Keith Thurman will headline his second PBC event, but this one is more special than the first one. For starters, it’s the inaugural PBC on ESPN in prime time, but more importantly he gets to headline a card near his hometown of Clearwater, Florida. Thurman takes on former world champion Luis Collazo this Saturday in Tampa Bay.
Though he may be the big favorite on Saturday, Thurman told ESPN’s Brian Campbell that Collazo has a history of upsetting people so he can’t be taken lightly.
“Experience goes a long way in sports and in the world of boxing,” Thurman said. “He’s an ex-world champion, and now he has the opportunity to become champion again. I tell people all the time that the only thing that matters in a fight is how training camp was. If he really wants to do something in his career and if he wants to make one last statement, the time is now. So I expect Luis Collazo to bring his best. He has had some ups and downs in his career. He has had some great victories and upsets and I believe that he is coming to upset me July 11 in my hometown, where we will do our best to put on a great performance and not allow that to happen.”
Thurman feels Collazo is dangerous because of his versatility.
“Technically, I feel like Collazo fights differently each time he is in the ring, so I really don’t have a lot of expectations,” stated Thurman “I’m just going to box smart round by round and see which kind of tools he wants to use the night of the fight.”
Should Thurman win, many people feel he should be in the Floyd Mayweather sweepstakes whether it’s this year or next. Thurman feels he’s in the conversation already.
“I believe I am currently already in the conversation. I believe the way that I perform could elevate the topic more. It’s interesting. Floyd has — to me, for the most part — kept his mouth shut on who he wants to fight next and what’s going to happen in September. So maybe he is looking to see what’s going on in the welterweight division and which fighter in the Top 10 he is truly willing to fight. I would love a fight against Mayweather and have been talking about it for a few years now. He is the king, and I say that every king has his day. I’d like him to come see me one time.”
