Today’s
welterweight division is almost ridiculously talented, with the
147-pound weight class being stacked with excellent fighters. Floyd
Mayweather Junior is of course the king of the hill, and any fighter
from 140 to 147 (and 154-pounds also) is gunning for that life changing
payday. But 154 aside, Mayweather has more than enough potential
challengers at welterweight.
Over the past few
months, two welterweight young guns have really broken through and
impressed: Shawn Porter and Keith Thurman. Both guys are talented, fast
(Thurman especially) and powerful (Porter especially). Helping make an
already exciting weight class that much more exciting – with top class
operators Tim Bradley, Manny Pacquiao and (expected to move up from 140
any time now) Danny Garcia also fighting at 147 – Thurman and Porter
have some people thinking they are capable of testing Floyd and testing
him hard. But will Mayweather, who next faces the powerful yet
slow-footed Marcos Maidana, an 11-1 underdog, risk a fight with one of
the young guns who are hungry for the ultimate challenge?
After the 37-year-old megastar has dealt
with Maidana, it is possible British star Amir Khan could be next
(assuming Khan gets past the dangerous and hungry Luis Collazo this
coming Saturday on the under-card in Las Vegas). Khan could still be
classed as a young gun himself, being just 27-years-old, but in
comparison to Thurman (25) and Porter (26), Khan, who has been around at
the highest level for some time, is something of a veteran.
But, assuming it is Khan for Floyd after
Maidana, who will “Money” fight in his final two fights in his
six-fight contract with Showtime? We know we can rule out Manny
Pacquiao, that story grew old, old, old years ago, and Mayweather shows
no inclination of making a potentially historic middleweight title
challenger (many fans would love to see Floyd fight a guy with the
initials/nickname “GGG.”) So it has to be a young gun next, right?
Mayweather taking on the likes of
Thurman, Porter or Garcia would please the fans and the execs at
Showtime, but will Floyd take a potentially risky assignment against a
young and hungry warrior who simply doesn’t know how to lose? Porter,
compared by some to a mini Mike Tyson, has impressed with wins over
Devon Alexander and Paulie Malignaggi, while “One Time” Thurman has
taken out good fighters Carlos Quintana, Jesus Soto Karass and Julio
Diaz. The two seem destined to meet (although Porter’s mandatory and
expected July foe Kell Brook will have something to say about that) and,
by the time that fight has rolled around, the winner would perhaps be
ready for the ultimate challenge: that of taking away Floyd’s perfect
record.
Of course, many more fans feel it
doesn’t matter who Mayweather fights in his remaining bouts before
retiring, as he will walk away unbeaten anyway. But if any fighter is to
have a chance of beating the master, it figures it will be a man much
younger and hungrier than Floyd, and one who also possesses speed
comparable to Mayweather’s. It could be argued that no fighter exists,
but another growing thought is one that suggests Porter and Thurman
might just fit such a lofty bill in another 12 months or so.
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