By Lyle Fitzsimmons

It’d be easy for Keith Thurman to be irritated come May 2.

Now 26, Thurman has long been suggested as heir apparent to the elder 147-pound statesmen, has frequently said he’d like a chance to forcibly pass the torch in the ring and has called Mayweather’s name intermittently since being elevated to the WBA’s second-tier championship status in July 2013.

But, 60 nights from tonight, he’ll still be more fan than fussbudget.

“I’m happy about it. At the end of the day, this is a matchup that’s great for the sport of boxing,” he said in a Monday afternoon phone chat. “I’ve said a lot of things in the past and I’ll probably say more things in the future. I say a lot of things when they ask me questions and they put a camera in front of my face.

“But I have no hatred in my heart and I have no jealousy in my heart. I’m happy to be where I am in the sport of boxing and it’s great to see the direction the sport of boxing is going today.”

Thurman will be a big part of that move on Saturday night, when he fights former Mayweather challenger Robert Guerrero in the main event of NBC’s ballyhooed return to primetime boxing coverage.

He’ll enter that bout as the WBA’s so-called “world” champion, one slot beneath Mayweather’s status as its “unified” champion, which “Money” earned with the first of two defeats of Marcos Maidana in 2014.

Guerrero, who won three rounds on three scorecards against Mayweather in 2013, is ranked No. 4.

Saturday’s winner will presumably have “I got next” logic on his side, but Thurman is content for now to just enjoy the Mayweather-Pacquiao spectacle rather than demanding an immediate succession plan.

“The move with Mayweather and Pacquiao is a great move, and it’s great for the sport,” he said. “It’s great for the fans. I’m happy that the fans are going to be pleased. This sport should be about our fans and our fan base, so it’s great. I know I’m going to be there. I’m going to be watching. Front row.”

What he’ll see upon arriving is anyone’s guess.

Mayweather is a firm – but hardly prohibitive – favorite according to odds posted at VegasInsider.com, where it’ll take a $240 wager on the WBA’s top man to recoup $100. Meanwhile, those wagering $100 on Pacquiao will win $200 in the event the WBO champion pulls off a unification upset.

In fact, Thurman, who improved to 24-0 with a shutout victory over previously unbeaten Leonard Bundu in December, is a far safer selection in the eyes of odds-makers over Guerrero, who’s fought just once in 22 months since losing to Mayweather. It’ll require a $650 outlay on Thurman to yield a $100 profit if he indeed beats the now 31-year-old “Ghost,” while $100 on Guerrero means $425 in return if he wins.

“I expect it to be Mayweather’s toughest fight in the past several years,” Thurman said. “I also expect Mayweather to use his legwork and do what he’s known for doing nowadays. He doesn’t throw a bunch of combinations anymore. He doesn’t throw a whole bunch of flurries anymore. He pot shots. That’s what he does. That’s what he’s good at. He lines you up, he aims and he fires. Boom. He fires. Boom. Pivots, moves, lines you up, fires. Boom. And he’s accurate. He’s good at what he does. He’s a craftsman. I expect to see that. I expect to see the A-class Mayweather come out. And then in return, I’m hoping to see the A-class Pacquiao come out.”

Each May 2 combatant has had a birthday since his last ring appearance.

Mayweather, who defeated Maidana for a second time in September, turned 38 in late February. Pacquiao turned 36 in December, just less than a month after routing Chris Algieri over 12 rounds.

Thurman was 6 years old when Pacquiao debuted as a pro in January 1995.

He was a month shy of 8 when Mayweather emerged from the amateurs in October 1996.

“I’m hoping to see the flurries. I’m hoping to see the combinations. I hope Manny Pacquiao ends up being relentless, because he’s going to need it if he really wants to win the fight,” Thurman said. “I think Mayweather has aged more than Pacquiao. I say that because of how conservative his fighting style has become. I think it’s very strategic. I think that’s how he chooses to fight now in his later years. Manny still has some gusto in him. That’s the way he fights in the first place.

“I think he’s going to be open for the counters, but I think he can make them up with some of the flurries. Manny Pacquiao throws punches from awkward angles sometimes. I think he’s decently accurate as well, just not as accurate as Mayweather. So, with that in mind, if Pacquiao can read some of Mayweather’s movement – which is very difficult to do – he might be able to land some interesting punches or put him in a situation to land some combinations.”

Pushed for a prediction, Thurman goes older school.

“It’s a great fight. I favor Mayweather in the fight,” he said. “But it’s a great fight and I expect it to be one of the toughest Mayweather has had in the last several years.”

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This week's title-fight schedule:

FRIDAY
IBF junior bantamweight title – Liverpool, United Kingdom
Zolani Tete (champion/No. 4 IWBR) vs. Paul Butler (No. 9 contender/No. 21 IWBR)
Tete (19-3, 16 KO): First title defense; Fifth fight outside South Africa (2-2, 1 KO)
Butler (17-0, 8 KO): Second title fight (1-0); Held IBF title at 118 pounds (2014, no defenses)
Fitzbitz says: Butler was fast enough and skilled enough to defeat a reigning champion at bantamweight, but he’s figuring he’ll be even better at a more comfortable 115 pounds. I agree. Butler by decision
 
SATURDAY
IBF flyweight title – Macao, China
Amnat Ruenroeng (champion/No. 3 IWBR) vs. Zou Shiming (No. 4 contender/No. 37 IWBR)
Ruenroeng (14-0, 5 KO): Third title defense; Second fight outside Thailand (1-0, 0 KO)
Shiming (6-0, 1 KO): First title fight; Second fight scheduled for 12 rounds (1-0, 0 KO)
Fitzbitz says: Bob Arum’s newest pet project certainly looked title-worthy with his most recent PPV appearance last November. Hard to imagine him not winning, no matter what. Shiming by decision

Last week's picks: 1-0 (WIN: Frampton)
2015 picks record: 6-1 (85.7 percent)
Overall picks record: 645-224 (74.2 percent)

NOTE: Fights previewed are only those involving a sanctioning body's full-fledged title-holder – no interim, diamond, silver, etc. Fights for WBA "world championships" are only included if no "super champion" exists in the weight class.

Lyle Fitzsimmons has covered professional boxing since 1995 and written a weekly column for Boxing Scene since 2008. He is a full voting member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Reach him at fitzbitz@msn.com or follow him on Twitter – @fitzbitz.