"Left-handed Mayweather " Errol Spence announced that he will return from a year's rest in April, when he will defend the three welterweight championship gold belts of WBC, WBA and IBF. Who will Spence face in April? He has not disclosed, or has no target for the time being. However, when it comes to the choice of opponent, Spence has almost no retreat. His most likely target is former boxing champion Keith Thurman.
A few months ago, the WBC announced Thurman as a mandatory challenger, which means that it is only a matter of time before he confronts Spence. However, Spence has never expressed his attitude towards Thurman. Perhaps he still hates the opponent. That is, when Thurman was still the boxing champion in 2017, he rejected Spence.
Spence needs to mature when it comes to whether to face Thurman. His cocky attitude may affect his career and cost him millions of dollars in income.
If Spence wants to bring in respectable PPV ratings on Showtime, then he really has no choice but to face Thurman. Regardless of Thurman's current status, he still has a good way of packaging and promotion. A fight with Spence will definitely arouse public interest. If Spence gives up Thurman and chooses to fight other boxers, mediocre PPV ratings may even affect future renegotiations with Terrence Crawford.
In addition to Thurman, Spence also has a potential opponent in Jason Ennis. Ennis has an outstanding record of winning 29 fights and knocking out opponents 27 times. He has a lot of talent, but he has not been famous for a long time, so that ordinary boxing fans are not familiar with Ennis. Therefore, compared to Thurman, Ennis will not help Spence bring considerable PPV ratings. On the contrary, it will bring him greater risks, so Spence really needs to seriously consider Thurman.
html The 134-year-old Thurman's last game was in February last year, when he defeated Mario Barrios on points, and then stopped again. It is unclear why Thurman continues to "take a vacation." Maybe he is waiting for the opportunity to challenge Spence and Crawford.
Time goes back to 2017. At that time, Thurman was the number one man in the 147-pound welterweight division. Unfortunately, injuries and other factors led him to live a "solitary" life for the next five years, which in the eyes of the outside world was a complete waste of life.
After 2017, Thurman only participated in 3 games, defeating Jonacito Lopez and Mario Barrios, and lost to the aging Manny Pacquiao. What do Thurman think? Only he knows best! But for Spence, there is really no better choice than Thurman next. This will be the best match for him to consolidate his status in his category.
