SONHAR: March 8, 2015 – The future of the welterweight division was on display Saturday as WBA champion Keith Thurman defended his title with a one-sided but still exciting 12-round decision over challenger Robert ?The Ghost? Guerrero. Of course, that future is overshadowed by the run-up to the May 2 blockbuster bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr, and Manny Pacquiao ? a contest fight fans have anticipated for half a decade that has finally come to fruition. Yet for all the hype and hysteria surrounding Pacquiao-Mayweather, there is a sense that their meeting ? regardless of its outcome ? will mark the end of an era in which these two have been the dominant players in boxing from the late 1990s until the present time. The door at the top of the division will then be open to whoever has the will and the skill to step up and step through.
Thurman proved that he possesses those qualities. His beat-down of the gutsy Guerrero was as emphatic as the exorcism Mayweather handed to ?The Ghost? back in 2013. The difference is, Mayweather?s win was just another routine boxing lesson from the professor of pugilism. Purists who appreciate the artistry of Floyd?s defensive maneuvers were impressed. People who paid through the nose in hopes of seeing a competitive contest were at best bored and at worst disgusted.
On Saturday, Thurman was just as dominant over Guerrero as Mayweather had been two years ago. But even though the judges? scorecards and the Punchstat numbers indicated a whitewash on Thurman?s part, the fight was actually exciting and competitive. Thurman had to cope with massive swelling caused by an inadvertent clash of heads in the early rounds, and Guerrero recovered from a vicious knockdown in the ninth round and went all-out in the final round even though he and his corner had to know he was hopelessly behind on points. Guerrero made Thurman work every minute of every round. The fans at the fight?s venue definitely got their money?s worth.
And what about the pay-per-view fans? Hang on; there weren?t any. This fight was broadcast on NBC ? the beginning of the network?s Premier Boxing Champions series. No pay-per-view this time. And the series could not have gotten off to a more auspicious start.
Yet even with network TV exposure, whatever buzz Thurman generated with his thrilling triumph over Guerrero will be short-lived, considering that Pacquiao-Mayweather is less than two months away. But when that fight is over, Thurman, whose record now stands at 25-0 with 21 knockouts, will be in an excellent position to take on either superstar. But could he beat either ?Money? or ?Pacman??
Beyond a doubt, Pacquiao and Mayweather are past their peak. But they have each demonstrated that they now possess a fine-wine blend of skill and experience that would prove too much for a relative novice like Thurman to handle. However, if Mayweather and Pacquiao put forth the type effort on May 2 that Thurman and Guerrero did on Saturday, they will leave pieces of themselves in the ring once their fight is over, as Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier did in the ?Thrilla in Manila? back in 1975.
And that?s when a peak Keith Thurman will seize his opportunity to step through that door to the top of the division.
