SPORTSCLOPEDIA 12: ERROL SPENCE VERSUS KEITH THURMAN TO HAPPEN AT THE JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHT LIMIT
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 12 Jan 2023
Plans are now set for WBA/WBC/IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence (28-0, 22KOs) and former unified titlist Keith Thurman (30-1, 22KOs) to face each other in April. The fight was originally mandated by the WBC as a title fight during its annual convention last November in Acapulco, Mexico.
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But as agreed, Spence’s three title belts will not be at stake since the match is set to happen above the welterweight limit at the junior middleweight division.
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According to BoxingScene.com, WBA president Gilberto Jesus Mendoza said that representatives of the Spence camp asked approval to engage in the non-title fight. The WBA granted a conditional approval of the fight, with the resolution still referred to all concerned parties.
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There will be no titles involved in the ongoing negotiations for the fight with Thurman. But WBA will later order Spence to next defend his crown against the winner of the recently reset Eimantas Stanionis versus Vergil Ortiz Jr. fight for the WBA (Regular) welterweight championship.
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The mandate will not push though if Spence will finally sign a contract for an undisputed championship match with WBO welterweight titlist Terence "Bud" Crawford (39-0, 30KOs), but such order imposed a 60-day deadline to get an agreement and if it lapses, the mandatory title defense for Spence will be ordered.
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Spence was originally planned to face Stanionis after the proposal for the much awaited super showdown with Crawford failed. The WBA allowed the WBC to impose first its mandatory defense, thus the Sulaiman sanctioning body ordered the Spence-Thurman bout during its convention last November.
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Spence defeated Kell Brook by KO11 on May 27, 2017 at Bramall Lane, Sheffield, England to win the IBF welterweight title. Then he beat Shawn Porter by SD12 on September 28, 2019 at Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. to seize the WBC welterweight title.
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Then he unified all three titles by stopping Yordenis Ugás by TKO10 on April 16, 2022 at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas, U.S. to annex the WBA (Super) welterweight title.
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Keith Thurman Jr. is a former unified welterweight world champion, having held the WBA title from 2015 to 2019, and the WBC title from 2017 to 2018. Thurman, age 33 years, is from Clearwater, Florida, USA.
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Nicknamed "One Time" for his formidable knockout power, Thurman is considered one of the hardest punchers in the welterweight division.
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He is popularly known due to his fight with Manny Pacquiao who dealt his first career loss by split decision on July 20, 2019 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, USA in the process losing his WBA (Super) welterweight title.
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On January 28, 2015, the World Boxing Association elevated interim WBA welterweight champion Keith Thurman from interim champion to the full WBA welterweight champion.
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Thurman defeated Danny García by SD12 on March 4, 2017 at Barclays Center, New York, City, New York, U.S.A. to annex the WBC welterweight title.
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On April 24, 2018, Thurman vacated his WBC title because he suffered a deep bruise in his left hand which underwent surgery and rehabilitation.
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Thurman ended a career-long 31-month ring absence with a twelve-round win over former secondary 140-pound titlist Mario Barrios last February 5 at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas. Thurman then was moved to the WBC number-one contender rank and the mandatory challenger.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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