Welterweight prospect Errol Spence (15-0, 12KO’s) was in attendance at the MGM Grand over the weekend to see Keith Thurman gain his 25th straight victory by outpointing Robert Guerrero in defence of his WBA World welterweight title.
Spence gave credit to both men for their performances despite making disparaging remarks about Thurman in the past.
“Keith Thurman – Guerrero was a good fight man they poured they heart out. Robert Guerrero tough as nails and Keith Thurman, I think, was the first person to knock Robert Guerrero down. So it was a great fight man.”
After a close opening third, the fight began to clearly turn in Thurman’s favour as Guerrero seemed focused on trying to counterpunch, an approach that too often deteriorated into inactivity. Thurman applied pressure with his feet and threw very hard combinations when the opportunity presented itself but intermixed that tactic with circling the periphery of the ring, making Guerrero constantly adjust.
Thurman dropped Guerrero in the ninth round with a sweeping right and had him really hurt in the corner by the time the bell rang, but the tenth was the most exciting and competitive yet as Guerrero endeavoured to put Thurman under some kind of pressure. He leaned on Thurman constantly against the ropes, and the punches they exchanged from this position brought the crowd up, but Thurman stayed calm and picked some nice combinations off and I still had him winning that round. He shut Guerrero down in the last two session by staying on the move and rightfully had his glove raised at the end.
On the strength of that performance, Thurman’s name can now realistically be mentioned beside the top guys in the division, namely Floyd Mayweather. Spence, upon pondering that match-up feels Thurman is close, if not within touching distance.
“Keith, he’s a real awkward fighter so he’ll give anybody problems, but he gotta have a few more fights before he fight Floyd Mayweather, but I don’t think it’s ridiculous at all.”
