Thurman will fight Spence on one condition only

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Keith Thurman Errol SpenceWBA World welterweight champion Keith Thurman (26-0, 22 KO’s) has no interest in fighting Errol Spence Jr. (17-0, 14 KO’s).

However, he has a legitimate reason he’s been ducking the 25-year-old rising star. Let’s be honest ladies and gentleman, Mr. ‘One Time’ is afraid of losing his ‘one shot’ to fighting the undisputed pound-for-pound champion in Floyd Mayweather Jr.

This is the same reason Dillian Whyte was unable to land a fight with Tyson Fury. The undefeated Fury (24-0, 18 KO’s) was pursuing a fight with Wladimir Klitschko, a fight that he landed, which is now slated for October 24th in Germany.

Had he fought Whyte (14-0, 11 KO’s) and lost, which was an entirely possible scenario, his shot at a big-money fight with Klitschko, would have been eradicated.

On June 20th, following Shawn Porter’s unanimous decision victory over Adrien Broner at MGM Grand, Mayweather offered Thurman a spot on his undercard to fight Spence for one of his welterweight titles.

A week ago, the WBO stripped Floyd Mayweather of the WBO title he earned by beating Manny Pacquiao in May for failing to pay a $200,000 sanctioning fee for the Pacquiao fight, for refusing to send a signed letter relinquishing his WBA/WBC 154 lb titles, and for not stating his wish to keep the WBO title.

However, Mayweather still possesses the WBA Super and the WBC World welterweight titles, but Thurman wants to be no part of an undercard. He wants Mayweather and Mayweather only, but he could make an exception to fight Spence, speaking at the post-fight press conference following his victory over Luis Collazo on Saturday.

“Man, first of all, that’s game. He’s playing games,” Thurman spoke regarding Mayweather’s attempts to get him to fight Spence on 9/12.

“If he wants to offer anything, he can offer $10 million in his bank account if he wants to offer something. Floyd fights for the money. He wants to make a good fight happen. Throw some dollar bills. He [Spence] needs to earn the shot. Have I not earned that respect in the welterweight division?

“Did I not climb up the ladder step-by-step, fighting whoever they put in front of me, fighting all the ex-world champions? How man ex-world champions has he [Spence] fought?”

That ex-champion Thurman just fought this past Saturday in Luis Collazo, hasn’t been in possession of a legitimate World title in close to a decade. To be fair, that left hook to the liver would have flattened 95 percent of fighters, and Thurman took it like a true champion.

But, the people aren’t stupid. We know why Thurman doesn’t want Spence, like how we know why Amir Khan won’t fight Kell Brook. They are after the money.

Thurman can say all he wants about Mayweather only fighting for money, but isn’t that a part of the reason he wants to fight Mayweather?

A part of it is legacy, no doubt, because Mayweather is one of the best fighters of all-time, but the money talk just seems a bit hypocritical from my perspective.

Thurman went on to say that he doesn’t believe Spence wants to fight him, even in the near future.

“That boy don’t want it in the near future,” referring to Spence. “His uncle Floyd, who adopted him, told him to make that statement. If he really wanted to make that statement, he wouldn’t have stuttered when he said it. Let’s be honest. He is a young, talented fighter. I sound like Floyd right now, right?

“Floyd wants me to fight a young man, somebody that’s my age because he doesn’t want to beat up on the elderly. TBE is ‘To Be Extinct.’ Let’s wave goodbye to the old man.”

Thurman is going to do put on the best trash talk of his life leading up to Mayweather’s decision. But, when it’s all said and done, don’t be surprised if Mayweather chooses Amir Khan.