Spence Thurman Santa Cruz all part of May Showtime Classics

Some more great battles with champions of the 2010s are featured put the upcoming month on Showtime Boxing “Classics” fight series every Friday night.

The Premium cable network will start the month off on Friday night May 1st with a pair of now Unified World welterweight champion Errol Spence showdowns. Up first will be the night Spence won the IBF 147-pound title in May of 2017, when he stopped England’s Kell Brook in the 11th round in Sheffield, England to become a World champ.

The network will then show Spence’s first title defense 8 months later in January of 2018, as he stopped Lamont Peterson by TKO after 7 rounds.

Spence has since defeated unbeaten former Undisputed lightweight champion, Mikey Garcia and unified the belts by beating WBC Welterweight Champion, Shawn Porter, last September. Just a few weeks later, Spence suffered a broken jaw and a concussion in a horrific one car accident in the middle of the night in Dallas, Texas.

Although he is back training, it is unclear once boxing resumes when and where Spence will fight again.

On Friday night May 8th Showtime will show a doubleheader of thrilling action from former WBA World Welterweight Champion Keith “One Time” Thurman. Thurman’s electrifying 12-round win over Porter (photo at top) in June of 2016, which was the fight of that year. And, the network will also show his subsequent win over 12 round decision win over Danny Garcia in an action-packed fight.

Thurman remained unbeaten until legend, Manny Pacquiao, decisioned him last July for the WBA belt. He is currently recovering from a left hand injury and hopes to be ready when fights resume later in the year.

On May 15th the network will show two Floyd “Money” Mayweather battles, including the former multi-division World Champ in his first fight with Marcos Maidana from May of 2014. Maidana surprisingly fought Mayweather tough losing a narrow majority decision.

Then, there will be the replay of Mayweather’s last fight where he achieved 50 – 0 status in the boxing ring, as he beat UFC star Conor McGregor by TKO in the 10th round in August 2017.

Mayweather remains one of the all-time top financial draws in American boxing history

The following week Showtime will feature two battles between former World champions Kostya Tszyu and Ricky Hatton battling for Tszyu’s IBF Super Lightweight Title. Hatton upset Tszyu by 11th round TKO in April of 2005 retiring the multi-division World Champ.

And, as the second half of the May 22nd doubleheader, Showtime will re-air, former Undisputed Super Middleweight World Champ, Joe Calzaghe (who finished 46-0) defeating unbeaten American, Jeff Lacy by 12 round decision for the unified 168 lb. titles in March of 2006.

Finally, the premium Network on May 29th will show two rematches of World Super Featherweight champ Leo Santa Cruz’s title run, as he defeated Carl Frampton by decision in January 2017 in a controversial rematch. And then, they’ll show Santa Cruz in a June 2018 all-out brawl rematch with Abner Mares in the fight of the year.

Santa Cruz is hoping for a huge fight, possibly against Gervonta “Tank” Davis, and maybe on Pay Per View, when Boxing resumes.

In 2020, Showtime is celebrating 30 years of televising Championship fights.