Keith Thurman will defend his WBA World welterweight title against former IBF World welterweight titlist Shawn Porter over a scheduled 12 rounds at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Saturday, June 25. The bout was originally slated to take place March 12, but was postponed due to an injury Thurman sustained in a car accident.
Fighting out of Clearwater, Florida, since 2007, 27-year-old Thurman (26-0, 22 KOs, 1 NC) won the interim title in July 2013 by knocking out Diego Chaves in the 10th. Undefeated and hard-hitting “One Time” successfully defended his belt three times before being elevated to regular champion status in January 2015. He’s twice defended his regular title, first against Robert Guerrero that March, winning by unanimous decision, then against Luis Collazo four months later, retiring him in the seventh.
His 28-year-old opponent, born in Akron, Ohio, but fighting out of Las Vegas, is an eight-year ring vet (26-1-1, 16 KOs) who won the IBF title in December 2013 by beating Devon Alexander via unanimous decision. Second-ranked by the WBA, “Showtime” defended his title against Paulie Malignaggi in April 2014, winning by fourth-round TKO, but lost it four months later to Kell Brook, who won by majority decision. Porter has fought twice since, knocking out Erick Bone in the fifth last March and beating Adrien Broner by unanimous decision three months later.
The co-main event will feature Jesus Cuellar (28-1, 21 KOs) defending his WBA World featherweight title against former three-division champ Abner Mares (29-2-1, 15 KOs).
‘Keith Thurman against Shawn Porter is one of the best matchups that can be made in the welterweight division right now,” said promoter Lou DiBella, president of DiBella Entertainment. “Fans in attendance at Barclays Center and those watching on CBS will witness a passing of the torch as the hard-punching world titleholder Thurman and the highly skilled former champion Porter vie to prove who will be the next heir to the throne in the post-Mayweather era of the 147-pound division. The explosive co-main event between Jesus Cuellar and Abner Mares will give fans a fight to remember.”
The fights will air live on CBS.
This article was penned by the author who is not related to the WBA and the statements, expressions or opinions referenced herein are that of the author alone and not the WBA.
