Thurman: Spence Not Famous Enough To Fight
Keith Thurman is looking for the spotlight, and he feels with a win on July 20th against Manny Pacquiao that the WBA “super” welterweight champion will be able to find it.
Thurman booked his fight against the Filipino Senator to increase his standing in the world of boxing, especially after a nearly two-year layoff due to a litany of injuries.
“I do not believe that (Pacquiao) belongs at the top of 147 today,” Thurman told reporters last week during a media tour for the upcoming PPV. “Not against me. Not against Errol Spence. Not against (Terence) Crawford. Not against Shawn (Porter). Not against Danny Garcia.”
Thurman also believes the fight that would define who is the best fighter in the welterweight division would not come between Pacquiao and Thurman, nor would it be decided in a much sought after fight between Errol Spence Jr and Terence Crawford, but Thurman facing off with Spence.
The Clearwater, Florida native believes the battle of 147-pound stars could be as big as Floyd Mayweather and Pacquiao or Oscar De La Hoya’s fight against Felix Trinidad.
“Everybody wants to rush things,” Thurman said of fans/journalists wanting the unification fights in the near future. “I still think there’s just a little bit more time, even at the later leg of 2020. That’s not too soon. That’s not too late. It’s a great time.
“Keith Thurman versus Errol Spence is the next Floyd-Pacquiao. It’s the next Oscar-Tito Trinidad, and we need to make sure that the world knows. Once I handle this (against Pacquiao), and I elevate myself and (Spence) elevates himself, then we fight on another elevated platform. We could have fought two years ago for what; $1.6 million, $1.8 million? What does that do? And what does that do for the winner?”
“I also believe that Errol Spence has a little more popularity to grow in the sport of boxing,” Thurman said of Spence who draw 47,000 fans and 350,000 more on Pay-Per-View for his March fight against Mikey Garcia. “Let’s make sure (Thurman-Spence) is bigger (than Spence-Garcia), and he’s going to elevate himself if he unifies the title that I unified if he gets the WBC.”
“People talk about ducking this, ducking that,” Thurman continued
“To duck it, you gotta be presented with something and then decline it. That’s an official this guy is not trying to fight that guy. So that’s never happened to me in my career. I accept all the challengers, especially if it’s a great challenge.”
Initial Report: Boxing Scene