Keith Thurman: Can He Be the Next “Face of Boxing”?
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By Ian “The Boxing Historian” Murphy
Last Saturday’s WBA Welterweight Championship showdown between Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter effectively put boxing back on the map. The stakes were high, as this was the first fight card to be featured on primetime network television in decades, and the two combatants did not disappoint. A star was born in Keith Thurman and with Floyd Mayweather, JR. still retired, boxing is looking (seemingly desperately) for it’s next “face” of the sport. Some (Golden Boy) are jamming Canelo Alvarez down our collective throats as the next “face of boxing”, but I’m not buying that. Alvarez is a good fighter, and is hugely popular in Mexico (and the U.S to a degree), but the problem is, he’s not American. He is supposedly working on his English skills so he can cross over, but at the moment, he’s not quite there and that will limit his chances at superstardom stateside. That being said, who is the likely successor to Floyd Mayweather, JR. as the “Face of Boxing”? In truth, it could be Keith Thurman.
On June 25th, the man known as “One Time” showed some excellent poise under some serious pressure from rival and former champion Shawn Porter, who swarmed all over the WBA Welterweight Champion Thurman full throttle for twelve rounds. The fight was close, and some argue (I don’t) that it should have gone to Porter for his aggressiveness and punch count. Personally, I value clean, hard punching and damage done more than pure punch volume. I can give the nod to an aggressive and high volume puncher if his opponent isn’t hurting him with hard counters on a consistent basis, but Thurman rocked Porter at least half a dozen times, often stopping the forward-moving Porter in his tracks. Outside of a hard body punch landed by Porter, Thurman was never really in trouble, and I feel that the judges rendering was accurate and legit. The fight was incredibly entertaining and was close enough that I seriously doubt anyone would oppose a rematch.
The outcome of the fight aside, the match itself was a gem, full of non-stop action from two fighters looking to win and not just survive and cash a paycheck. Throw in the fact that both men are in their primes, and that they actually fought at this critical juncture of their careers is a plus for both the sport of boxing and its fans. This is increasingly rare nowadays, where delays and empty promises hold off key fights the fans crave, i.e. Canelo Alvarez Vs Gennady Golovkin. Porter loses no stock in his loss, as he should be ranked in the top five at 147 lbs. Thurman adds a quality win to his resume, and he is in line for a unification match hopefully with Danny Garcia. Other contenders wait in the wings like the up and coming Errol Spence and perhaps the winner of the much anticipated fight between 140lb champions Viktor Postol and Terence Crawford.
Another thing that makes Thurman a potential candidate for the “Face of Boxing” was found in his revealing post-fight interview. After his potential Fight of the Year barn-burner with Porter, “One Time” expressed his wish to keep fighting on network television, as opposed to Pay Per Views and subscription cable networks like HBO or Showtime. Without network T.V exposure, boxing’s potentially biggest audience (young men under 35) gets priced out. This was not always the case, as prior generations were able to watch their boxing heroes on television regularly. This brought the sport to a bigger audience and it made the fighters themselves household names. Keith Thurman understands this and said he didn’t have HBO or Showtime growing up, so he wants to grow the sport (and of course his brand and wallet) on regular T.V and increase his (and the sport’s) exposure. This is commendable and will only ingratiate himself to more casual fans.
If it can be managed, having Thurman fight Danny Garcia later this year on network television could be a huge boon for boxing. It could make mega stars out of both men, and bring more fans to the sport who otherwise cannot afford Showtime, HBO, and Pay Per Views. In addition, having quality fight cards being held at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center is also a smart move. It taps into a younger, East Coast audience that are rabid fight fans. It appears as if boxing might actually be moving in the right direction. So, Thurman Vs Garcia in Brooklyn, anyone?
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