ThurmanBunduLVWorkout_Hoganphotos1 (Photo credit: Hogan Photos) By Dan Ambrose: The fight between WBA “regular” welterweight champion Keith “One Time” Thurman (26-0, 22 KOs) and Shawn Porter (26-1-1, 16 KOs) is reportedly a done deal for March 12 at the Mohegan Sun Casino, in Uncasville, Connecticut.

The Thurman-Porter fight will be televised on Premier Boxing Champions on CBS. This is a good match-up in my view. It’s a MUCH better fight than next week’s mismatch between Danny Garcia and Robert Guerrero on PBC on Fox. That’s a horrible fight for the vacant WBC welterweight title. I like the Thurman vs. Porter fight much better, as long as they get some good judges in case it goes to the scorecards.

The Thurman-Porter fight is expected to be announced this Saturday during the Deontay Wilder vs. Artur Szpilka fight card on Showtime Championship Boxing.

It’s thought by many fans that Thurman isn’t too excited about the Porter fight due to the huge risk involved for him. While Thurman likes to say he has an ‘O and he’s not afraid to lose it,’ but his soft matchmaking he’s had seems to suggest otherwise.

Thurman had a chance to fight unbeaten Errol Spence Jr. last year after Floyd Mayweather Jr. volunteered to vacate one of his welterweight titles if Thurman would agree to fight the unbeaten Spence. Instead of Thurman taking Mayweather up on the offer, he turned down the fight and said that Spence had to earn his shot at a title.

What was strange about Thurman’s comments is that it would have been for a vacant title, not one of his own titles. Thurman still thought Spence needed to earn the shot. It was kind of hard to stomach, given that Thurman hasn’t exactly been facing high quality opposition since he turned pro.

Thurman’s best fights have come against B level fighters that Spence would likely destroy. These are Thurman’s best opponents: Luis Collazo, 40-year-old Leonard Bundu, Julio Diaz, Diego Chaves, Jan Zaveck, Robert Guerrero, and Jesus Soto Karass. Those guys are literally no better than the fighters that Spence has been facing.

Porter has been out of the ring since beating Adrien Broner last June in a mostly one-sided fight.

Thurman last fought in July last year in stopping the 34-year-old Collazo in the 7th round. Thurman was badly hurt by a body shot in the 4th and he almost went down.

Getting some tips from legendary trainer Jimmy Williams yesterday in practice. #TeamThurman pic.twitter.com/j9glD0RZZ1

— Keith Thurman Jr. (@keithfthurmanjr) January 15, 2016

It’s going to be hard for Thurman to win this fight if Porter is able to get on top of him and fight on the inside. Thurman’s entire game is based on him retreating and throwing left hooks while backing up.

Thurman only does well when he throws shots while backing away, and when pot shotting timid fighters. When Thurman is stationary and under fierce attack, he’s very vulnerable. Thurman has to be on the move to be effective, and he doesn’t appear to have a great chin.

Oscar Valdez vs. Evgeny Gradovich added to Pacquiao-Bradley 3 card on April 9

Former IBF featherweight champion Evgeny Gradovich will be facing undefeated two-time Mexican Olympian Oscar Valdez on the undercard of the Manny Pacquiao vs. Tim Bradley fight card on April 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, according to Fight news.

The fight will likely make it on the televised portion of the fight card, as Top Rank is interested in trying to turn Valdez into a star. They have their work cut out for them though, because Valdez easily beaten by Vasyl Lomachenko in the amateur ranks.

The only way Top Rank is going to turn Valdez into a star is if they steer him around Lomachenko and other impossible to beat featherweights like Lee Selby and Gary Russell Jr. Valdez is young enough to eventually pick up a paper title, or one of the straps vacated by a champion that moves up in weight.

Gradovich doesn’t look like the same fighter he once was since his 8th round technical decision loss to Selby in May 2015. Since that fight, Gradovich has battled hard to barely beat two journeyman level fighters in Jesus Galicia and Aldimar Silva Santos.

The fact that Gradovich couldn’t even beat those guys with ease suggests that his ability to fight at the upper level of the sport may be nearing the end. Valdez isn’t a great fighter despite being two-time Mexican Olympian, but he probably has enough to beat Gradovich.