Former WBC and WBA welterweight champion Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman 30-1 (22) believes he is the best available contender for a shot at recently crowned undisputed 147-pound champion Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford 40-0 (31).
The 35-year-old Crawford from Omaha, Nebraska beat the brakes off previously undefeated Errol ‘The Truth’ Spence Jr 28-1 (22) over nine rounds to add the WBC, WBA and IBF titles to his WBO belt at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday night.
Thurman, 34, of Clearwater, Florida, praised Crawford for his dominant win and called for a chance to prove he still has what it takes to compete at the top.
“The better athlete won today,” said Thurman, who has boxed just once since his lone professional defeat to Manny Pacquiao on points four years ago.
“Crawford did his thing. I already said I’m next. Y’all already know. You wanna keep doing great fights? You wanna keep selling out? You wanna do these pay-per-views? Thurman right here, baby. Thurman has no fear, baby.”
Texan Spence, 33, was dropped in the second round by Crawford and never seemed to be able to avoid the incoming artillery after that. Spence found the canvas twice in the seventh before referee Harvey Dock halted the slaughter at 2:32 of the ninth.
“Look, I’m not flatfooted like that,” Thurman said of Spence. “Crawford is an amazing athlete. We grew up in the amateurs together. I’ve seen this man do so much throughout his career. I salute that man.
“I always said [Spence] never fought an athlete, man. Spence has never fought an athlete. Boxing is stick and move, you gotta get in your groove and Crawford got in his groove. Spence tried to do the simple stuff.”
Crawford has become the most in demand fighter in boxing overnight. Many reputable media outlets have boosted him to number one on their mythical pound-for-pound lists. Boxers in and around his weight class are being mentioned as potential future opponents. Twitter is flooded with fantasy match-ups.
If Thurman is serious about testing himself against Crawford, he will need to take a number. Spence is expected to activate his immediate rematch clause and after that there is the possibility of a bout against undisputed junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo 35-1-1 (19).
“It’s not about who I want next,” Thurman said. “I don’t have the time to wait to get what I want. I want that (Spence-Crawford winner) next. But I gotta pick up other cheques. I gotta stay busy.
“Everybody saying, ‘You don’t fight enough, you got all this ring rust’. I just work. Let me get back to work. Let me get this ball rolling, going and hopefully as I’ve always done, I’ve made some of the biggest, baddest, and exciting fights in the welterweight division.”
