Catch the live stream of the Danny Garcia-Brandon Rios weigh-in today here on BeatsBoxingMayhem. After yesterday’s heated press conference, the two combatants get to confront each other one last time. The fight airs on Showtime Saturday night at 9 p.m. ET.
BROOKLYN — Keith Thurman’s fast lead was enough to hold off a late surge by Danny Garcia and take a split decision to unify the WBA and WBC welterweight titles. Despite some early fireworks, this was a mostly a high-level chess match with Thurman’s athleticism being the deciding factor.
FAST START: Thurman came with both fists blazing. He wobbled Garcia in the first round with an overhand right and spent the majority of the opening two rounds walking down his smaller foe. Garcia got some traction in the second by countering off the backfoot with right hands, but Thurman erased his efforts with heavy hooks at the bell.
Starting in the third, Thurman modified his attacks with lateral movement to exploit Garcia’s slow footwork. When Thurman decided to work the jab, Garcia’s offense was reduced to plodding forward and waiting for a Thurman mistake (which were few and far). By the end of the fifth, the only debatable round for Garcia was the second.
.@DannySwift & @keithfthurmanjr have had some big exchanges so far, including this one to close Round 5. Onto Round 6… #ThurmanGarcia pic.twitter.com/jgkABlSRGN
— PBC (@premierboxing) March 5, 2017
FINDING THE RANGE AND GAME PLAN ADJUSTMENTS: The sixth round was the first time Garcia looked comfortable with Thurman’s speed. With his left hook nullified, Garcia found openings with his right hand. He scored with a nice 1-2 at ring center and stayed busy in the trenches. The seventh was another close one with Garcia boxing well until the last 10 seconds when Thurman knocked him off-balance with a counter left hook. The eighth and ninth stanzas were all Thurman, who controlled the action by countering easily off the back foot with straight rights and uppercuts. 
FROM ONE TIME TO RUN TIME: Remember how Oscar De La Hoya thought he had big lead and coasted the final four rounds against Felix Trinidad? It wasn’t that ridiculous tonight, but Thurman clearly was nursing his lead. His punch output dropped and his feet picked up the slack. Outside of the 12th were Garcia landed some good, sustained body blow on the ropes, Thurman didn’t take much serious damage. However, rounds 10-12 clearly went to Garcia and added some drama to the scorecard announcement.
.@DannySwift tries to step on the gas to end Round 11. We go to the 12th and final round of #ThurmanGarcia on CBS! pic.twitter.com/6tWJW1m12l
— PBC (@premierboxing) March 5, 2017
SCORECARDS: Official scores were 116-112 Thurman, 115-113 Garica and 115-113 Thurman. I had it 116-112 Thurman and found Kevin Morgan’s score for Danny indefensible. Even with the most generous of scores, I can’t see this closer than 115-113 for One Time. Nonetheless, the right man won and hopefully this is a scare that Thurman learns from.
NEXT ORDER OF BUSINESS: Thurman’s win puts him in line to unify with the winner of Errol Spence vs. Kell Brook. If that fails, the winner of Shawn Porter vs. Andre Berto is an option. Tonight’s fight was good, but not one that warrants an immediate rematch. Garcia might want to consider Luis Collazo for his comeback bout.
Photo Credit: Amanda Westcott/Showtime
We’re one night away from the big welterweight unification matchup between Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia. But before we see the two undefeated stars square off Saturday night, they’ll get one last chance to get in each other’s head via today’s weigh-in at Brooklyn’s Barclays Arena. The live stream begins at 1 p.m. ET.
The card airs Saturday night at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.
(photo by Douglas DeFelice/Prime 360 Photography)
Photo Credit: Prime 360 Photography
We’re just over two weeks away from the big welterweight showdown between Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia. Thurman, who’s putting the finishing touches on his training camp in St. Petersburg, Florida, took time to disclose his thoughts on the matchup and how his last win against Shawn Porter lifted his game.
KEITH THURMAN
At the end of the day, it’s just another fight. My job has not changed since I was seven years old. This is the sport that I love. The name of the game to hit and not get hit, but you know I’m looking to inflict some damage as well.
I know Danny is confident coming into this fight. He’s trying to challenge me and hurt me. I have an ‘0’ and I’m not ready to let it go. If you think you can beat me, beat me. It’s going down on March 4.
(photo by Douglas DeFelice/Prime 360 Photography)
You can expect a world class fight. We’re both great champions with impressive skills. We’re going to be pushing each other and testing each other. I see myself as the smarter fighter. I’ve shown that I can adjust in the middle of a fight. With the experience that I have, I go in there with an objective I’m trying to achieve. If it’s not happening, then I have to use something else.
Ultimately, my heart desires victory at this stage and at this level. I’m looking to do what I do best. Which is be a smart fighter, look for the openings and if I can cause some damage, hopefully I can capitalize on that.
I showed against Shawn Porter that when you fully challenge me and make me gut it out, I’m there. I’m a champion and this champion doesn’t lie down for anybody. That fight was a tremendous fight and we showed that we understand each other as fighters.
I thought to myself after eight rounds against Porter, ‘this fight is tied.’ Nothing that happened in the first eight rounds mattered. The fight was going to be decided in four rounds, just like the amateurs. I had to do what Ben Getty always said, ‘smart fighters win and dumb fighters lose.’
I just want to keep moving myself up and establishing my legacy. I want to distinguish myself from the other welterweights. The winner of this fight will get the spotlight over everyone else in the division.Â
(photo by Douglas DeFelice/Prime 360 Photography)
I’m doing this for my career, for my legacy and for the fans. Without the fans, there’s no legacy. I’ve been boxing for 21 years of my life and I look forward to having some more great years. I’m proud to be living my dream.To get two tremendous fights back-to-back is evidence that I’m on the right track and you could say we’re gaining more power in the sport. I’m getting what I want out of the sport, which are big fights like this.
This is something that the fans are excited about and I’m truly looking forward to this fight. I just want to keep living my dreams and working to become the best fighter in the world.ÂEstablishing a unification of a weight class is my ultimate goal in the sport of boxing. That’s what we’re working for.
(photo by Douglas DeFelice/Prime 360 Photography)
The preparation has been fantastic. Keith has been on both. His long runs, short runs, sprinting, listening to everything in the gym not to mention great sparring. You are going to see a great performance.
This is a dream come true for me. I never dreamed of this when I was Youngstown, OH before I came to Florida. When I came here there were guys like Jeff Lacy and Winky Wright that came into my gym who I’ve been fortunate enough to work with. Then came Ben Getty and Keith Thurman.
I owe most of this to Ben Getty. I want him to get a lot of the recognition. He really deserves it. I am just trying to continue what he started.
Fans are going to see a great performance. They are going to see a well-conditioned, well-trained Keith Thurman. He is very focused on getting rid of Garcia and moving up in the ranks.
Photo Credit: Amanda Westcott/Showtime
BROOKLYN — Today’s opening press conference for the welterweight showdown between Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia devolved into a profanity-laden argument between Thurman and Garcia’s father/trainer Angel Garcia.
Angel took exception to Thurman promising to knock off his son. Considering this was the presser where the fight was confirmed for CBS with TV officials present, it wasn’t the best look for potential sponsors.
The fight airs on CBS March 4 at 9 p.m. ET.
Keith Thurman vs. Danny Garcia now has a home. The much-anticipated welterweight showdown will take place on March 4 from Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
The fighters will officially announce the news with an opening press conference live at the Barclays this Wednesday (January 18).
What hasn’t been confirmed is the network. Keith Thurman’s last bout, a decision win over Shawn Porter last June, aired on CBS. Garcia fought in November on Spike, knocking out Samuel Vargas in seven rounds.
Tickets for the fight will also go on sale January 18. Fans who attend this Saturday’s (January 14) super middleweight bout between Badou Jack and James DeGale will receive access to an exclusive presale.
Photo Credit: Ryan Hafey/Premier Boxing Champions
Danny Garcia handled his “tune-up”in brutal, efficient fashion with a seventh round TKO over Samuel Vargas, earning him a March showdown with fellow undefeated welterweight titlist Keith Thurman.
Because of the pronounced gulf in class, Garcia used the fight to work off the rust from an 11-month layoff. Instead of his normally vicious left hand, it was Garcia’s right hook that did the most damage. He sent Vargas tumbling head over heels with a right hook counter in the second, and continued finding a home for it in every exchange. The one-sided beating was called off in the seventh after Vargas received several head-snapping hooks while trapped on the ropes.
Then the real fireworks began.
Thurman, who had been doing ringside commentary, jumped in the ring for a heated face to face confrontation with Garcia. The spectacle was the right kind of hype to build for PBC’s first big fight of 2017.
