Barclays to host Its ‘biggest fight yet’
Long-time Friends, Porter and Thurman, Set to Duke it Out Downtown
One of the most-anticipated bouts of 2016 will take place at Downtown’s Barclays Center on June 25, when Keith “One-Shot” Thurman defends his welterweight title against Shawn Porter in a showdown of former sparring partners who will have to put their longtime friendship on hold for what many anticipate will be 12 scintillating rounds.
“Our two teams go way back,” revealed Thurman during last month’s New York press junket to promote the headline bout, which will be nationally televised on CBS.
“This is the most beautiful moment of my professional career and I’m about to compete with somebody I grew up with,” added Thurman, who spent most of his amateur days working side-by-side with Porter, a former world champion himself.
Though there have been an unusual amount of niceties exchanged between the two combatants, both are fully aware that their future earning potentials, and legacies in the sport, will rely heavily on the outcome of next month’s fight.