Rios and Garcia give their take on potential Thurman-Porter showdown

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    Brandon Rios Robert GarciaOne of the criticisms levied against Al Haymon’s PBC is the failure of the promotion to match its top stars against one another, even when those stars compete in the same weight division. With the exception of the Porter-Broner matchup (and perhaps Garcia-Peterson and Lee-Quillin, depending on who you ask), which many viewed as a “cash-out” fight, contests between two fighters of that caliber have been few and far between.

    However, if rumors prove to be true, we could be headed towards such a showdown in December to cap off the inaugural year of the PBC experiment.

    Tha Boxing Voice is reporting that welterweight star Keith “One-Time” Thurman has secured a date for December 12th in San Antonio, Texas. The rumored opponent for that date? Shawn “Showtime” Porter. The rumored matchup would be potentially one of the biggest fights to be made currently on that side of the promotional fence.

    On paper, it’s beyond reproach. Two hard punching, hardworking, and entertaining young welterweights vying for a spot up the ladder in the welterweight division post Mayweather-Pacquiao dominance; any boxing fan would welcome such an event.

    While preparing for their showdown with Timothy Bradley, Brandon Rios and trainer Robert Garcia gave their thoughts to ESNEWS on who would emerge victorious if the fight in question were to take place. They had varying views on the outcome, but they seemed sure of one thing, it would be a competitive fight that is hard to predict.

    “I’d go for Porter.” said Rios.

    “I’d be cheering for Porter, but I think Thurman wins.” countered Garcia.

    “Maybe, if Thurman catches him.” replied Rios.

    Garcia countered, “But what’s his name even dropped him…Broner dropped Porter. And Thurman hits way harder…If he catches him? You could say if he catches Mayweather. Porter gets hit too.”

    That would be one of the main questions heading into the proposed fight. Could Keith Thurman’s established power stop Porter’s seemingly never ending swarm? Would the activity level and strength of Porter overrun Thurman’s defense? What would Thurman do if Porter proved able to withstand his best shot?

    All of this would factor into determining which of these two will be the one to stand out from the pack at welterweight. The admittedly talented, but rather murky division at the moment, needs a new superstar to emerge and grasp the brass ring that is boxing’s most celebrated division in recent memory. Here’s hoping both Porter and Thurman toss their respective hats in that ring come December.