Floyd Mayweather Jr. has not named an opponent for his September 12 date at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, and so far he has thrown out names such as Andre Berto and Karim Mayfield that are stretches of the imagination. Some boxing fans are hoping that Mayweather is waiting to see Keith "One-Time" Thurman prove what he is all about on Saturday.
Thurman is set to headline the first Premier Boxing Champions card on ESPN against veteran southpaw Luis Collazo, and he's a heavy favorite to win. Thurman, undefeated, is an up-and-coming knockout artist that has more skill and nuance than the last few punchers Mayweather has faced. He is also fond of saying he "has an O and he's not scared to let it go."
Thurman is itching to test himself against Mayweather.
"I want him whenever he wants me. Whenever he's ready," Thurman said of Mayweather. "I think it's a fan friendly fight. I have one opponent that's in common with Mayweather right now, Robert Guerrero. And I look forward to having many other opponents in common with Mayweather so I can show how I look in the ring in comparison with some of the other top welterweights."
Thurman doesn't think fighting on July 11 necessarily precludes him from being ready in September either. "If it's an early knockout I definitely could."
While Thurman's last two wins have come by unanimous decision, he is one of the most explosive fighters in boxing pound-for-pound. 21 of Thurman's 25 wins have come by knockout, and recently he has shown superior boxing ability as well. That combination of power and skill has made him unattractive to some big names. He took aim at that in a separate interview with Ring Magazine, in which he was critical of Mayweather's reluctance to fight him.
"Mayweather, Schmayweather," Thurman said. "He's made tons of money, has tons of records and he doesn't need me if he doesn't want me. But I please the fans. He's like a pop star, a rock star, all his money, his cars, his hoes, I suppose. TBE, huh?
"He didn't fight some of those guys at the right time. He didn't do it for the fans. He waited a long time for Manny Pacquiao, for Pacquiao's marquee value to go up and down. I'm 26, at the forefront of boxing, this is the second of two networks I'm headlining a card for, for PBC. I'm going to be here possibly for the next six to 10 years, have a healthy, beautiful career, with or without Mayweather."
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