By Jaime Ortega: A lot people claim the winner of Kell Brook and Errol Spence Jr., will determine who the best boxer at the welterweight division is. That is absolutely absurd and somewhat disrespectful to the new unified American champion at 147lbs.
Keith Thurman toyed with Danny Garcia and has the best resume in the welterweight division outside of veteran Manny Pacquiao – Timothy Bradley is number three. Thurman knocked out via body punch the most underestimated boxer in the welterweight division, Diego Chaves, and gave him his first loss during his prime – a task Brandon Rios and Timothy Bradley could not accomplish.
Everyone in the welterweight division avoided to callout Chaves, which includes Errol Spence and Kell Brook – Brook pulled out the fight with Chaves from a late minute ‘injury’. Bradley even warned Brook, Chaves was going to be his toughest test.
Thurman also retired Julio Diaz and knocked him out, an opponent who had a previous draw with Porter. Everyone speaks about Spence knocking out Leonard Bundu with a body shot, but fail to mention how Thurman viciously crushed Diaz, and Diaz was a better rounded boxer than Bundu – not to mention Thurman gave Bundu his first loss in a one sided night. Thurman also TKO veteran Carlos Quintana in a one sided fight – Quintana beat no other than the now retired Paul Williams and gave him his first loss.
Thurman then took on Luis Collazo the dangerous gatekeeper of the welterweight division who recently sent prospect Sammy Vasquez to the nap-nap-room – Collazo is the most underrated boxer puncher. Thurman cruised through Luis Collazo, till he got caught by a shot to the liver that would have dropped most boxers. Thurman then got back on his rhythm and made Collazo quit – an accomplishment no other boxer I’ve seen has ever inflicted on Collazo. Thurman gets no credit for such achievement, but Spence gets credit for beating Chris Algeri, who is not even a true 147lbs? Thurman also TKO Jesus Soto Karass who at the time had just TKO Andre Berto.
Thurman then took on Robert Guerrero, who akin Collazo is a warrior and can exchange with anyone. Thurman dropped Guerrero once and then out boxed him. Brook or Spence haven’t faced the likes of a Collazo or a Guerrero on their ascent to the welterweight division, but somehow they are ranked higher than Thurman in the brainless mind of casual fans.
Thurman went to war with Shawn Porter and beat him on his prime. Porter showed relentless stamina and never ending aggression, and was not able to defeat Thurman. Thurman landed the cleaner and critical shots which stunned Porter at times. Porter then confessed he had never felt a power punch like Thurman’s before, attesting to the fact he faced the hardest puncher he has ever fought – that excludes Brook from the punch power list.
Thurman then took on the dangerous and accomplished undefeated Danny Garcia, and he out boxed him, and had the luxury to run free in the later rounds thinking he clearly won. The fight was a clear Unanimous Decision, but the Judges gave it a draw. Most experts thought Garcia would beat Thurman!
Thurman’s ascension to the belt unification is by far the toughest path of any current world champion in the welterweight division, and possibly pound for pound. He destroyed better well-rounded boxers than Spence or Brook. Spence hasn’t even faced the real tigers of the welterweight division. He could have faced hungry young lions like Porter, Tewa Kiram, Jeff Horn, Sammy Vasquez or veterans like Collazo, or dangerous boxers Diego Chaves and Jessie Vargas – instead he took the easier route. To Spence’s credit, the Russian prospect Konstantin Pomonarev clearly ducked him in my view, but how many top boxers ducked Thurman? – A little something to think about.
Brook also faced a lot of no names before he ascended, but he outshined when he contained the rushes of Porter and timed his counters to victory. Brook has a better resume than Spence only based on his Porter victory, but they both fall short of Thurman’s opponent list – it is not even close, to suggest the opposite is clear denial.
Thurman will beat Spence and Brook, he has the ring IQ to beat both and the skills and power to back-up his credentials on fight night. He hasn’t used his full potential as of today, but when he does he will resort to knockout his challengers under survival mode. The casual fans have disrespected ‘One Time’ out of jealousy, not out of common sense. Thurman hits harder than Spence, even Chris Algieri said Ruslan Provodnikov hits harder than Spence, so imagine Thurman.
The real key fight, and the best bout in the welterweight division is Pacquiao versus Thurman. Pacquiao is still the most dangerous boxer out there. Pacquiao out boxed Vargas and Bradley and toyed with them. Pacquiao is stylistically the most dangerous fighter in the welterweight division and even though Floyd Mayweather Jr. called Spence the truth, he also said Pacquiao is the best current welterweight. Pacquiao might be old but he is way more experienced than Spence or Brook, and he will instantly expose their flaws – they aren’t Mayweather Jr., their defense is shaky, especially Spence when he gets reckless.
If Thurman fights Pacquiao, it will be hands down the most intriguing fight to watch in the welterweight division because Thurman will have to resort to boxing, timing and speed against the Filipino boxer. It is not clear whether or not Pacquiao will fight Thurman, but Thurman has already called him out on Facebook, and Freddie Roach says he wants the fight to materialize; so for the first time, such unification bout is a likely possibility and it would be great for boxing if Thurman and Pacquiao trade leather.
If Thurman beats Pacquiao, Thurman should be considered the best pound for pound with Andre Ward given the opponent list he has faced and defeated. Everyone praises Spence and Brook, but these two have not faced caliber opponents like Thurman, and everyone hails they are the best. The comedy of boxing mesmerizes sometimes me. The true monster is Thurman, and Spence and Brook don’t come second, Pacquiao comes second.