Keith Thurman, Shawn Porter said rescheduled fight will be worth the wait

NEW YORK — Shawn Porter was willing to wait for Keith Thurman to get healthy after Thurman was involved in a February car accident that caused their March 12 fight to be postponed.

Porter didn’t even mind that their Premier Boxing Champions World Boxing Association welterweight championship bout was staying on the East Coast instead of being moved to his adopted home of Las Vegas. The former world champion from Akron, Ohio, said a fight with Thurman, the reigning champ, is worth waiting for.

“No problem,” Porter said Tuesday at a news conference in midtown Manhattan to promote the June 25 title fight on CBS at the Barclays Center in New York. “I know (Thurman) will be ready, and so will I. We were on the right track before (Thurman) got hurt, and we’re back in the gym getting ready.

“This is the fight I’ve wanted for a long time. So if I have to wait a couple more months, so be it. I’m patient.”

The two were initially scheduled to meet six weeks ago in Connecticut. But three weeks before the fight, Thurman lost control of the car he was driving on a wet road in Florida and suffered a neck injury in the ensuing crash.

“It was my fault,” Thurman said. “I probably shouldn’t have been driving on a wet road with bald tires in a car that can go 150 (mph).”

But Porter (26-1-1, 16 knockouts) kept training at his Hy-Performance Center on Paradise Road. He even sparred 12 rounds with Lanardo Tyner the night he originally was to face Thurman (26-0, 22 KOs). He took a little time off but is back in the gym.

“That 12 rounds we did with Tyner was a great way to prep,” he said. “It was real-time stuff. He pushed me, and I worked hard.”

Porter’s father and trainer, Kenny, said of the philosophy for training camp: “We’ve laid the foundation, and we’ve been building the house. We’ll be open for business on June 25.”

Thurman said he has fully recovered from the neck injury.

“It was scary at first,” he said. “But when I look back on it, I think it was a blessing. It’s a bigger fight. We’re in a bigger venue in Barclays. He’s going to have more time to be ready. I’m going to have more time to be ready. There’s still nine weeks to go, and I’m not concerned. The doctors say I’m good to go, and I have complete faith in my doctors.”

Thurman said he will wait another four weeks before sparring. He doesn’t want to rush and reinjure himself. He said he will be 100 percent come June 25.

“I’m glad I made y’all wait,” he said. “This is going to be the Fight of the Year. Two great competitors leaving it all in the ring on national free television on CBS.”

The two are good friends going back to their amateur days. But friendship has its limits, especially in boxing.

“I love ya’, bro,” said Thurman, turning to Porter. “But I’m going to have to do my best to put you to sleep. We’re friends. But there’s no friends when you put the gloves on. He signed a contract to fight me. To me, that’s a death warrant.”

More than half the arena is sold out since tickets went on sale last week, according to Brett Yormark, the CEO of the Barclays Center.

Contact Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow on Twitter: @stevecarprj