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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 17: WBA welterweight super champion Keith Thurman attends a news conference at MGM Grand Garden Arena on July 17, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Thurman will meet WBA welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao in a WBA welterweight title fight on July 20 at MGM Grand Garden Arena. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 17: WBA welterweight super champion Keith Thurman attends a news conference at MGM Grand Garden Arena on July 17, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Thurman will meet WBA welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao in a WBA welterweight title fight on July 20 at MGM Grand Garden Arena. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Former welterweight champion Keith Thurman has been one of the biggest names in the division for a while now. However, he is yet to enter the ring against unified champion Errol Spence Jr., and ‘One-Time’ has now revealed the truth behind their failed bout.
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Thurman held the WBA welterweight regular belt for four years until he faced Spence Jr.’s next opponent, Manny Pacquiao. However, before ‘The Truth’ could think of facing ‘Pac Man,’ rumors suggested he would face Thurman, and Spence Jr. even accused Thurman of ducking him.
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LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 28: Referee Jack Reiss in in the ring with Erroll Spence Jr. after he defeated Shawn Porter in their IBF & WBC World Welterweight Championship fight at Staples Center on September 28, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Spence, Jr won by decision. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
Now, the 29-1 boxer has revealed why the fight never happened despite the call out from Errol Spence Jr. Thurman spoke to FightHype.com and said, “When EJ first said my name, he ain’t say my name. It wasn’t you, it was something, somebody else told you to do, alright? It’s like, ‘Sir, yes Sir.’ You’re listening to others, it ain’t come from your heart, you know what I mean.”
Thus, this statement from Thurman showed he felt Spence Jr. did not really want to face him. Instead, he was merely taking instructions from someone else. Regardless of the reason, fans missed out on an exciting welterweight fight.
READ MORE: Analyzing Errol Spence Jr.’s Best Knockout Win – Is Manny Pacquiao in Trouble?
Keith Thurman says Errol Spence Jr. should have called out Floyd Mayweather
The incident Thurman is referring to is from before Spence Jr. became a world champion. ‘The Truth’ was on a 16-fight unbeaten streak and wanted a world title shot. And Thurman has now fired back at him by saying Spence Jr. should have called out Mayweather instead.
‘One-Time’ explained his comments by saying, “Well, look back at that old fight reference when he first said my name, and before he said my name, he said Floyd’s name. He said, ‘I want to call out Floyd Mayweather. Oh wait, I mean… Keith One-Time Thurman.’ Like bro, bro… why didn’t you just call out Mayweather that day? You want to go for the top, Mayweather was still an active fighter, why didn’t you just call out Mayweather?”
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 19: WBA welterweight super champion Keith Thurman poses on the scale during his official weigh-in at MGM Grand Garden Arena on July 19, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Thurman will meet WBA welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao in a WBA welterweight title fight on July 20 at MGM Grand Garden Arena. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Thus, with this comment, Thurman showed why he believes Errol Spence Jr. never wanted to fight him. Furthermore, he questioned the champion’s attitude by accusing him of following others’ instructions and not calling out the best.
What do you make of these comments from Keith Thurman? Do you think there’s some truth to it?
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