By Rick Reeno

StubHub Center, Carson, California - WBA interim-welterweight champion Keith Thurman (23-0, 21KOs) barely broke a sweat during Saturday's third round stoppage of veteran Julio Diaz. After dropping Diaz in the second, Thurman landed a bodyshot in the third that badly injured Diaz's ribs. Because of the rib injury, Diaz was unable to come out for the fourth round.

The win was impressive, especially when considering that Amir Khan went life and death with Diaz last April. And IBF welterweight champion Shawn Porter (24-0-1, 15KOs) barely escaped with a draw against Diaz in December 2012. Porter made things right with a ten round unanimous decision over Diaz in their September 2013 rematch.

Under the same promotional banner of Golden Boy and handled by the same manager in Al Haymon, Thurman and Porter appear to be on a collision course in the not too distant future. While Porter wants the fight to marinate for a few, Thurman wants the showdown sooner than later.

"Porter is the number one option. Porter is what the fans want. And I would love to make the fans happy. We're both young fighters. We're the two youngest American welterweights who are undefeated. Pretty soon there will only be one who is undefeated if the fight happens tomorrow or later on in our careers," Thurman said.