Thurman: I’m the future of the welterweight division

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    Keith ThurmanKeith “One Time” Thurman is one of the hottest fighters in boxing. Fans are starting to demand his name be mentioned amongst the best fighters. Not only that, but the demand is growing for him to receive a showdown with one of the more well-known welterweights in the world.

    Thurman will get the opportunity to give his hometown fans a fight in his backyard when he meets Luis Collazo at the USF Sundome in Tampa, Florida in the main event of “PBC’s” debut on ESPN.

    Thurman is clearly excited, and he told Nestor Gibbs of ThaBoxingVoice.com that it was always part of the plan.

    “It’s a dream come true, this is what I want and this is what we’ve worked [toward] for a very long time,” Thurman said of his next fight in an interview published on ThaBoxingVoice’s YouTube channel.

    There is growing speculation that his homecoming fight against Collazo is part of that same plan which will lead to an Amir Khan showdown.

    After all, Collazo represents a similar opponent for both Thurman and Khan. It would make sense to get casual fans to familiarize themselves with both fighters through a common opponent.

    Thurman understands that logic and believes it is one of the best ways to promote a possible fight between two highly ranked welterweights.

    “I do know that this is a common opponent with Amir Khan. It was very nice to have a common opponent with Floyd Mayweather in my last fight. That is one way to get your foot in the door to make certain fights happen is by two fighters having a common opponent.”

    A fight between Thurman and Khan would be huge. But it would also go a long way in helping to carve out the landscape at 147lbs. Mayweather claims his next fight is his last, and even if that is not the case, we all know that Floyd’s time in the sport is coming to an end.

    Thurman knows that it is important to separate himself from the pack in an effort to take the reins once the best fighter in the world calls it a career. A fight between these two stars could solidify the winner in the number one position once Floyd is gone for good.

    “The way I see it, looking at why things are being moved this way and that way, what’s going to happen to the welterweight division after Floyd Mayweather? Well, with the action that I bring into the ring, and Manny Pacquiao being at the stage that he is, it’s kind of obvious that the future of the welterweight division is starting to look like Keith “One Time” Thurman.”