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Keith Thurman Salesman selling Spence’s fight that he missed

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Image: Keith Thurman the salesman selling a Spence fight that passed him by

“I don’t know if he sees the punches coming. People are stuck in the past. Let go of those things, EJ. Forget about those things, EJ,” Thurman told Fight Hub TV, talking about Spence holding a grudge against him and not wanting to fight him because Keith wouldn’t face him when he was on top.

The irony is sturdy here. In 2016, when Thurman was “One Time” and ruling the division, he famously told Spence to “stay in line” and wait his turn. Now that the tables have turned and Spence has moved on from his loss to Crawford, Thurman is suddenly preaching about letting go of the past. It’s challenging to take “Drop it, EJ” seriously when it sounds less like a peace offer and more like an attempt to get the final substantial paycheck.

Spence has repeatedly said that he is no longer interested in fighting Thurman because Thurman would not have fought him when he was at his peak, which was from 2015-2017. This was when Keith held the WBA and WBC welterweight titles and Spence tried to fight him.

This Saturday night on Amazon Prime PPV, Thurman will fight WBC junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora and he is not expected to win.

There are a few reasons this seems so desperate right now: First, looking beyond the 6’6″ Fundora is perilous. If Thurman is weakened or overtrained this Saturday, any mention of the Spence fight will immediately disappear. He’s campaigning for a fight he may not even be eligible to fight on Sunday morning.

For Spence, freezing out Thurman isn’t just a grudge; it’s about brand management. He spent years being ignored by the top dog. Now that he has the upper hand, giving Thurman the opportunity he was once denied feels like a betrayal of his own journey to the top.

Thurman mentioned that the biggest fight of Spence’s career was “supposed” to be against him. This may have been true in 2017, but after Crawford’s masterclass, the boxing world changed. Thurman is trying to revive a rivalry that the public has largely retreated from.

“How do you want to represent yourself now, EJ? What are you going to do with Keith Thurman now? The biggest fight of your career was supposed to be the Keith Thurman fight that ended with Terence Crawford,” Thurman said.

Thurman is still a great speaker, but the “salesman” talk is obvious as he tries to convince Spence to do something that will benefit Keith much more than Errol. If he loses to Fundora, all this press will age poorly.

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The former heavyweight champion admits he is not yet ready to fight Moses Itauma

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Former heavyweight champion admits he’s not ready to face Moses Itauma yet

Moses Itauma appears to have a fresh fight date set as he continues his march towards the heavyweight throne, with talk turning to who will walk through the ropes with him.

Itauma has never fought more than six rounds in his 14-fight professional career, but now he finds himself one step away from fighting for the coveted heavyweight crown. which may occur before the end of the year.

It has been reported that the 21-year-old will headline the O2 Arena in London on Saturday, July 25 in a fight that will ideally be another step forward in the competition.

Promoter Frank Warren didn’t have time to catch up with the youthful talent, claiming that many heavyweights had either rejected the fight altogether or overestimated themselves. Itauma’s future depends on strategically selecting players, increasing his exposure and attracting opponents who can bring fresh aspects to his game. There were many suggestions for good candidates, and Andy Ruiz Jr was mentioned as a hard-wearing and experienced operator by the likes of Tony Bellew.

However, when asked if he would be willing to compete in his opponent’s corner, the former unified heavyweight ruler, who shocked the world by defeating Anthony Joshua in 2019, said: Casino.org that he would like at least two fights to get rid of the rust in the ring.

“Of course I’m not backing down from any fight, but I want to be ready to fight. I want to fight at least two fights first. Then, if they put me against him, I’ll be ready and it will be a great fight.

“If you combine the Mexican fighting style, which is about moving forward and not being afraid of getting hit, with his style, I think it will be an intriguing fight. So we’ll see if he succeeds or not.”

“If I’m 100% and in shape, I don’t think there’s anyone who can beat me. But I think me and Itauma could do it. I feel like I could beat those guys (AJ and Itauma).

“Other than that, I was like Patrick Star, I was just resting under a rock while everyone else was getting beat up and taking losses and stuff like that. So I’m going to come in fresh and come in differently than before.”

The search is on for Itauma’s next foe, which will be his first headlining appearance in London.

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Amari Jones headlines May 22 vs. Vincenzo Gualtieri

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Image: Amari Jones Gets Real Test Against Gualtieri

Jones was billed as one of the company’s rising names, and the hometown headline gave him a apparent platform on DAZN. The organizers don’t randomly hand out the main events. It’s a sign that Golden Boy wants to see if Jones can move from prospect talks into rival territory. This part still needs to be proven.

Jones boasts an attractive record and clear physical tools, but his rise has come without a victory to dispel doubts. He showed strength against his chosen opponent, but astute observers were still waiting for a performance that would confirm he was more than just a well-managed, undefeated fighter.

For this reason, Gualtieri is a useful opponent. The German won the vacant IBF middleweight title in 2023 by defeating Esquiva Falcao before losing in a unification fight to Zhanibek Alimkhanuly. He has since bounced back with four straight wins and brings experience, size and composure.

It’s not the most perilous fight in the division, but that’s how Jones should be judged. If he is a solemn middleweight, as Golden Boy claims, then a former champion with a rebounding streak is the type of guy he should beat, and beat it decisively.

A close victory would keep Jones going, but it wouldn’t silence him much. A flat display would raise louder questions than a press release.

The middleweight category needs recent names. Jones now has a chance to show that he belongs.

Golden Boy has taken a sluggish approach throughout Jones’ career, but at some point you have to turn up the heat or fans will lose interest. From a promoter’s point of view, this is a protected pairing that looks like a step forward.

By pairing Jones with a former world champion, Golden Boy can claim to be fighting a world-class talent. In fact, they chose a guy who has already played at the highest level and doesn’t have the one-punch power to keep Amari from taking him to the ground.

If Amari truly is the next huge star to come out of Virgil Hunter’s gym, he should blow Gualtieri out of the water. Anything less will only confirm that it is still protected.

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Floyd Mayweather confirmed who he will fight before his rematch with Manny Pacquiao

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Floyd Mayweather confirms who he will fight before Manny Pacquiao rematch

Floyd Mayweather is officially scheduled to return to the ring this summer, ahead of his clash with Manny Pacquiao later this year.

The shocker was that earlier this year it was announced that Mayweather would end his nearly decade-long retirement and return to competition face former foe Pacquiao on September 19 at The Sphere in Las Vegas.

However, doubts have been raised about the fight in recent weeks, with Mayweather claiming the fight will be an exhibition rather than a professional fight, while Pacquiao insists it will be a fully sanctioned fight.

As the confusion surrounding this fight continues, one thing is certain that Mayweather is expected to compete before his fight with Pacquiao, after he confirmed details about the June exhibition.

Mayweather was scheduled to fight both Mike Tyson and Mike Zambidis this year, and while there is no further information on Tyson’s fight, Mayweather posted on social media officially reveal the details of his fight with Zambidis.

“IT’S OFFICIAL. June 27 – Athens, Greece. History will be made. I’m stepping into the ring with Mike Zambidis. One night. One stage. An all-out fight you can’t miss.”

Zambidis is a Greek kickboxing legend who has won multiple world titles during his career in the sport, but has only competed professionally once, winning in March 2019.

The Zambidis fight gives Mayweather a chance to get busy, but most boxing fans will be keen to resolve the issues surrounding his fight with Pacquiao as the two boxing legends look to resume their rivalry since their first meeting in 2015.

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