By Carlos Boogs
WBA welterweight champion Keith Thurman (26-0, 22KOs) is hungry to make a statement against IBF world champion Shawn Porter next Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn
The fight will be televised live by CBS and presented by Premier Boxing Champions with televised coverage beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
Porter (26-1, 16KOs) has been out of the ring since winning a twelve round decision over Adrien Broner last June, while Thurman has been on the shelf since stopping Luis Collazo last July.
The fight was pushed back a few times, including a set date earlier this year when Thurman sustained injuries from a car accident.
Thurman is a fan of getting knockout victories and wants to take Porter out inside the distance. Porter was on the floor in the twelfth round of the fight with Broner.
"I've always considered myself a knockout artist. Back to when I was a teenager knocking out grown men in headgear. Ever since then, I've been dropping people like a bad habit," Thurman said.
"I love being a power-puncher. My favorite fighter of all time is Mike Tyson. One of my goals that I set when I was a kid was to have more knockouts than Mike Tyson throughout my career. I'm ready for Shawn Porter. We're going to box harder, box stronger and box better. I will be the better man."
Thurman wants all of the titles in the welterweight division. After Porter, he plans to go on a run targeting the other beltholders in his division.
"This is an opportunity to showcase our talents and our skills to the world. The winner will have an opportunity to be the head guy in the sport. I've always wanted to have a legacy in the sport of boxing," Thurman said.
"I want to be the undisputed welterweight champion of the world. That's my ultimate goal. There have only been so many in the history of boxing. I want to be a part of that history.
