Winner and Why
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This was not an easy prediction to make, as I believe the bout between Robert Guerrero and Keith Thurman will be fiercely competitive. Thurman’s best chance of beating Guerrero is by staying completely on the outside, but I don’t anticipate that Guerrero or Thurman will let the fight happen that way.
Stylistically speaking, this is looking more and more like a bout when a fighter comes face to face with himself. For Thurman, his slightly older, more experienced self. I’m not yet convinced Thurman has matured to a place where he can handle not being able to knock a guy out. I fear that under this pressure, Thurman will become slightly reckless, making himself vulnerable to Guerrero’s power.
Thurman isn’t anything Guerrero hasn’t seen before, and so most of my confidence rests with him. I do know that this welterweight matchup is one of the most exciting in a long time. At the very least, Thurman-Guerrero should bring the perfect balance of technical skill and toe-to-toe warfare that boxing fans desperately crave.
Winner: Guerrero
