Keith “One Time” Thurman is eager for our attention, and why not give it to him? It’s about time we shift our focus to the fighters making it happen in the Welterweight division.
Thurman has proven himself to be one of the more hungry fighters in the game, and will face whom ever he needs to earn the respect of boxing fans everywhere.
This Saturday, the undefeated Welterweight faces Shawn “Showtime” Porter in what’s sure to be one of the best matchups of the year. Both Thurman and Porter are forces to be reckoned with, making this a very close contest.
Thurman is known for his explosive power, refined by sharp technical skill, while Porter, the wild card, is brutal and unpredictable.
Thurman has the boxing finesse, but does he have what it takes to rough it with Showtime Porter?
Here are three keys for Thurman to secure a victory and keep his record blemish-free.
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Set the Pace
Photo by Esther Lin/Showtime
Keith Thurman needs to establish the pace of the fight early on, and stay in control of the fight’s momentum there onward.
Shawn Porter is a wild fighter, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be neutralized. Porter is the biggest threat to Thurman when he can throw whenever he wants and be in control.
One of the best ways for Thurman to neutralize Porter is to make him feel caught off guard, off-rhythm and off-balance. He can do this by throwing well-timed punches and combinations with an unpredictable rhythm.
Porter is the type of fighter that needs to be told what to do; Thurman is much better at being able to box and think for himself. He has to make Porter so uncomfortable that he forgets his objectives in the ring and starts to wing it.
This will put Porter in a vulnerable position with Thurman, and cause him to make more mistakes.
Don’t Get “Power Happy”
Photo by Ed Mulholland/Golden Boy Promotions
We know by now that power is one of Keith Thurman’s best assets. Yet, I frequently have reservations when he goes into fights because of how much he relies on his power.
Sometimes power punchers become so concerned with trying to knock out their opponent that they forget the other skills at their disposal to beat them.
However, I’ll give Thurman the benefit of the doubt this time around. He should definitely use his power to his advantage, especially his right hand.
My hope is that Thurman remembers to use a combination of power and speed in his strategy to beat Shawn Porter.
Rather than just every shot being a hard one, Thurman needs to focus on accuracy and placement of those power punches whenever they are thrown.
Get Ugly
Photo by Naoki Fukada
Bottom line is that Shawn Porter is an ugly fighter. I’m not saying he’s a dirty fighter, but an ugly one. He’s rough, unpolished and uncouth.
Yet, these very qualities have made him such dangerous opposition to his opponents. Keith Thurman is without question a much better boxer than Porter, but he must also be prepared to handle Porter’s roughness.
Traditionally Thurman is more comfortable boxing on the outside. However, I believe that Thurman really does like to fight, and we’re going to see how well he can do so on Saturday.
Thurman should prepare to fight on the inside if necessary, and rough Porter up to gain his respect.
Header photo by Esther Lin/Showtime
