Thurman/Collazo: Can Luis Collazo Beat the Odds in Tampa?

Thurman/Collazo: Can Luis Collazo Beat the Odds in Tampa?

It’s a fair question to ask, can Luis Collazo (36-6 19Kos) overcome his perceived deficiencies against Keith Thurman (25-0 21Kos) on July 11th in Tampa Florida? Bookies aren’t in favor of him (he’s sitting as a 14-1 dog), he’s 8 years his opponent’s senior, has boxed more than double the rounds of Thurman, and has been in some very entertaining WARS throughout his career.

Now I’m a betting man (admittedly not a very good one), and this fight intrigues me. Keith has been vocal about fighting Floyd Mayweather, and showcasing his talents for all to see; could he possibly be overlooking Luis Collazo? This statement is purely conjecture, but if true, he wouldn’t be the first guy to do so. Ricky Hatton and Andre Berto both had aims of a fight with Mayweather when they clashed with Collazo, and both men were very fortunate to be awarded wins in those respective bouts.

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Thurman vs. Collazo Headlines First PBC on ESPN July 11

Thurman vs. Collazo Headlines First PBC on ESPN July 11

The first live Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN (PBC on ESPN) telecast will feature a star-studded 12-round welterweight matchup between undefeated Keith “One Time” Thurman (25-0, 21 KOs) and Luis Collazo (36-6, 19 KOs) when the series debuts on ESPN on Saturday, July 11, at 9 p.m. ET. The opening fight will showcase a 10-round junior middleweight matchup between undefeated Tony Harrison (21-0, 18 KOs) and Willie Nelson (23-2-1, 13 KOs). ESPN3 will also carry live the preliminary bouts at a time to be determined. The card will be held in Tampa, Fla., at a site to be named.

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Amir Khan displays overall style improvements in his UD win against Luis Collazo

Amir Khan displays overall style improvements in his UD win against Luis Collazo

Amir Khan has had 15 title fights since 2007 and his welterweight debut against Luis Collazo at MGM Grand on Saturday was no exception. His opponent was strong and game but somewhat limited as a boxer and was expected to test Khan’s ability to deal with raw power and aggression.

Khan showed progress in the way he used his speed. His fast footwork did not appear to be chaotic like in previous outings and maneuvered him in proper range and correct angle towards the heavy handed southpaw Collazo. His hand speed was purposeful this time; he delivered sharp straight shots from comfortable range combined with good movement and defensive alert. The bulky and menacing Collazo was dazzled by the fast and accurate combos and constant motion of his opponent while he was looking for an opening and trying to walk Khan down to the corner.

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Amir Khan Defeats Luis Collazo Via Unanimous Decision In Co-Feature On SHOWTIME PPV

Amir Khan Defeats Luis Collazo Via Unanimous Decision In Co-Feature On SHOWTIME PPV

British star Amir Khan floored Luis Collazo three times en route to a 12-round unanimous decision 117-106, 119-104, 119-104.

Khan (29-3, 19 KOs), in his first bout at 147 pounds, showcased his speed, footwork and precision from the opening bell. Khan landed 50 percent of his power punches and mixed in a dose of roughhouse tactics, which added up to a frustrating night for Collazo.

Both fighters were fined a point in the eighth at separate times by referee Vic Drakulich. With Khan holding Collazo’s head down, Collazo was fined for a low blow. Just seconds later, Khan was penalized one point for holding.

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The Moment – Big Fight Preview: Mayweather’s mindset, Khan’s toughest clash and Broner getting back to basics

The Moment – Big Fight Preview: Mayweather’s mindset, Khan’s toughest clash and Broner getting back to basics

Probably three of the top ten draws in boxing right now, today’s event featuring Adrien Broner, Floyd Mayweather and Amir Khan is one to relish.

Granted, real boxing fans know that the headline clash between Mayweather and Marcos Maidana is about as one-sided a bout as ‘Money’ has been in for a long time. However, a chance to also witness Broner back to his spectacular best and Khan in a real 50/50 bout makes this a special card.

Also featuring will be some of Mayweather Promotions’ best prospects as well as another UK Olympic medalist that Golden Boy Promotions are hoping to turn into the next Amir Khan. With such a stacked show it can be hard to get your head around all that is on offer, so here is a breakdown of all the goings on involved in The Moment.

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Luis Collazo birthday roundtable quotes

Luis Collazo birthday roundtable quotes

NEW YORK CITY (April 22, 2014) – Photo by Tom Casino / Showtime – Former WBA Welterweight World Champion and current WBA International Welterweight Champion Luis Collazo spent the afternoon of his birthday speaking with reporters about what he calls the “highest plateau that one can fight on.” Collazo, who turned 33-years-old today, will face former unified world champion Amir “King” Khan in the co-main event of “THE MOMENT: Mayweather vs. Maidana” on Saturday, May 3 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas live on SHOWTIME PPV®.

Collazo opened up about his spirituality, work ethic and excitement for this chance of a lifetime taking place in less than two weeks. Below is a selection of Collazo’s thoughts ahead of his fight against Khan.

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Hatton: Khan deserves the Mayweather fight if he beats Collazo

Hatton: Khan deserves the Mayweather fight if he beats Collazo

While some boxing fans feel that a win over 32-year-old Luis Collazo (35-5, 18 KO’s) isn’t a big enough win to catapult Amir Khan (28-3, 19 KO’s) into a big fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr., Ricky Hatton thinks Khan should be given the Mayweather fight off of a victory over Collazo. Hatton admires Collazo’s ability after having beaten him by a 12 round decision 7 years ago when Collazo was much younger and in possession of the WBA 147lb title.

Collazo has been hanging around the sport ever since, but he stopped fighting well known opposition after a loss to Andre Berto in 2009. Collazo went through a 5 year period where he fought largely C level opposition until his win over Victor Ortiz earlier this year. Ortiz is arguably a low B level fighter, if not a C level guy at this point in his career.

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Amir Khan, Luis Collazo media interview transcript

Amir Khan, Luis Collazo media interview transcript

Kelly Swanson

I’m going to go ahead and call this media conference call today the second moment of “THE MOMENT” for a fight that was announced this week. We have Amir “King” Khan and also Luis Collazo joining us today, along with Richard Schaefer, Chief Executive Officer of Golden Boy Promotions, and Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Showtime. So, very exciting, and I’m going to turn it over to the participants and start with Richard Schaefer, who will make the introductions.

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Luis Collazo getting ready for Khan fight

Luis Collazo getting ready for Khan fight

Photo by Andrew Jackson – WBA International Welterweight Champion Luis Collazo arrived this week at Fort Jackson Military Base in South Carolina to prepare for his upcoming WBC Silver Welterweight World Championship bout against former unified world champion Amir “King” Khan. The bout was officially announced earlier this week as the co-main event of “THE MOMENT: Mayweather vs. Maidana” which will take place on May 3 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., live on SHOWTIME PPV®.

“I love coming down here, it’s a great place to focus before a big fight,” said Collazo. “The atmosphere in Fort Jackson is great. It’s simply an amazing place to train. The troops inspire me. They are disciplined and loyal, and they push themselves to the limit.

I admire them. I always gain inspiration from being around them.”

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Luis Collazo: I’m just grateful for this opportunity to be back on top of the boxing world

Luis Collazo: I'm just grateful for this opportunity to be back on top of the boxing world

During Wednesday’s conference call for Amir Khan and Luis Collazo, I had a chance to ask Collazo how he felt about being back on the big stage after he disappeared from the boxing spotlight. He responded by telling me that just talking about it made him emotional. Collazo says “I’m just grateful for this opportunity to be back on top of the boxing world”. He has given his life to god and said that he is no longer on his own time but ” Right now I’m on God’s time”.

Collazo hasn’t lost a fight since 2011 to Freddy Hernandez. Since then he has won four straight with his most recent fight being his most important. His victory over Victor Ortiz put him in the position to challenge Amir Khan as the co-main event to Mayweather-Maidana on Showtime PPV.

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