Keith Thurman trashes Mayweather in interview

By Boxing News - 06/25/2015 - Comments

thurman5By Jaime Ortega: In a recent interview, WBA welterweight champion Keith Thurman (25-0, 21 KOs) with vitriolic confidence harshly lashed Floyd Mayweather Jr. with criticism after hearing the champion say that Thurman should fight in his next undercard against unbeaten Errol Spence (17-0, 14 KOs). Thurman got upset with Floyd for him possibly giving Andre Berto, Karim Mayfield and even Amir Khan a shot over his undefeated record alongside Kell Brook (35-0, 24 KOs).

“Floyd fight Kell Brook, fight a big welterweight, don’t [expletive] fight Amir Khan bro, don’t fight that [expletive],” Thurman said via 78SPORTSTV and added, “Go ahead and fight an undefeated fighter, if you don’t want to fight me because you don’t want to fight a brother who can punch and hurt you…then go fight him (Brook) for the fans!”

Thurman ended the interview by saying that Errol Spence Jr. should fight Diego Chavez, before he steps in the ring with him.

Boxing needs a facelift; it needs a fighter who is willing to take on everyone for the sake of boxing and not just money alone. In my opinion, Thurman and Brook represent that stereotype of fighters, that unlike Floyd, are willing to take on all opponents and styles.

A few years back Marcos Maidana ducked Thurman and pulled out from the deal, as Thurman in Florida was already training, sparring with Shawn Porter to prepare for the fight. Amir Khan, has ducked Kell Brook, who has repeatedly stated that he wants the fight to show England who is the best out the two pugilists.

As a fan of boxing, to say the least, the way boxing presently carries itself is simply and plainly ridiculous.

Thurman has to work on his game, agreed, but it’s difficult for pure pugilistic breeds like the Clear Water native to impose their dominance over contenders who don’t want to fight him. What is he supposed to do? Get on his knees and beg?

He gets the dog scraps, not the obvious fights. With that said, I have to give Luis Collazo credit for taking the fight with Thurman because no one in the top ten of the welterweight division wants a piece of ‘One Time’.

Thurman despite the criticism received after the Leonard Bundu fight, who he handled in great fashion, has not yet convinced the casual boxing fans who are looking for knockouts only. Boxing is more than knockouts, more than holding, and way more than cherry picking, if you get the point!

After beating Robert Guerrero via a 12 round unanimous decision last March, that wasn’t enough for some of his critics to cut Thurman some slack, focusing instead on his mistakes.

Thurman with Floyd hold the WBA belt, and should square off in the ring for the sake of boxing. Errol versus Thurman, Porter or Brook is a fight for the future, but far from present reality.

Errol Spencer Jr. as of today has fought nobodies, and if he ends up becoming the next superstar, he will find it hard to get opponents who will agree to fight him just as Thurman experienced. At this point in his career he doesn’t deserve Thurman, but Thurman does deserve Floyd and Floyd knows that very well.

Yet Floyd wants to sell that fight to the public, he wants to evanescence from the obvious picture and instead sell the public Errol versus Thurman — but not all fans are dull minded.

Adrian Broner, who was supposed be the next ‘Floyd’ according to Floyd himself ended up becoming a Fraud to the public after the Porter bout, and we don’t know if Errol will or will not flop like his TMT acolyte, so as stated above, he needs more time.

But, common, folks! Seriously? Mayfield and Berto? I mean Floyd was complaining a few years ago about legendary Manny Pacquiao not deserving the title shot after he lost against Juan Manuel Marquez, but now when the smoke cloud has finally dissipated he wants to take on Berto or Mayfield?

I can smell a rematch between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, for May 2, 2016. Floyd to take over Rocky Marciano’s record, 50-0, but let me remind everyone that the record holder is the legendary Ricardo Lopez who holds the record of 51-0-1. Tie doesn’t count as defeat. In the process of a rematch, and before his retirement to become a promoter there is room for great fights.

Floyd you need to take on Thurman, or Brook and stop selling smoke to the public. No one wants to see you fight two undeserved fighters, who don’t stand a chance against you. No one is asking you to fight Gennady Golovkin, I get it, he is too big. Although realistically the one who calls himself “The Best Ever” should take on different weight classes as Sugar Ray Robinson and Henry Armstrong once did, the latter defending his belt nineteen times.

You need to at least give these young lions a shot. The sport needs young boxers to progress, not regress. Belts are to defend, not to give away. Boxers get paid for fighting, not stalemating.



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