Floyd Mayweather Next Fight: Keith Thurman Could Face Mayweather in 2015 for Championship
It's been more than a month since Floyd Mayweather defeated Manny Pacquiao in the "fight of the century."
With that win, Mayweather extended his undefeated professional record to a perfect 48-0. One more win would tie the record set by Rocky Marciano, who finished his career 49-0. Mayweather is now 38 years old, and everyone around the world is wondering who he will face in his final career bout.
Mayweather has said multiple times that he plans on fighting in September.
Notable names such as Miguel Cotto, Amir Khan, Timothy Bradley, Juan Manuel Marquez and even Kell Brook have come up as potential opponents for Mayweather. All good fighters, but one name that has been looming for the last year is Keith Thurman.
Thurman is currently the No. 4 ranked boxer in the welterweight division. Still just 26 years old, Thurman has a very bright future ahead of him. According to multiple reports, Thurman could fight Mayweather this very year. Thurman recently said, "I would love Floyd Mayweather. He's the man. Until the man retires, he's the man. I want to be a legend and the best way to become a legend is by taking out a legend, and that would be Floyd Mayweather." Thurman has "called out" Mayweather on several occasions in the past, even criticizing his punching power.
Thurman is scheduled to face Luis Collazo in his next fight on July 11.
As of now, Thurman has 25 career victories without a single defeat. A Thurman vs. Mayweather fight would be something special to watch because it would be your classic "power against speed" matchup. Thurman is without a doubt the best power puncher in the welterweight division today, and we shouldn't sleep on his technical skills as a fighter either. In his last fight, Thurman defeated Robert Guerrero in a very impressive technical victory showing poise and patience.
As for Mayweather, he never has been a knockout artist, and his power days are behind him. Still, he has exceptional speed and escapability, which allow him to save a lot of energy. Mayweather controls all the cards because he is the WBA and WBO Champion, but his options are somewhat limited. Waiting for a rematch (another year from now) with Pacquiao is extremely risky, because Pacquiao may not even be ready by then. Bradley is a worthy opponent, but contract negotiations between Showtime and Top Rank will probably halt that fight.
Despite beating Pacquiao by unanimous decision on May 2 earlier this year, Mayweather still isn't without his critics. Mayweather avoided Pacquiao for quite some time before fighting him, and some boxing fans still feel as if Oscar De La Hoya won that 2007 fight. This is the perfect opportunity for Mayweather to prove his doubters wrong and finally face a great young opponent who packs a powerful punch. Even if Mayweather were to lose to Thurman, many fans would still admire him for taking on a young star. A Thurman vs. Mayweather match would certainly be a must watch fight.
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