Thurman, Garcia stoke the fire

New York, Feb. 22: Unbeaten rival world welterweight title-holders Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia each vowed to grab the global spotlight that once shined on Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao by winning their unification showdown next week in New York.

The March 4 matchup of US fighters at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center will be only the third unification bout between unbeaten welterweight champions, the first since Oscar de la Hoya faced Felix Trinidad in 1999.

“The winner of this fight is the man at 147 (pounds, 66.7kg) and whoever has been the man at 147 lately with Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, has been the face of boxing,” Thurman said.

“The winner of this fight is going to get a little of that spotlight priority. They are going to step up in the world of boxing. The spotlight is going to be on them a little more.”

World Boxing Association champion Thurman, 27-0 with 22 knockouts, and World Boxing Council champion Garcia, 33-0 with 19 knockouts, are stars of the welterweight division, long the domain of Mayweather, who retired undefeated at 49-0 in 2015.

“If I win this, I’ll be the face of boxing,” Garcia said.

Filipino icon Pacquiao, 59-6 with two drawn and 38 knockouts, holds the World Boxing Organization welterweight throne, but the 38-year-old southpaw’s next opponent is uncertain.

Britain’s Kell Brook, 36-1 with 25 knockouts, owns the International Boxing Federation welterweight title. Brook will defend the crown for a fourth time in May against unbeaten American Errol Spence (21-0, 18 knockouts).