Keith Thurman says welterweight division no longer a true 147 class

Keith Thurman believes the welterweight division has drifted away from what it used to be, and the former unified champion says the current crop of fighters at 147 pounds does not resemble a traditional welterweight class.

Thurman, 37, said the division has been filled with smaller fighters moving up in weight rather than natural welterweights establishing themselves at the top.

“The welterweight division is not a welterweight division right now,” Thurman said to MillCity Boxing. “I think Conor Benn might be the only real welterweight with the other boy that Haney just beat, Brian Norman.”

The Florida native argued that many of the fighters operating near the top of the rankings began their careers at lower weights and have gradually climbed upward, which, in his view, has changed the identity of the class that once produced some of boxing’s most competitive eras.

“Where’s the welterweights?” Thurman said.

Thurman built his reputation at 147 pounds with wins over Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia during his championship run.

Now entering the later stage of his career, Thurman has begun campaigning at junior middleweight. He suggested the move was partly influenced by the landscape at welterweight and the lack of opportunities that made sense for him there.

“They didn’t want me at welterweight,” Thurman said, referencing the difficulty of securing fights in the division despite his past accomplishments.

The former champion has remained open about wanting meaningful fights wherever they can be made, saying he would consider contests anywhere between 147 and 154 pounds if the right opportunity presents itself.

For Thurman, the upcoming stretch represents an attempt to reinsert himself into the conversation among the top names in the sport. His comments about the welterweight division also reflect a broader view that the class is currently in transition as new fighters try to establish themselves at the top.

Whether his assessment proves accurate will likely depend on how the next wave of contenders develops, but Thurman made it clear he still believes the division should be defined by fighters who truly belong at the weight.