Keith Thurman vs Shawn Porter being finalized for March 12

During tonight's Showtime Championship Boxing broadcast from Brooklyn, Jim Gray spoke with former welterweight titleholder "Showtime" Shawn Porter at ringside, and Porter confirmed that his long-awaited fight with Keith "One Time" Thurman is "being finalized," with a March 12 date apparently locked in.

Porter (26-1-1, 16 KO) and Thurman (26-0, 22 KO) are arguably the top two welterweights under the Al Haymon/PBC banner at the moment, and a fight between the two was originally eyed for December, then January, and time kept dragging with no confirmation that it was actually going to happen, only that negotiations were still ongoing, or that at the least, Porter's side thought that was still the fight being planned.

Now that the fight seems set -- and it appears as though it will air on CBS -- we can actually focus on the matchup, and it's a good one. Both guys are good punchers, both guys have some skill, and with Porter's aggressive style, we could see something special from him or Thurman, who may have just what he wants in an opponent who can make him look spectacular. Or maybe he's getting an opponent who will give him a lot more to think about than usual.

The co-feature for the show appears to be a light heavyweight battle between Edwin "La Bomba" Rodriguez (28-1, 19 KO) and Thomas Williams Jr (19-1, 13 KO), which itself could be a real barnburner.