Boxing fans can prepare to see a potential welterweight collision between two current stars, but the return of Floyd Mayweather at the top level is a no-go.
Despite an off-the-cuff remark by Kell Brook, Mayweather is not planning any professional fights at 147 pounds. By Mayweather’s admission, he’s an exhibition fighter now and nothing more.
At 44 and a grandpa to boot, boxing fans can safely assume that Floyd Mayweather will never box again against a full-blown contender.
One encounter in the pipeline is Terence Crawford vs. Keith Thurman, though. Should the latter come through a clash with Mario Barrios on Pay Per View, a battle with Crawford on the same platform remains a significant possibility.
In all likeliness, ‘Bud’ will sign with Al Haymon due to the sheer number of welterweight rivals in his stable. This scenario means Haymon will look to pit Crawford against the best challenger available on PPV.
Thurman makes absolute sense with Errol Spence and Yordenis Ugas off the table for any unification.
Also, charging the same price for the Manny Pacquiao vs. Thurman Pay Per View as the Barrios one, a whopping seventy-five bucks, gives Haymon every excuse to keep or improve that price for the Crawford fight.
Discussing the Crawford fight in 2021, Thurman has always leaned towards Spence over the former Top Rank star.
But due to events with Crawford’s free-agent status, that may not be the case this year.
“As a DJ says, check one, two. I’m going to pick up cheque one, then cheque two,” Thurman told DAZN. “I might not be a current champion, but Thurman vs. these champions is a tremendous challenge.
“It’s Spence or Crawford, both on the table. I want the biggest fight. You know, boxing, we don’t forecast the season.
“There is no real schedule. I don’t have a real preference. They’re both great fighters. I want both of them.
“We’re just going to have to see which one is presented. The problem with Bob is they didn’t send me a contract. They were talking low numbers.”
FLOYD MAYWEATHER
Regarding Kell Brook or Amir Khan facing anybody after their fight, let alone Floyd Mayweather, you’d certainly have more chance of winning a bet if you put money down on the Brits having a rematch.
‘Special K’ already confirmed it’s in the contract.
The views expressed in this article are opinions of Phil Jay.
Phil Jay – Editor of World Boxing News since 2010 with over one billion views. Furthermore, follow WBN on Twitter @WorldBoxingNews.
