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.
That seems quite tough to believe, but Brook against Thurman would definitely be a big and very interesting fight. It would also be a three-belt unification bout if Brook can defeat WBO 147-pound champ Jessie Vargas (in August or September, if this fight goes ahead as planned). That alone would make the fight one to see but Thurman against anyone will likely produce good action. Aside from either a return fight with the deserving Porter, a mega-fight with either of Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather should either superstar return, or a big fight with WBC welterweight king Danny Garcia, a Thurman-Brook fight is probably the best match-up that can be made today at 147.
And Brook is absolutely buzzing at the idea of taking on Thurman.
“I need to get in with Thurman,” Brook, unbeaten at 36-0 and also owning a close points win over Porter, said to Sky Sports. “I need to collect this belt from [Jessie] Vargas and then [it could be] me against Thurman. He’s got a lot of respect for me and vice versa. I think it’d be a massive fight and would top [Thurman-Porter] with how exciting it’d be.”
Brook, like Thurman, was able to take all the pressure, power and physicality Porter brought to their fight and “The Special One” proved he is unafraid to travel to the US to fight (the likely venue for a fight with Thurman). Brook is also massive for the 147-pound weight, and very strong as a result (some experts say they really do not know how Brook makes the weight effectively, and it will be interesting to see how long he can continue to do so). But if Brook can get past Vargas and if he can continue to make 147, without weakening himself, for another six to eight months (before a seemingly inevitable move up to 154), he could give Thurman a very, very tough night’s work – maybe even beat him.
Brook’s career has been somewhat disappointing recently, or, in truth, since the big win over Porter. That was almost two years ago (August, 2014) and since then, Brook has faced no elite fighters. It’s time his career got going, as he himself acknowledges, and fights with Vargas and then Thurman would certainly make up for lost time. Thurman, 27-0(22) appears to be at his peak or thereabouts, as does Brook. This fight, if made, would pit two very strong, both mentally and physically, very determined and very tough fighters going at it. Thurman showed an absolute ton of heart against Porter, while Brook too passed the Porter test and he also showed grit in his 2012 points win over a fully focused Carson Jones (eve if that fight was a long time ago now).
Who would come out on top in this, potentially another gruelling battle? Right now, I’d give Thurman a slight edge, but this possible fight has the look of yet another 50-50 affair in today’s talent-crammed welterweight division. Let’s get this fight made!