther Lin/Tom Casino/SHOWTIME) BROOKLYN (June 26, 2016) – Prizefighting returned to CBS on Saturday with a Fight of the Year candidate as undefeated welterweight world champion Keith Thurman edged former world champion Shawn Porter in a close but unanimous decision scored 115-113 by all three ringside judges.

The 12,718 fans in attendance at Barclays Center in Brooklyn and the viewers across the U.S. watching the first primetime boxing event on CBS since Muhammed Ali-Leon Spinks in 1978 were treated to a slugfest between two of the brightest stars in boxing’s glamour division.

Thurman vs. Porter: Friends turn foes in Brooklyn

06/26/201606/23/2016 Chris Carlson

Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman meets ‘Showtime’ Shawn Porter this Saturday in primetime on CBS, at the Barclays Center, in Brooklyn, New York. This long awaited bout is here at last after a drawn out negotiation process that was side-tracked in February due to injury. Brooklyn will definitely be in the house to witness this step in the right direction at 147. This matchup creates much needed separation at the welterweight division that is up for grabs with Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao on hiatus.

Photos: Keith Thurman 146 vs. Shawn Porter 147 – Weights

06/26/201606/23/2016 Premier Boxing

Weigh-In Results: Keith Thurman 146 vs. Shawn Porter 147
Jarrett Hurd 153.8 vs. Oscar Molina 154.8
Adam Kownacki 264.2 vs. Jesse Barboza 242.8
Heather Hardy 123.2 vs. Kirstie Simmons 122.8
David Benavidez 168.6 vs. Francy Ntetu 170
Jonathan Alonso 141.6 vs. Brian Jones 142
Regis Prograis 139.8 vs. Luis Florez 140
Josue Vargas 140.8 vs. Ryan Picou 140.8
Nicklaus Flaz 150.6 vs. Mack Babb 150.8

Kell Brook picks Shawn Porter to beat Keith Thurman on Saturday

06/22/2016 James Slater

IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook is an ideal person to predict this Saturday’s big welterweight clash between Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter, having been in there with Porter; being the only man to have beaten him. Brook won a very close decision over Porter back in August of 2014, to win the IBF belt he now holds and looks to defend against Jessie Vargas, the WBO champ, in a September unification (that still has not been 100-percent finalized).

Brook scored the biggest win of his career in winning a majority decision over Porter – since then, Brook has been ranked as the number-one welterweight in the world by Ring Magazine as well as a top-10 pound-for-pound fighter by “The Bible of Boxing” – and he now picks Porter to upset Thurman in their WBA title clash.