Premier Boxing Champions ‘Thurman vs. Collazo’ on ESPN Preview

Keith Thurman (25-0, 21 KOs) vs. Luis Collazo (36-6, 19 KOs)

Premier Boxing Champions makes its debut on ESPN this Saturday evening with a welterweight clash pitting rising prospect Keith Thurman against battle-tested veteran Luis Collazo. The fight takes place at the University of South Florida Sundome in Tampa, Fla., and airs on the Worldwide Leader beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

It’s a homecoming of sorts for Thurman, who hails from nearby Clearwater, Fla. The man known as “One Time” made an impressive PBC debut in April, knocking down durable veteran Robert Guerrero in the ninth round en route to earning a lopsided unanimous decision victory. The matchup with Collazo, while not a cakewalk, is a lateral step at best for the highly-touted Thurman, so he cannot afford a slip-up if he wants to continue his ascent.

The Matchup: The 26-year-old Thurman is appealing thanks to his combination of skill, savvy and power in the ring, as well as charisma outside of it. “One Time” has an impressive knockout percentage dating all the way back to his amateur career, but he is far from one-dimensional. Thurman is generally classified as a boxer-puncher, and his technical skill has gradually improved to match his hard punching in recent years -- which will become more important as he becomes involved in higher-profile fights.

Thurman’s versatile skill-set is buoyed by a solid jab. He has a good sense of timing when throwing it, and is able to disrupt his opponent’s rhythm when he connects. Thurman is also adept at throwing multiple jabs in succession, which keeps foes off balance while setting up more powerful offerings. While Thurman can initiate with his jab, he is also an able counterpuncher and is particularly skilled at firing back almost immediately after his opponent has thrown a punch.

Additionally, Thurman lands in combination consistently and utilizes the type of intelligent movement that makes it difficult to draw a bead on him. The ability to throw punches from different angles while moving out of danger is one reason Thurman has been able to score so many ferocious knockouts over the course of his career. His left hook is a particularly dangerous weapon, either at the end of combinations or as a counter offering. Thurman’s movement alone makes him solid defensively, but he is versatile in this area as well because he is comfortable either catching or slipping punches.

Collazo has pretty much seen it all over the course of a career that has included matchups against the likes of Amir Khan, Shane Moseley, Andre Berto, Victor Ortiz and Ricky Hatton. His second-round knockout of Ortiz in 2014 remains a signature triumph, but the 34-year-old former titlist is no longer at the top of his game. In fact, Collazo briefly contemplated retirement after a loss to Amir Khan in May 2014. He returned to action this past April, however, earning a second-round TKO over Christopher Degollado.

Collazo is extremely durable -- he hasn’t been finished in more than 12 years -- and experienced, but he doesn’t have the power in his hands to seriously threaten Thurman in exchanges. He is a very crafty southpaw, however, and prefers to counter foes with a lead right hook. When he is on the offensive, Collazo will sometimes lunge forward, which will leave him exposed against a fighter as skilled as Thurman. Meanwhile, Collazo’s best hope of landing consistent offense might be in close quarters, where Thurman will sometimes drop his hands when attacking the body.

The Pick: Collazo has the reach advantage and can make things awkward with the southpaw-orthodox matchup, but Thurman’s fight IQ is too high not to figure out a plan of attack. Collazo struggles against quick-handed foes, and Thurman will take advantage by using his skilled movement to land punishing combinations. It might not be enough to get the finish, but Thurman should be able to cruise to a clear-cut decision triumph.