Thurman v. Collazo
Saturday night, ESPN aired its first showing of Premier Boxing Champions, which has become the topic of conversation a lot since its debut on NBC this past March. This event placed undefeated Keith Thurman back in the ring against veteran and former champion, Luis Collazo. Thurman had a spectacular outing in PBC’s debut, earning a unanimous lopsided decision over a tough Robert Guerrero. 
Although Collazo showed some skill in the fifth and sixth rounds, it was Thurman who was the more dominant man in the ring. Collazo’s bulldog-like approach is what helped him win and successfully defend a world title back in 2005. It seems as if he could have found a way to bully Thurman in just the same manner and maybe even find a way to stop him. However, we will never know, as Collazo quit on his stool and did not come out for the eighth round. I have had a few people ask me why. Here is my take on it:
Yes, it was strange, but Collazo is no stranger to loss. I think he was feeling Thurman’s power and just found a way to get out of there. If the fight would have continued, Keith would’ve dominated the rest of the way. I know Collazo’s ability well and there was no way he would’ve been able to maintain the pace of the fight much longer. With this ending, it shows that Collazo can still produce something, and now he lives to fight again. Don’t forget that he is a former world champion, so he will always have some level of star quality. At 34, he’s not ready to retire just yet, and I believe he has some financial concerns, so he needs more paydays.
Final Thoughts:
Last night, Keith Thurman showed us what I was waiting to see. The Mayweather-esque style that he uses has a major flaw. It really is just simple – Chase him down! Thurman is a hard-hitting, accurate, quality fighter. He does belong among the elite in the division. But, all you need to do is stick a Tyson-esque fighter in front of him. Cotto and Alvarez could beat Mayweather if either of them had a rematch. Bradley, Provodnikov, and (my vote) Brandon Rios would have more than a fighting chance. Ladies & Gentlemen: It’s time for a round-robin tourney in the Welterweight division!
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Michael J. Feinberg
TheFightingNews Reporter
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