2014 has been another successful year for Floyd Mayweather. The year has delivered two exciting fights and added many more millions of dollars to Money Mays already bulging bank account. As important a year as 2014 has been for Floyd, 2015 is set to be the most important of his career. Floyd is scheduled to retire after the last of the two remaining fights of his record-breaking contract with Showtime/CBS in September 2015. With time running out on his legendary career, the fans want to see him end on some stiff challenges. The weight range of 140 to 154 has a strong concentration of the most talented fighters in the sport. We dont have to look too far for opponents that may test Mayweather in one way or another. Lets zone in on the two of the most likely candidates for the final two Mayweather fights: Amir Khan and Keith Thurman. [Note: A clash with Manny Pacquiao seems no closer now than it was when negotiations first kicked off over 5 years ago. Its about time we moved on and explored other match ups.] The Case For Keith Thurman Keith Thurman is one of the most exciting emerging fighters in the welterweight division. His 21 knockouts in 23 victories tell the story of a fighter who is only ever one punch away from an exciting ending. Power aside, Thurman has also shown boxing ability, the competence to think and adapt in the ring, and maturity beyond his 25 years of age. Whenever we have seen him tested, he has responded emphatically. Thurman goes out there to inflict damage and win in style every single time. There isnt an active welterweight out there that he doesnt have the tools to potentially defeat. With that being the case, the prospect of facing Mayweather isnt likely to faze him. Based on what he has shown us thus far, in time, a win over an undefeated One Time Keith Thurman is likely to become worth more than a win over Amir Khan, who has three losses to boxers inferior to Mayweather in talent. The Case For Amir Khan There is no question that Amir Khan is more accomplished than Keith Thurman. Amir Khan is a veteran of 8 world title fights and has already faced top talent in Marcos Maidana, Lamont Peterson, Danny Garcia, and others. Keith Thurman has never fought for anything more than an interim title. Khan has proven that he can handle the demands that come with headlining a big fight. In the ring, Khan is probably the fastest fighter in the sport. The combination of his hand speed, foot speed, and general athleticism makes him a hard nights work for anyone who doesnt have fight-changing power. To his physical gifts, Khan has begun adding tactical know-how as instructed by trainer Virgil Hunter. Over his last few fights, Khan has started to show the signs of maturity that will help him avoid repeating the mistakes that led to his setbacks against Prescott, Peterson and Garcia. Styles Stylistically, Khan poses more problems than Thurman for a boxer like Mayweather. He almost always gets off to a fast start, relying on his hand speed and high work rate to build him a lead before his opponents come to terms with his style. Mayweather is the polar opposite of Khan in this sense. Floyd usually works his way into fights slowly and has a relatively low work rate. It isnt difficult to see how Khan could seek to outwork Mayweather and take his chances on the scorecards. In stylistic terms, Keith Thurman is more conventional. He shows less hand speed but places a greater emphasis on landing with quality power punches. His high knockout ratio and lack of top-level competition means there is much to be learned about his ability to compete at the elite level. The great advantages he has over Khan are his devastating punching power and seemingly better ring IQ. A fighter as skilled, athletic, and powerful as Thurman is a threat all the way until the final bell. In his 8-year reign at the top of the welterweight division, Mayweather has yet to face an opponent as athletic as either Khan or Thurman. A matchup with either would excite, but at this stage, Khan is much further in his development than Keith Thurman is. There is a large disparity between the two in terms of experience and star power, even if there isnt much of one in talent terms. Mayweather is just two fights away from likely retirement. Money May is presumably looking to secure his future by taking the most financially rewarding option. With that as the primary criteria, Khan is clearly the most attractive available option for Floyd. If Carl Froch vs. George Groves garnered enough interest to perform well as a pay-per-view fight in the UK, then there is no reason why Mayweather vs. Khan cant be a pay-per-view fight in both the UK and the US. It makes money, so it makes sense. In the ring, Mayweather will be confident of victory. Thurmans time will come, but there just isnt enough on his resume at this stage to put him ahead of the likes of Khan (as well as Danny Garcia and others) in the Mayweather sweepstakes.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Nov 2014 12:22:50 +0000
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