Keith Thurman will headline ESPN’s first ‘Premier Boxing Champions’ card on July 11 when he faces Luis Collazo in the second defence of his WBA welterweight title.
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Thurman is considered one of the most marketable talents Stateside which goes hand in hand with his boxing ability as he continues to establish himself as one of the best welterweights in the world.
While he has struggled to get the big fights with his rivals seemingly keen on avoiding him, he will look to protect his unbeaten record against Collazo at a venue yet to be determined in Tampa.
“I am very happy to be where I am in my career,” Thurman told ESPN.com.
“Boxing is opening back up to the people, and it’s been a dream of mine to be a true champion, and there’s no better form of that than being the people’s champion. (The PBC) is opening up doors that will give the world-class fighters the exposure that they need. I want to be the American people’s champion. There is nothing better than getting the exposure, giving the fans great fights and being cheered by the public.”
Thurman (25-0, 21 KOs) will look to continue to build momentum and stay active, as he returns to the ring for the first time since his win over Robert Guerrero back in March on the inaugural PBC card.
Meanwhile, Collazo is back in the ring just a few months after his last fight in April as he had taken 11 months off to consider his future as retirement was an option following his loss to Amir Khan last year.
However, the veterans southpaw continues to want the big names and fights, and he will be expected to come out and fight against Thurman which should result in an entertaining bout for the fans as Thurman enjoys his homecoming and hopes this is another stepping stone to bigger things in the future.
The welterweight division is certainly one of the most popular in the sport currently as the next generation of stars look to push on and take up the mantle set to be left behind by Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
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