Keith Thurman postpones showdown with Shawn Porter after car accident

February 22, 2016

The highly-anticipated March 12 welterweight bout between undefeated world champion Keith Thurman and challenger Shawn Porter has been postponed after Thurman sustained an injury as a result of a car accident, promoter Lou DiBella announced.  According to his doctors, Thurman’s injuries are not considered serious and he is expected to be cleared to resume training in the coming weeks.

“While it’s unfortunate that we must temporarily postpone this marquee matchup, a main event of the magnitude of Thurman versus Porter requires both fighters be healthy and at their best,” said DiBella.  “Keith is anxious to resume training as soon he is able and both he and Shawn are looking forward to a new fight date.”

Thurman-Porter was the main event of a scheduled two-fight card that was to be broadcast in prime time on CBS.

More importantly, many saw the fight as a potential platform for making the next great star in the welterweight division.  Both Thurman and Porter are young, aggressive power punchers, and with Manny Pacquiao's career nearing its end, and with Floyd Mayweather already in retirement, the opportunity to fill that void was ripe for the taking.

DiBella Entertainment, Mohegan Sun, and Showtime are evaluating the option of continuing with the remainder of the fight card on Saturday, March 12, with a transition of television coverage to Showtime.

Update: March 12 Undercard Canceled

After extensive discussions between DiBella Entertainment, Showtime Networks and Mohegan Sun, the March 12 boxing event has been canceled.

Following the injury to Keith Thurman and the postponement of the Thurman vs. Porter bout, several options were evaluated for salvaging the card, but various factors, including scheduling and programming issues, prevented the parties involved from doing so.

The featherweight bout between fellow three-division world champions Abner Mares and Fernando Montiel will remain paired with the Thurman vs. Porter welterweight world championship event, which is being rescheduled for a later date on CBS.  The other bouts on the card will be rescheduled on a date or dates to be announced.

"Every effort was made to move forward with the remainder of this excellent card, despite the tight time frame," said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. "However, scheduling conflicts and other factors forced us to make the unfortunate decision to cancel the entire event.  There are a number of attractive fights on the table and we look forward to presenting all of them to the fans as soon as possible."

Tickets purchased for the March 12 event will be refunded at the point of purchase.

By Staff of TheDailySportsHerald.com and news services

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