ONE Week till I take that green belt! #OneTime #ThurmanGarcia pic.twitter.com/RmhY8SVzyq
— Keith Thurman Jr. (@keithfthurmanjr) February 25, 2017
The biggest welterweight showdown of the year is just days away as WBA welterweight champion Keith Thurman takes on WBC welterweight champion Danny Garcia Saturday night, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Keith Thurman comes into this Saturday’s fight with Danny Garcia as the betting favorite, but anyone that knows boxing will tell you this is a pick’em fight.These men have different styles and whoever is able to execute their game plan the best will be the winner. Here are the keys to victory for each fighter
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Keys for Thurman
Circle and move around the ring. If Danny Garcia has a flaw it’s the fact that he’s flat footed. Thurman is the better boxer of the two and his footwork is far superior to Garcia’s. He needs to use his legs to stick and move. If Thurman can keep the fight on the outside he’ll win.
Use your jab. Thurman has a strong and accurate jab that can give Garcia problems as he tries to close distance. Thurman needs to use his jab often to the head and body.
Don’t throw too many haymakers. Thurman tends to gas out late in fights. One of the reasons this happens is that he throws a lot haymakers, trying to end things with one punch. Danny Garcia has never been knocked down let alone knocked out so Thurman needs to pace himself so that he doesn’t fade on Saturday.
Keys for Garcia
Work the body. Thurman is going to want to use his legs and circle around the ring and take advantage of his boxing ability. Garcia needs to counter that by working the body. Body shots will slow down anyone and allow Garcia a chance to close the distance in the mid-to-late rounds.
Land something big early. It’s been nearly nine months since Thurman has been in the ring, so there may be signs of ring rust. Garcia needs to try and land his big left hook early and see if he can catch Thurman off guard.
Force Thurman to the robes. Another way for Garcia to close the distance between he and Thurman is to force Thurman to the ropes. This was where Shawn Porter was able to have success against Thurman in their fight in June. If Garcia can force Thurman to the ropes and make it a brawl, he might be able to pull off the upset
Prediction
Despite being undefeated Garcia has struggled against boxers – Lamont Peterson, for example. In facing Thurman he’s facing an athletic boxer who can punch. This fight will be competitive but Thurman will win by a close unanimous decision.
