Welterweight champ Errol Spence ‘is finalizing junior middleweight bout with Keith Thurman in April’

Errol Spence and Keith Thurman are reportedly finalizing a deal for a pay-per-view fight at junior middleweight in April, sources said. ESPN.

A Premier Boxing Champions spokesman declined to confirm the report when contacted by DailyMail.com. PBC is a televised boxing series connected with both boxers and operated by manager Al Haymon.

Spence (28-0, 22 KOs) holds three of the top four titles at welterweight, but would not risk them in a proposed fight with Thurman (30-1, 22 KOs), according to ESPN. Both fighters have spent their careers at 147 pounds, topping a welterweight division that has been arguably the best in boxing for the past decade.

If Spence fights Thurman in April, he would have 60 days to negotiate a fight with WBO welterweight Terence Crawford or face a mandate to defend his 147-pound titles against the winner of March’s Vergil Ortiz-Eimantas Stanionis bout. Spence-Crawford has been at the top of boxing fans’ wish lists for years, but the two sides have repeatedly fought to reach a deal.

Errol Spence and Keith Thurman are reportedly finalizing a deal for a pay-per-view fight at junior middleweight in April, sources have told ESPN.

Spence last fought in April against Yordenis Ugas, who suffered a fractured orbital bone in the knockout loss. Ugas was coming off a win over legend Manny Pacquiao, who had previously beaten Thurman in July 2019.

Thurman, who had battled shoulder problems prior to his loss to Pacquiao, returned to the ring in February 2022 to beat Mario Barrios via unanimous decision.

For Spence, a potential fight with Thurman could be more than a cameo appearance at 154 pounds. ESPN’s Mike Coppinger is reporting that Spence could decide to stay at junior middleweight, where the biggest competition would be Jermell Charlo, the undisputed champion.

Spence and Charlo actually share a trainer in Derrick James.

If Spence fights Thurman in April, he would have 60 days to negotiate a fight with WBO welterweight Terence Crawford (pictured) or face a mandate to defend his 147-pound titles against the winner of March’s Vergil fight. Ortiz and Eimantas Stanionis. Spence-Crawford has been at the top of boxing fans’ wish lists for years, but the two have repeatedly failed to reach an agreement.

Last month, Crawford scored an easy sixth-round knockout victory over David Avanesyan in Omaha, but gave no indication that a fight with Spence was on the horizon.

“We don’t know what’s next,” Crawford said after improving to 39-0 in front of his hometown crowd.

Brian McIntyre, Crawford’s trainer, said his fighter would be willing to move up from 147lbs to 154lbs: ‘I don’t think anybody at 54lbs or 47lbs can beat him. The only question is, ‘Who’s willing to fight him?’

That same night, Spence was involved in a major car accident, his second since 2019, but he avoided serious injury.

The 32-year-old Texan posted a video of the aftermath of the accident, in which he claims a 14-year-old boy hit him “head-on” and took his parents’ car without permission or a driver’s license. .

“The light went through,” Spence said in the video, which shows the crumpled front end of an SUV. ‘Fuck all my shit’.

Details of the accident have not been released, but Spence appeared to be fine in his Instagram video.

Spence was involved in a more serious accident in 2019, when a Ferrari flipped over and was hospitalized with serious injuries, which have since healed.

Spence (right) last fought in April against Yordenis Ugas (left), who suffered a fractured orbital bone in the knockout loss. Ugas was coming off a win over legend Manny Pacquiao, who had previously beaten Thurman in July 2019.