Thurman: Mayweather Said 'Never' When He Offered Me Spence

By Edward Chaykovsky

WBA world welterweight champion Keith 'One Time' Thurman (26-0, 22 KOs) is less than two weeks away from his anticipated title defense against former IBF champion Shawn Porter (26-1-1, 16 KOs).

The fight which was postponed several times, will finally go forward on June 25 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Last year, Thurman was in hot pursuit of a pay-per-view fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. (49-0, 26KOs). His advances were rejected when Mayweather, on several occasions, called for a fight with Thurman and Errol Spence Jr. - and Mayweather even offered a spot on his pay-per-view for that contest.

Thurman was passed over when Mayweather selected Andre Berto last September, winning an easy twelve round decision and then announcing his retirement from the sport.

There are rumors that Mayweather will potentially return in the fall or early next year, but Thurman doubts he would ever be capable of luring Mayweather into the ring.

"I say the day Floyd Mayweather whispered Keith Thurman into Errol Spence's ear is the day I knew that he didn't want nothing to do with me," Thurman said to press members.

"Honestly, I've never talked to Floyd. To me, we've had what I call indirect conversations. The way I took it is..the day he told Errol Spence Jr. to call out Keith Thurman is the day Floyd told me 'you will never fight me and the greatest fighter you'll fight from the TMT banner is Errol Spence. The greatest fighter that you will ever fight, who is not an Olympian, because Floyd is an Olympian, is Errol Spence Jr.'

"Floyd always tells everybody who to fight. Like so and so shouldn't fight Triple G. So the statement I got from his mouth indirectly is that the 'greatest fighter from my gym that you will step in the ring with is Errol Spence Jr. and I will never go up against you.'"