With many of boxing’s top welterweights yet to announce opponents for the final quarter of 2015, anticipation abounds regarding the potential matchups.
One fight that doesn’t appear to be in the works just yet is a meeting between unbeaten welterweight titlist Keith Thurman and former unified junior welterweight titleholder Amir Khan. But you wouldn’t know that by their war of words over the past few months, which has included Khan trainer Virgil Hunter.
In June, while attending the Shawn Porter-Adrien Broner fight in Las Vegas, Thurman took offense at recent comments by Khan and Hunter, saying, “If I had to, I’d knock both of them out.”
The verbal sparring escalated considerably this past weekend in Las Vegas, where both Thurman and Hunter attended the Floyd Mayweather-Andre Berto fight at the MGM Grand.
Hunter, who also trains Berto, sat down for hours at a media roundtable on Thursday and cut right to the point about Thurman.
“I laugh at Keith, God bless his heart. I love him,” Hunter said, in an interview posted by ESNews. “When he said he wanted to knock me out -- Keith, you better cut that ponytail before you talk about knocking me out. I’ll grab you by your ponytail and break your neck, boy.
“They don’t understand that. I’m a 62-year-old man and I won’t play no games with you. I know some things that will take you straight out of here, and I have no problem utilizing it.”
Hunter referenced his own combat history, saying he was never a world champion but could have been, and said he knows more than just boxing. He went so far as to say: “If I get my hands on you, it’s pretty much a wrap.”
Thurman (26-0, 22 KOs) originally declined to speak about Hunter later that night, but relented the following day with a small group of reporters.
“If [Hunter] really has some beef, we can sign a contract,” Thurman told ESPN.com. “I can go to his gym and I’ll slap you up. I don’t want to talk a lot of junk, especially to Virgil. He’s the trainer. Get out of this, you don’t belong in this. This is the fighters’ world.
“I will f--- your fighters up, each and every one of them. And if you want to jump in with it, my hands are there. I will throw. I don’t like threats and he’s not a fighter. We are not going to fight unless he wants to fight. I don’t like beating up old people, but I don’t like mother-----s talking s--- either, man. That’s that. Zero to 100 real quick.”
Thurman, who is rumored to be headed toward a fall showdown with Shawn Porter, had equally harsh words for Khan (31-3, 19 KOs).
“Khan is like the stock market -- one second he’s up and the next second he’s down,” Thurman said. “Right now he’s up; we haven’t seen him go down for a while. But I think it’s time he hits the mat again.”
Khan, who looked vulnerable at times while outpointing Chris Algieri in May, has won five straight since a 2012 knockout loss to Danny Garcia. Khan, 28, is 3-0 as a full-fledged welterweight. Despite reports that he was in line to face Ruslan Provodnikov, Khan told ESPN.com that he is instead angling toward an early 2016 bout with Manny Pacquiao.
“Khan and his little team have a little too much confidence, and I don’t know where it comes from,” Thurman, 26, said. “He has been beaten. He has proven that power punches can handle him and can walk through him. Marcos Maidana almost ended him.
“Ever since he stepped up into the welterweight division, I have had my eyes on Amir Khan. He couldn’t take Danny Garcia’s power so he definitely won’t be able to take my power.”
Thurman’s biggest beef with Khan appears to be Thurman’s belief that the native of England has been feasting almost exclusively on blown-up junior welterweights at 147 pounds.
“When he fought [Luis] Collazo, that was the only welterweight that he fought,” Thurman said. “He fought Devon Alexander, then Chris Algieri. Now they are talking about Provodnikov. I mean, it is what it is.
“He’s not a champion fighting these guys. In reality, he can just run some laps and fight these dudes at 140 where he belongs. If he wants to talk junk at welterweight, fight some welterweights. Fight Keith Thurman, fight Kell Brook, fight Shawn Porter, fight Andre Berto -- even though that will never happen with Virgil Hunter. What I’m trying to say is, fight a legitimate welterweight and make a name for yourself in the welterweight division. “
Article Courtesy of ESPN