“I was the guy calling out Floyd Mayweather” - Former world champion believes current fighters want to fight him just the way he wanted to face ‘Money’ Mayweather 

Floyd Mayweather has been a boxing idol for several pugilists, and Keith Thurman is no exception. The former welterweight champion says he is currently in a position where all modern-era fighters are calling him out. He finds it similar to how he wanted to face Mayweather back in the day.

30-1 as a pro boxer, Thurman held the WBA welterweight world title at one point, which he lost to Manny Pacquiao in his only career defeat in July 2019. While he has bounced back with a win over Mario Barrios this year, several boxers are expecting to have a crack at ‘One Time’.

Meanwhile, Keith Thurman connected with Boxing Scene.com and shed views on the whole scene. He said:

“I was the guy calling out Floyd Mayweather. Now I’m the one that these other guys are calling out. At the end of the day, it’s respect. They try to be calling out other fighters if they wanted to. But they know Keith Thurman has respect in this game. They want that too. So, I really do understand it.”

Watch the highlights of Keith Thurman's win over Mario Barrios below:

Keith Thurman is once again a top-contender in the 147 lbs division and can slide into the title picture soon. The welterweight category can witness the much-awaited undisputed clash between Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford soon.

Thurman, therefore, may have to wait for a potential title shot. However, if the undisputed fight doesn’t happen, WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman has verified 33-year-old Thurman as a legitimate challenger to Errol Spence Jr.’s title. While Thurman is relishing his high-level spot in today’s boxing, it’s still nowhere close to Floyd Mayweather.

Floyd Mayweather was in a league of his own

Unlike Keith Thurman, Mayweather never lost a professional fight. On the contrary, ‘Money’ outclassed Manny Pacquiao in 2015, while 'One Time' failed to do so in 2019. Mayweather’s fight IQ was unparalleled, which was complimented by top-tier business acumen. Mayweather was the biggest PPV draw in his time and continues to enjoy popularity even after his retirement from professional boxing.

Floyd Mayweather has participated in three exhibition bouts since knocking out Conor McGregor in his 50th and final pro-bout. The undefeated five-weight champion will soon enter his fourth against Japan’s Mikuru Asakura and is expected to bag another $100 million plus payday. Even the likes of Keith Thurman are far from being a pay-per-view attraction like Mayweather.