Fight Club: Time for Floyd’s heirs to fight it out for the throne

Andy Lewis 08:34 10/08/2015
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  • Keith Thurman (top), Kell Brook (l) and Amir Khan (r) are the future.

    The welterweight division is often described as boxing’s most competitive and Danny Garcia’s move up to 147lbs last weekend added another quality fighter to the mix.

    Floyd Mayweather might not be interested in delving into the cream of the next generation for opponents so if they can’t topple him, then thoughts should turn to succeeding him.

    The conditions are perfect for a two to three-year period of high quality, with a group of at least five contenders who are a similar age, at similar stages in their careers and all determined to be No1 post-Floyd. All they need to do is fight each other.

    You’re looking at Kell Brook (aged 29), Amir Khan (28), Keith Thurman (26), Shawn Porter (27) and Garcia (27).

    You could even throw in the emerging Errol Spence (25), who is 17-0 with 14 knockouts and has been heralded by Mayweather as the future of the division, although, he did say the same thing about the monstrosity that is Adrien Broner. 

    Focusing on the original quintet, they have a combined 149 victories between them, including 99 knockouts, with just four losses.

    Three of those are on Khan’s record, although none at welterweight, and the other was Porter’s loss to Brook, which saw the IBF strap change hands. Brook, Thurman and Garcia remain undefeated.

    In theory, there should be no barriers to making fights between them. Thurman, Porter, Garcia and Khan are all signed with Al Haymon and Premier Boxing Champions, while Brook is with Matchroom in the UK who have worked with PBC multiple times in the past 12 months.

    The biggest factor is Haymon, and how he wants to shape their careers.  

    To varying degrees they probably all felt aggrieved by Mayweather’s decision to fight Andre Berto on September 12. All five are better qualified, but really only Khan and Thurman had been talked about as potential opponents for the 38-year-old.

    Khan, in particular, is upset given he left Golden Boy early last year to sign with Haymon, having been led to believe it would secure him a fight with the pound for pound number one. Since then it has been one false dawn after another as he has allowed Mayweather to play God with his career. 

    Thurman, who most in the US are far keener to see face Floyd, has been more respectful when commenting about being overlooked. 

    That might be because he’s learned a lesson from Khan’s situation, with the Brit’s incessant public sour-graping rumoured to be as big a reason as any for Mayweather continuing to snub him.

    – INTERVIEW: Khan – Mayweather wants 50 but I'd make sure he's 49-1
    – VIDEO: Khan believes a fight against Brook could be the biggest 
    – WBA: Domination of Malignaggi enhances Garcia prospects

    Thurman perhaps feels that if indeed Floyd seeks a 50th fight next year then it’s probably a good idea to keep him on side. In the short term, he has been very clear. He wants Khan, or if not him, then Brook. 

    Thurman said: “I’m highly interested in an Amir Khan fight. He’s been at welterweight for a while now and he should be comfortable at 147lbs. We can keep talking all day. I want to see some paperwork.

    "I want to see a contract. I want to hear a date. What do you think, Amir? Are you going to be ready in October, November? You want a Christmas present in December? 

    “I’m interested in my British mates,” he added, making reference to Brook. ESPN have suggested Porter, who exchanged verbals with Garcia before and after the latter’s win over Paulie Malignaggi last weekend, is another option for Thurman. 

    Brook wants Khan in the UK but he should be more open to heading to the US where the real action is. All five of these men could and should be facing each other. 

    From a fan’s perspective, imagine how good Brook/Thurman might be, or a Khan/Garcia rematch now both are bigger, stronger and more experienced?

    The Mayweather era is almost at an end, while who knows what Manny Pacquiao will do? Any fighter able to string together a sequence of wins over the others would emerge as the division’s top dog in the void they leave behind.

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