Boxing: Does Keith Thurman Deserve Fight Against Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao? [POLL]
Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao highlight the one the biggest and most anticipated sporting events of 2015.
These are the two best Welterweight fighters today, but one has to wonder what happens after the May 2 bout?
Will Mayweather and Pacquiao face each other in a rematch, or will the loser have to go through someone else before another duel? Many boxing experts and former champion, such as George Foreman, believe there won't even be a rematch.
Regardless of who wins the fight, Interim WBA Welterweight Champion Keith Thurman has shown multiple times that he is ready to take on the winner of this match. Thurman is currently the No. 3 ranked Welterweight fighter in the world, behind only Mayweather and Pacquiao.
Thanks to his last victory, over Robert Guerrero, Thurman is now 25-0 in his career with 21 knockouts. There's no denying the fact that Thurman is one of the most powerful punchers in the Welterweight division today. His strength scares opponents, and he has been vastly improving his technical skills in the ring as well as hand speed.
Thurman doesn't have a scheduled opponent for his next fight, but rumors have swirled from names such as Miguel Cotto, Amir Khan, Marcos Maidana to even Juan Manuel Márquez. Interesting match-ups, but do fans really want to see that? Thurman has called out Mayweather and Pacquiao on numerous occasions; maybe it's time he gets his wish.
Of the top four boxers ranked in the Welterweight division today, only one is below the age of 36, Thurman. There's no doubt that Thurman is the future of the Welterweight division, given the fact that Mayweather is 38 and Pacquiao is 36. Of course, Thurman (like every other boxer) has his doubters, and what better way than to face either the WBA or WBO Welterweight Champion of the World?
While many will argue Thurman "doesn't deserve" a fight with either Pacquiao or Mayweather, one has to ask, then who does? Do fans honestly want to see Maidana vs. Mayweather for a third time? How about Pacquiao vs. Márquez for a fifth time? It's time to give Thurman his chance to succeed, or fail. Thurman has done everything that has been asked of him, and more. He even put his last fight against Guerrero on cable television to showcase his skills in front of everyone.
If not the winner, maybe the loser.
If Pacquiao is unable to dethrone Mayweather from his undefeated record, he should have to go though Thurman to get a rematch with Mayweather. A Pacquiao vs. Thurman match would make for an instant classic between two brawlers who know how to thrown down. On the flip side, if Pacquiao dethrones Mayweather, we should be able to see a Mayweather vs. Thurman fight.
Thurman has put the boxing world on notice, he's coming. He obviously hasn't accomplished what Mayweather or Pacquiao have done yet because of his age, but an undefeated record speaks for itself. Right now, Thurman is someone who nobody wants to face because of power and knockout capabilities.
In the end, one has to ask, if the No. 3 ranked Welterweight fighter doesn't deserve a chance with Mayweather or Pacquiao, then who does?
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