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THURMAN, SPENCE AND CRAWFORD IN THE WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION By Maloney L. Samaco PhilBoxing.com Wed, 18 Oct 2017  Keith Thurman gives his respect for Terence Crawford for all his accomplishments in the lightweight and junior welterweight divisions. The undefeated WBA and WBC welterweight champion, however, asserts Crawford must first do something ?relevant? within the 147-pound division before he fights him. Crawford, the undisputed 140-pound champion, could rise to the higher welterweight and possibly fight WBO welterweight champion Jeff Horn. * * * When asked about the possibility of fighting Crawford (32-0, 23 KOs), Thurman replied he is not interested until Crawford accomplishes something in the welterweight division. According to Thurman (28-0, 22 KOs, 1 NC), that's what distinguishes him and IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. (22-0, 19 KOs) from Crawford. The top pound-for-pound boxer's supporters argue that being undisputed champion makes him relevant, but Thurman disagrees. * * * ?You wanna talk about making him relevant,? Thurman was quoted by BoxingScene. ?He does need to make himself relevant in this division. He?s a 140 undisputed champion. He can come up to this weight and fight pretty much anybody in the top 10. He deserves that for the most part, and I understand that. But we are so flooded with talent, he is gonna have to make himself relevant at 147 before he gets his hands on us, for the most part." * * * Lou DiBella, who was the promoter of several Thurman?s fights, also warned that arranging significant fights for Crawford within the welterweight division could be difficult if Premier Boxing Champions fighters, most particularly Thurman and Spence, are required to sign up with Crawford?s promoter, Top Rank Inc., to be able to fight him. Neither Thurman nor Spence has an exclusive contract with a promoter which complicates a possible welterweight fight. * * * Spence respects that Thurman must complete his rehabilitation from elbow surgery before considering fighting him. Spence even understands Thurman wanting a tune-up bout before engaging in their dangerous welterweight title unification match. Beyond that, though, Spence doesn?t think there?s any reason they can?t fight after Spence faces Lamont Peterson in January and Thurman meets an unknown opponent either late in February or sometime in March. * * * "Since I was 15-0, I said I would fight Keith Thurman or anybody in the top five," Spence said in a press conference. "Like he said, he?s gotta wait until he get ready and gotta go through rehab. But I?m ready when he is. I?m always ready.? Thurman, the WBA and WBC 147-pound champion, said they will determine welterweight supremacy ?within one to two years.? Spence, the IBF welterweight titlist, is ready to fight Thurman. ?I?m always ready to fight the best,? Spence said. * * * Thurman made it clear he likewise wants to face Spence at the right time. ?I look forward to the fight,? Thurman said. ?I look forward to great competition, you know, and Errol is that. He?s great competition. You know, my motto?s stayed the same. I?ve got an 0 and I?m not afraid to let it go. If you can beat me, beat me. Because when I train and when I fight, I give it my best." Thurman added that a lot of people don?t understand what?s it like to live the life of a fighter and he is a true warrior. * * * Kubrat Pulev of Bularia suffered a chest injury and could not continue with his IBF/WBA/IBO heavyweight title challenge against British Anthony Joshua. The bout was suppose to happen on October 28 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. According to the report at btv.bg the injury is one that takes a month to recover. Pulev's injury happened more than a week ago but was kept secret in the hope that the former European heavyweight champion would recover in due time. * * * Carlos Takam has replaced Pulev on short notice and will become the mandatory challenger to Joshua's title. Takam, a Cameroon-born boxer based in France, is the IBF?s next leading available contender and quickly agreed to fight Joshua (19-0, 19 KOs) on 12 days? notice. The 36-year-old Takam (35-3-1, 27 KOs) is the IBF No. 3-ranked heavyweight contender, one spot below the No. 2 Pulev (25-1, 13 KOs). The No. 1 spot in the IBF heavyweight rankings remains vacant. * * * Women's boxing existed way back to the early 18th century, when Elizabeth Wilkinson fought in London. Called the European Championess, she fought both men and women. Women's boxing first appeared in the Olympic Games at a demonstration bout in 1904. Its revival was pioneered by the Swedish Amateur Boxing Association, which sanctioned women's events in 1988. The British Amateur Boxing Association held its first women's boxing competition in 1997. * * * The International Boxing Association (AIBA) accepted Women's Boxing at the end of the 20th century and held the first European Cup for Women in 1999 and the first Women's World Amateur Boxing Championships in 2001. The British Boxing Board of Control (BBBC) refused to issue licences to women until 1998. Women were allowed to competitively box for the first time at the 2012 Summer Olympics, producing the world's first 12 female Olympic medalist boxers. * * * The Golden State Warriors have reached nine NBA Finals, winning five NBA championships in 1947, 1956, 1975, 2015 and 2017. Golden State's five NBA championships are tied for the fourth most titles in NBA history with the San Antonio Spurs, and behind only the Boston Celtics (17), Los Angeles Lakers (16) and Chicago Bulls (6). As of 2017, the Warriors are the third most valuable NBA franchise according to Forbes, with an estimated value of $2.6 billion. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.  |
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