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Blog: Keith Thurman electrifies with victory in boxing’s return to network TV

Thurman knocks down Robert Guerrero in ninth round on way to unanimous decision

Premier Boxing Champions: Guerrero vs. Thurman

Steve Marcus

WBA welterweight champion Keith Thurman of Clearwater, Fla., celebrates his victory over Robert Guerrero of Gilroy, Calif., after their title fight in the Premier Boxing Champions event at MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday, March 7, 2015.

Updated Saturday, March 7, 2015 | 8:54 p.m.

Premier Boxing Champions: Broner vs. Molina

Adrien Broner of Cincinnati, Ohio, celebrates his victory over John Molina of Covina, Calif., following their super lightweight fight in the Premier Boxing Champions event at MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday, March 7, 2015. Launch slideshow »

Premier Boxing Champions: Guerrero vs. Thurman

WBA welterweight champion Keith Thurman, left, of Clearwater, Fla., and Robert Guerrero of Gilroy, Calif., exchange punches during their title fight in the Premier Boxing Champions event at  MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday, March 7, 2015. Launch slideshow »

Premier Boxing Champions: Mares vs. Reyes

Abner Mares, left, of Guadalajara, Mexico, fights Arturo Santos Reyes of Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, during their featherweight match in the Premier Boxing Champions event at MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday, March 7, 2015. Launch slideshow »

Keith Thurman tired of the cries that he needed to beat better opponents, so he did more than win in the toughest fight of his career at the first Premier Boxing Champions card.

Thurman demolished Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero on Saturday night at MGM Grand Garden Arena in the headliner of the first NBC-aired primetime boxing event in 30 years, winning via unanimous decision (120-107, 118-109, 118-108) to keep his WBA welterweight title.

“This was a tremendous fight and a great learning experience,” Thurman said while still in the ring.

Few would disagree. Thurman and Guerrero battled in the type of action-packed fight that boxing manager Al Haymon hopes to build his PBC brand around.

Their faces showed it afterward. A golf ball-sized hematoma dotted the edge of Thurman’s forehead after he took an inadvertent head-butt from Guerrero in the third round.

He never let the swelling bother him, trudging forward to engage Guerrero throughout the fight anyway. Thurman’s biggest moment came in the ninth, when he placed a right hand on Guerrero’s temple to score a knockdown.

Guerrero recovered and attacked Thurman in the 10th to prompt a roaring standing ovation from the crowd of 10,106 at the MGM. Many ringside felt Guerrero won each of the last three rounds, though the two judges who gave him any rounds only awarded the third and 10th.

Guerrero sported a canvas of cuts and bruises after the loss.

“I fought my heart out, and that’s what boxing is all about,” Guerrero said. “When I went down, he got me pretty good, but I had to keep trucking. … That’s the kind of performance that wins the hearts of fans even when you don’t win the fight.”

Thurman and Guerrero salvaged the NBC telecast after the first fight on the network panned. John Molina Jr. failed to bring the type of war he promised Adrien Broner, who claimed a unanimous-decision victory (120-108, 120-108, 118-110) in their super lightweight affair.

The fight was devoid of any suspense with Molina unable to match Broner’s speed. The crowd booed the lack of action and especially vocalized their lack of enthusiasm at the conclusion.

“I know I lived up to the hype,” Broner said. “He was swinging for the fences, and I stayed dangerous. I feel like I beat all odds tonight.”

The third-highest billed fight, between Abner Mares and Arturo Reyes, was also uneventful. Kicking off the NBC Sports Network portion of the event after the two headliners, the former featherweight champion Mares defeated Reyes by unanimous decision (99-90, 98-91, 96-93).

The crowd had thinned drastically by the 10th round of Mares’ victory. They already had gotten their money’s worth with Thurman’s win.

“I knew I was hurting him each and every round,” Thurman said. “I heard him breathing, but he’s a veteran and knows how to pace himself.”

Check out the Sun’s live blog from the event below and come back later for more coverage of the first Premier Boxing Champions card.

Pre-fight

Boxing is back.

Haymon Boxing, the company headed by the sport’s most prolific manager, Al Haymon, looks to ensure as much tonight at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Two months before Haymon’s highest-profile client, Floyd Mayweather Jr., takes on Manny Pacquiao, timing that’s perhaps more than coincidental, Premier Boxing Champions debuts on network television.

The new series airs on NBC beginning at 5:30 local time, running until 8 p.m., making it the first boxing event to appear in prime time on a basic channel in 30 years. Knowing the amount of eyes on the ring tonight, Haymon didn’t skimp with the matchmaking.

Some of the most notable young names in boxing usher in the new era tonight, largely headlined by rising stars Adrien Broner and Keith Thurman.

Broner, a 25-year-old former four-division champion, and Thurman, a 26-year-old undefeated WBA welterweight champion, have the chance to address criticisms in the process.

Boxing fans are more than familiar with Thurman by now but frustrated by his lack of quality opponents. Much of the blame has fallen on Haymon, who’s been accused of shielding Thurman from the more established and dangerous names in his weight class.

That ends tonight against Robert Guerrero. “The Ghost” is better known than Thurman, mainly because of a unanimous-decision loss to Mayweather two years ago, and won his first title more than a decade ago.

Only twice beaten, Guerrero represents a new chapter in Thurman’s career. And it’s a long-awaited one, the one where he starts fighting opponents closer to his level.

Gripes over Broner have been more of the stylistic variety. Much like Mayweather, he’s a defensive fighter first who’s hesitant to attack despite his brash demeanor.

But pairing him with John Molina, Jr. could make that strategy difficult to employ. Molina prides himself on being one of the most fearless and offensive fighters in the sport.

He’ll come right at Broner and try to draw him into a battle.

After the co-main events, another one of Haymon’s biggest recent acquisitions steps in the ring. Former super bantamweight and featherweight Abner Mares tries to continue his redemption with a third straight win.

Mares meets Arturo Reyes, the only virtual unknown on the main card, in a featherweight fight. There are talks that a victory could spring him onto the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao undercard, or even set up a long-awaited super fight with champion Leo Santa Cruz.

One of Haymon Boxing’s stated missions with the new series is to pair the best fighters and make the bouts everyone wants to see, a rather simplistic stance that boxing got away from in the past decade. Time will tell if PBC lives up to its promise, but tonight serves as a strong start either way.

Follow along with the Sun’s live round-by-round blog of Premier Boxing Championships during the three fights.

Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.

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