?We put in blood, sweat, and tears simply just trying to be the best fighter that I can be. That?s all that I really want to accomplish??
On July 11th, Keith Thurman (25-0, 21 KOs) will defend his WBA welterweight title against Luis Collazo (36-6, 19 KOs) at the USF Sundome in Tampa, FL, in the debut of Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN (9 PM EST/6 PM PST). The co-feature includes junior middleweights Tony Harrison (21-0, 18 KOs), and Willie Nelson (23-2-1, 13 KOs).
Whether you love or hate him, if you?re reading this article, you can thank Keith Thurman. And, if I might begrudgingly say, Al Haymon, as well.
On March 7, 2015, over two years from the publishing of my last boxing article, I turned on the television. I had no cable, so my choices were limited. There was no need for it. I had become uninspired by boxing, and I never sit and watch anything. I?m hyper. I?m always moving, thinking, doing? something. It annoys the hell out of anyone trying to watch a movie with me. Or a 30-minute program, for that matter. But, on March 7th, I picked up the remote. And there, on network television, was Premier Boxing Champions. More specifically, Keith Thurman. I sat. For close to an hour, I sat. And boxing had me back into its grip.
Oddly enough, there?s a Luis Collazo connection, too. On April 10, 2015, I traveled to the Tampa, FL area to reunite with my father. It had been 35 years since we had seen each other. No, that?s not a typo. Thirty-five years. That Saturday, we watched boxing together for the first time in our lives. Premier Boxing Champions. And while the fight was not televised, Luis Collazo was on the undercard.
So, it only seems fitting, at least in my bizarre little corner of the universe, that Thurman and Collazo would come together, in of all places, Tampa, FL.
When the announcement was made that Collazo would be Thurman?s next opponent, most fans were unenthused. They still are. Let?s face it; Thurman?s name was blasted from the mouths of the commentators on May 2nd before the sweat dried on the canvas. Collazo may be past his prime, but he?s no slouch. Prior to his loss to Amir Khan just over a year ago, he had won four consecutive fights, highlighted by a second round KO of Victor Ortiz in 2013. He?s gone the distance with Andre Berto and Shane Mosley, and many believe that he beat Ricky Hatton. Granted, we?re going back a few years, but could it be that he?s not over the hill quite yet. Chronologically, he?s on par with Miguel Cotto, and no one seems to be putting him out to pasture.
Keith Thurman is certainly a polarizing figure in boxing, and he?ll be the first to agree. He can be cocky and outspoken, but he?s also thoughtful and introspective. A voracious reader (take note, kids), he drives an unassuming Toyota Prius and raises Chihuahuas.
I caught up with Thurman last week to talk everything from his early days with Ben Getty to Eastern Philosophy.
A native of Clearwater, Thurman was born into an athletic family. His mother was a volleyball player and his father played football and wrestled. He started boxing at the age of seven, following an exhibition presented at his school cafeteria by Ben Getty. ?From the beginning, what really sparked my interest was that I could tell that it was a form of martial arts,? says Thurman. ?At an early age, probably about four years old, I admired martial arts. I spent a lot of time with my father watching Steven Seagal, Bruce Lee, and Jackie Chan movies. I wanted to grow up big and strong, and I saw boxing as an avenue to physically train and accomplish some form of skill set to protect myself.?
By all accounts, it was the perfect match. Getty had been disheartened by boxing and found renewed passion for the sport in Thurman, who showed promise from day one. Thurman found in Getty a trainer who gave him unparalleled support and guidance, albeit strict, rigorous, and disciplinarian. ?I remember Ben Getty showing me footage of Ken Gould, 1988 bronze medalist at the Olympic games,? he says. ?He worked with him and he told me that ?Ken couldn?t crack an egg, but he can hit you five times before anybody hit him once.? I remember watching the strength work that Ben Getty used to do with him. He would strap anywhere from a 25-pound to a 45-pound weight on a bench press. They would have a rope and they would knot the rope up, put it around his neck, and he?d do pull-ups, he?d do push-ups, with the weight on his back. Ben implemented that with forms of training, trying to increase his power. Power was never his strong point, and he always said, ?Your strong point is power, boy.??
Thurman?s power has no doubt played a role in his undefeated record and over 80% KO rate. He?s precise and can use both hands effectively as an aggressor, but he is also keenly aware of the importance of defense. Knowing a bit about Thurman?s affinity for Eastern philosophy, I asked him if he agreed with a quote from Sun Tzu: ?Invincibility lies in the defense, and the possibility of victory in the attack.?
?As a fighter, I do. Defense is very important. Offense, though, is what allows a fighter to walk away with a victory. A great example is the Shawn Porter/Adrien Broner fight that just happened. Shawn Porter was very offensive. AB was very defensive. Shawn Porter?s offense allowed him to win the fight. AB?s defense allowed him to not take a lot of damage in the fight, but he didn?t have enough offense to walk away with the victory.?
When Ben Getty passed away in 2009, he had led his top fighter to over 100 amateur victories, six national championships, and a perfect professional record. Thurman was likely encouraged to move to a big name trainer, but he opted to stay put and stayed focused. Florida Hall of Fame trainer, Dan Birmingham, who had been in Thurman?s camp since he was 14 years old, took the helm. Thurman?s winning streak continued. ?I knew of my trainer?s health conditions. I knew that he was an older man. He was an old man ever since I met him when I was seven years old. I had a certain passion for boxing, and I wasn?t going let it go. Boxing was my dream. And Ben put in 13 years of his life dedicated to me. I wasn?t going to lose my way. Sometimes I explain my story similar to Mike Tyson, because Mike Tyson lost his trainer at one point in his career. I always tell people that the difference is that Mike had already made it, where when I lost my trainer there was a lot of work to be done. I wanted to honor the hard work that was necessary to become world champion. And I?m trying to continue it to this day.?
Honoring Ben Getty has been a familiar theme of many interviews with Thurman. When he made his Showtime debut in 2013, he spoke of honoring Getty by ?defeating every man in his path.? However, he has also publicly stated that he?s not afraid to lose. ?We put in blood, sweat, and tears simply just trying to be the best fighter that I can be. That?s all that I really want to accomplish.?
Birmingham has worked the mitts with Thurman for the past 12 years, and he?s known for being highly creative and intuitive. Training camp for the fight has been no less disciplined than in the past, though Thurman is mixing things up a bit. ?When you box for 19 years, you just have to find something new. Throughout my years I have found many new ways of entertaining myself in practice and sometimes it?s as simple as doing spin classes at the YMCA or swimming. I?ve also done some yoga from time to time, and currently I?ve added rock climbing. I just like to keep it fun. I like to train my muscles to do new things and I like to continue to grow as a boxer and as an athlete in general.?
Collazo has been quietly training in Puerto Rico. A few YouTube videos from training camp have surfaced, and he has expressed confidence, excitement, and gratitude. ?Thurman is a great fighter, and this is a great opportunity to win a world championship again. A lot of people think it?s over for me, but you just wait and see,? Willie Vargas, Collazo?s trainer, told boxingscene.com. ?If Thurman is thinking that Luis will be easy, he?s committing a serious error?We will not stay in front of him as his other opponents did, we will use angles.?
Thurman considers Collazo to be a ?durable? fighter, and said that he does not underestimate his ability. ?I can?t speak for him,? says Thurman, ?but if I was in his shoes I would be training diligently, watching film, talking to my trainers, and trying to, once again, make a statement and add more to the legacy of all that he has accomplished so far. It?s not over ?til it?s over.?
Both fighters agree on one thing: The pressure is on Thurman. ?He has a lot to gain, whereas I have a lot to lose,? says Thurman. ?I am the champion. I have an undefeated record. Collazo has been defeated before.?
Should Collazo pull off the win, against all odds, he would once again hold the WBA welterweight title that he first won over a decade ago. He has only been stopped once in his career, and it wasn?t by Amir Khan. If fans are interested in anything about this fight, it may very well be to see if Thurman can accomplish what Khan could not. Thurman has made his intention quite clear: ?I know I am capable of a knockout and I will be looking for the knockout each and every round.?
Our conversation turned once again from the absolute to the introspective. I asked Thurman about his thirst for knowledge and what it means to be a self-proclaimed ?evolutionary boxer.?
?I do have a thirst for knowledge. I?m constantly trying to grow. I understand where I am in the sport today and I understand that I?m only 26 years old,? he pauses for a brief moment for the first time in our interview. ?Some would say that a wise man is an old man.?
?Being an evolutionary boxer means that I continuously grow. We never stop growing; we never stop trying to grow. And to me evolution is all about growth and going on to that next level, to that next stage.?
July 11th may not be the level, nor the stage, that boxing fans or Thurman desire, no less deserve. Nonetheless, its outcome could very well play a significant role in the futures of both fighters.
