Keith Thurman: My Ultimate Goal is To Unify The Division

Undefeated champions Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia risk their welterweight crowns on Saturday in a showdown that could launch the winner to stardom worthy of Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao.

Saturday’s matchup of unbeaten 28-year-old Americans at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center is only the third unification bout between unbeaten welterweight champions, the first since Oscar de la Hoya faced Felix Trinidad in 1999.

“We’re young. We’re hungry. we’re tired of waiting for this to go down,” Thurman said. “I’m really happy to be in this moment, in this limelight. It has been a dream. This is the biggest fight of either of our careers.”

World boxing Association champion Thurman, 27-0 with 22 knockouts, and World boxing Council champion Garcia, 33-0 with 19 knockouts, are stars of the 147-pound division once ruled by Mayweather, who retired undefeated at 49-0 in 2015, and Filipino icon Pacquiao, who holds the World boxing Organization welterweight throne.

“This is the biggest fight of either of our careers,” Thurman said. “This is what we’ve been dreaming of. It feels like my destiny.”

Garcia was a unified WBA and WBC champion from 2012 to 2014 at super lightweight, where he first claimed a world title five years ago. He won the WBC welterweight belt from Robert Guerrero in January of last year and defends it for the first time.

“It has always been a dream of mine to unify most of my weight classes,” Garcia said. “I feel good. I feel confident come Saturday night I will be a unified champion again. I live for moments like this.

“Everything in my career has led me to this fight.”

Thurman took the WBA title from Guerrero two years ago and makes his third defense.

“The ultimate goal is to unify the division,” Thurman said. “It’s a great opportunity. The winner is going to be that man to beat at 147 pounds.”