Keith "One Time" Thurman believes he is on the verge of becoming the next big star in the sport.
As the unbeaten welterweight titlist prepares for his showdown against veteran Luis Collazo on July 11, Thurman (25-0, 21 KOs) expects the fight to be a launchpad for bigger things to come.
Headlining the first Premier Boxing Champions series card on ESPN at the USF Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida, the native of nearby Clearwater faces a former titlist in Collazo (36-6, 19 KOs), who is aiming for one more run at the top.
Thurman recently caught up with ESPN.com to talk about Collazo and much more.
Collazo is a former titlist and a southpaw but not necessarily the opponent most expected you to be facing after your March victory over Robert Guerrero. Why might this be a more difficult challenge than fans realize?
Experience goes a long way in sports and in the world of boxing. He's an ex-world champion, and now he has the opportunity to become champion again. I tell people all the time that the only thing that matters in a fight is how training camp was. If he really wants to do something in his career and if he wants to make one last statement, the time is now. So I expect Luis Collazo to bring his best. He has had some ups and downs in his career. He has had some great victories and upsets and I believe that he is coming to upset me July 11 in my hometown, where we will do our best to put on a great performance and not allow that to happen.
What are the biggest challenges Collazo brings from a technical standpoint?
Technically, I feel like Collazo fights different each time he is in the ring, so I really don't have a lot of expectations. I'm just going to box smart round by round and see which kind of tools he wants to use the night of the fight.
You showcased something different in each of your fights. We saw your power against Julio Diaz, your chin against Diego Chaves and your ability to box against Leonard Bundu. Where do you rank yourself right now among the pound-for-pound best welterweights in the world?
As a welterweight, I see myself easily in the top three, and I plan on proving that each and every time we step into the ring. I'm going to work my way up to No. 1, and I've been dedicating myself to the sport for a very long time. I have showed diversity each and every time. I'm evolving in the sport of boxing. I have fun; I enjoy my job, and I look forward to each match and -- forever long it lasts -- being on top of the welterweight division.
The man at the top, of course, is Floyd Mayweather. With a victory against Collazo, how likely would it be for you to enter into the conversation for a fight against him?
I believe I am currently already in the conversation. I believe the way that I perform could elevate the topic more. It's interesting. Floyd has -- to me, for the most part -- kept his mouth shut on who he wants to fight next and what's going to happen in September. So maybe he is looking to see what's going on in the welterweight division and which fighter in the Top 10 he is truly willing to fight. I would love a fight against Mayweather and have been talking about it for a few years now. He is the king, and I say that every king has his day. I'd like him to come see me one time.
The one welterweight who has been outspoken about wanting to fight you is Errol Spence Jr. Two weeks ago he called you out, saying he would like to face you in September. What are your thoughts?
It was very interesting that out of everybody, he wanted to call me out. I have been talking to a lot of people about this. Errol Spence is a good fighter, an up-and-coming fighter. He was an Olympian. The kid has skills, but he only has 16 fights under his belt and hasn't really fought a B-class fighter yet. I would like to see him get in line, get in position. I've worked my way really hard to be where I am. But if the fans want to see the fight, I'll fight. I'm not scared of the boy. I think the boy is jumping a little too far ahead of himself. I think there's more experience that he can gain. But if he wants to rumble in the jungle with the big boys, I'm right here. I'm not going nowhere.
The more boxing fans get to know you, the more we find out about the depths of your personality. For one, it appears you're an accomplished musician. We've seen video of you playing the flute, connecting with birds in nature. What's going on here?
It's different forms of meditation and just living life, man. At the end of the day I'm a fighter, but I'm also a person. I have my own hobbies outside of the ring. I have a certain kind of lifestyle that I like to live. Like I said, I like to evolve. I picked up singing as a kid. I picked up the guitar at the age of 20 to try and get back into the music. Then about six months ago I got into flute playing, and it just came naturally. I didn't really even practice that hard. It kind of just went back to my musical roots. I think music is very therapeutic and everybody needs therapy, one way or another.
Boxing can sometimes mirror pro wrestling in the sense that fans have fighters they love to cheer for and love to hate. Does it matter to you whether you are perceived a hero or villain?
At the end of the day, I'm just trying to be the best fighter that I can be and have a long and healthy career. And to entertain. To those who enjoy the entertainment that I bring to the sport, I appreciate their love and support. To those who believe I'm the next biggest hype job and they want to have negative opinions, to each their own. It doesn't really bother me. Floyd has people that love him, support him and wear TMT all day. Then you have people who just can't wait for him to get beat and the only reason they watch his show is to wait for the day that he finally loses.
You have said it yourself many times before -- it only takes one time for that right hand to end a fight. How will this fight against Collazo play out?
I'm looking forward to a great fight. I'm looking forward to what kind of tactics he wants to bring to the fight to challenge me and make it more difficult. If he doesn't bring all that he has, I'm trying to look forward to an early night. I expect the fight to be similar to the Robert Guerrero fight considering that Luis Collazo is also a southpaw. He doesn't really have much of a size advantage on me. He is a decent-sized welterweight. I believe he will bring his best, but that right hand should be there. I'm going to be looking for it from Round 1 until he is on the mat.
You always talk about your motto "KOs for life," but you have now gone two fights without one. How important is it for you to get Collazo out of there early?
I definitely would love it. I know the knockout is there. It was there in my last fight. I felt like the referee gave Guerrero a little bit too much time. But I did jump on him right away, and he weathered the storm. Against Collazo, we are going to box smart and try to hurt him. Even though my last two fights have gone 12 rounds, there was a knockdown in each fight and both fighters got hurt. At the end of the day, I am going to hurt my opponent.