Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia talk the talk at Barclays Center news conference

The Associated Press

Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman, left, lands a punch on Shawn Porter during their welterweight title fight in June at Barclays Center. Thurman retained his title via narrow decision/AP photo by Gregory Payan

 

Welterweight world champions Keith “One Time” Thurman and Danny Garcia are a combined 60-0 with 41 knockouts. That’s a lot of talent. The question is, which fighter has more?

We’ll find out March 4 when they square off in a title-unification bout at Barclays Center in Brooklyn (on CBS).

The interested parties hosted a news conference there Wednesday. Nor surprisingly, each fighter talked down to the other.

“This fight is going to have action,” said Thurman, of Clearwater, Fla. “There’s too much on the line. I remember Danny from the amateurs. I applaud him for everything he’s done in his career. He signed the wrong contract, though, because Keith Thurman’s got this. Danny Garcia, you’re getting knocked out.”

Said Garcia: “I just had to tell Keith be careful what he wished for. He wanted this fight. But now that he’s got it, you have to deal with me.”

Garcia, of Philadelphia, is trained by his father, Angel, who talks about as much trash as any trainer out there. Thurman intimated he couldn’t care less about that.

“Angel will talk to try to get people off of their game,” Thurman said. “Danny is an elite fighter, and he can talk for himself. These father trainers seem to like the limelight as much as the fighter, if not more. At the end of the day, I’m only fighting Danny Garcia.”

Thurman, 28, is 27-0 with 22 knockouts. Garcia, 28, is 33-0 with 19 knockouts.

 

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Elio Rojas will be eager to show he still has ‘elite’ ability when he fights Mikey Garcia underneath Santa Cruz-Frampton

Elio Rojas/Photo courtesy of BoxRec.com

 

Elio Rojas of the Dominican Republic is a former featherweight world champion. But he doesn’t believe he was ever afforded the proper appreciation for that, so that’s one reason why he decided to accept a fight with former two-division world champion Mikey Garcia.

The two will tangle Saturday underneath the featherweight title fight between champion Leo Santa Cruz of Lincoln Heights and Carl Frampton of Northern Ireland at Barclays Center in Brooklyn (on Showtime).

“I’m taking this fight because I mean to show the world I’m an elite fighter, and the only way to show it is to beat the elite fighter, which is Garcia,” Rojas said. “That’s why I need to show the world that I’m able to be on top with the big names. I deserve this opportunity because the public never gave me the respect that I deserved.”
Garcia (34-0, 28 KOs), of Oxnard, is a former featherweight and super featherweight champion. He has not fought for 2 1/2 years because of a contract dispute with his now-former promoter, Bob Arum.
Rojas (24-2, 14 KOs) has had a long layoff, as well. He lost his title to Jhonny Gonzalez via decision in April 2012, took more than two years off, came back and won an eight-round decision over journeyman Robert Osiobe of Nigeria in August 2014 and has not fought since.
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Carl Frampton wants to create strong legacy; a win over Leo Santa Cruz would go a long way in that regard

Carl Frampton

Carl Frampton/Photo courtesy of Premier Boxing Champions

 

Carl Frampton of Northern Ireland has already done very well during his seven-year pro career. He is 22-0 with 14 knockouts, won the super bantamweight world title in September 2014 and made three successful defenses. One of those defenses was a split-decision over Scott Quigg in a title-unification bout in February in England.

However, nothing Frampton has done would compare to what a victory over Leo Santa Cruz would do for him. It would make him a great fighter, one to remember, and that’s what Frampton craves. The two will square off July 30 for Santa Cruz’s featherweight title at Barclays Center in Brooklyn (on Showtime).

“This fight is huge for me because I really want to create a legacy,” Frampton said Thursday at a workout at Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn. “I know how people talk, and I think people will be talking about this for a very long time. I want people to remember me as a great fighter, that’s all.”

Santa Cruz, of Lincoln Heights, is 27. He is 32-0-1 with 18 knockouts, 11-0 with seven knockouts in world-title fights. Santa Cruz has won titles in the bantamweight, super bantamweight and featherweight divisions. He’ll be a touch nut to crack for Frampton.

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Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman grew up wanting to be a knockout artist

Keith Thurman

Keith Thurman/Photo courtesy of Premier Boxing Champions

 

Although two of his past three fights have gone the distance, welterweight champion Keith “One Time” Thurman is known as a fighter who can knock out any opponent, what with his record of 26-0 and 22 knockouts.

It’s what he wanted to be able to do when he grew up taking apart older boxers.

“I’ve always considered myself a knockout artist, back to when I was a teenager knocking out grown men in headgear,” said Thurman, who will defend his title June 25 when he takes on Shawn Porter (26-1-1, 16 KOs) at Barclays Center in Brooklyn (on CBS). “Ever since then, I’ve been dropping people like a bad habit.”

Stopping opponents inside the distance is what Thurman lives for, so it’s not surprising to find out the name of his boxing idol.

 “I love being a power-puncher,” said Thurman, of Clearwater, Fla. “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.”
Tyson had 44 knockouts, so Thurman is halfway there.
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