By Rick Reeno
MGM Grand, Las Vegas - As previously reported on BoxingScene.com, pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. (48-0, 26KOs) would like to see up and coming welterweight prospect Errol Spence Jr. (16-0, 13KOs), in his next fight, take on feared puncher Keith Thurman (25-0, 21KOs).
Mayweather is among the many who recognizes Spence's talent and confidently believes the 25-year-old fighter is ready to fight, and beat, Thurman.
Thurman defends his WBA 'regular' welterweight title against Luis Collazo on July 11th. Mayweather holds the WBA's 'super' version of the welterweight crown.
Spence is scheduled to return on Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, against late replacement Phil Lo Greco (26-1, 14KOs) of Canada.
"He's a hell of a fighter. It's going to take a little bit more [for him to become a star]. Me and Errol Spence talk. We talk and I think that for his next fight, what I think is a good matchup is Keith Thurman. I think that should be a championship fight. I think him and Keith Thurman should fight for a title, his next fight. He's ready," Mayweather said.
Spence told BoxingScene.com that he's very willing to face Thurman next - if the fight is actually offered to him.
"Definitely if the fight's on the table. I'd love to fight anybody. I'm not ducking anybody. If they have this on the table and they come to me with it - I will say yeah," Spence told BoxingScene.com.
"No disrespect to Thurman, he's a great fighter. He has tremendous power. He can box, he can move around the ring. He fights smart. He's one of the young guys in the division that they say is the future, and I'm one of those young guys who is the future at 147. If we're gonna fight we're gonna fight. It is what it is. I'm not ducking anybody. I fight anybody at 147. If that fight happens, let's do it."
Thurman said he finds it strange that Mayweather would ask him to fight Spence next.
"So he wants me to fight a young lion, but he don't want to fight no young lion. Oh that's nice, that's cool.....and he wants to see it next," Thurman reacted when BoxingScene.com asked him for his take.
"They are making me hop hoops and fences, and now the world wants to see me fight Errol Spence. Errol Spence, whether we fight the next fight or in the future, as long as we're both at the top of the welterweight division- it's a fight that's going to happen. He's a young up and coming fighter. I'm young, but I'm closer to the top. Let Mayweather announce his retirement and then I'll go fight the next best competition, like an Errol Spence."
