Tag Archives: Keith thurman

Posted on 03/10/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Whenever Keith Thurman’s was brought up in conversations around Errol Spence Jr., the unified welterweight titlist would screw his face up in disgust.

After calling Thurman’s name for years on end while he made his way up the 147-pound ladder but to no avail, Spence Jr. has innate hatred towards the former unified star. At one point, Spence Jr. even went as far as to say that he would never give Thurman an opportunity to face him in the ring.

Still, despite clearly loathing him, Spence Jr. shook his head in approval following Thurman’s latest performance.

On the back of a long hiatus that stretched for well over two years, Thurman handed Mario Barrios a one-sided beating in February of 2022. Not only was Spence Jr. thoroughly impressed but he also offered Thurman a bit of advice to aide him on his comeback trail.

“I thought he performed good, especially being out two years,” said Spence Jr. to FightHype.com. “He had a very good performance. He just gotta stay at it, stay active, stay hungry and he’ll get back to the top.”

Not long ago, Thurman was once in the same position that Spence Jr. currently occupies. From 2015 to 2017, Thurman took on four either former, or at the time, current world champions in a row in Robert Guerrero, Luis Collazo, Shawn Porter, and Danny Garcia – the latter resulted in a successful unified title reign.

Following those string of victories, however, Thurman’s career fell by the wayside. The now-former titlist suffered a long list of perpetual injuries, which, in turn, hasn’t allowed him to be as active as he would like.

Now, with Thurman vowing to make more frequent trips to the ring and regain his championship status, Spence Jr. reveals that no matter what path Thurman’s career ultimately goes down, his name will always remain prevalent in the welterweight title picture.

“He’s always a relevant guy because he has a name.”

Posted on 02/06/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Keith Thurman has multiple reputations. Not only is the 33-year-old a former unified welterweight champion and a pernicious power puncher, he’s also been known to have a certain weakness for blows to the midsection.

During his long-awaited return to the ring against former 140 pound secondary titlist Mario Barrios, Thurman’s kryptonite reared its ugly head. As the two spent much of their contest swinging away at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Thurman appeared to be in complete control.

The Florida native boxed when he elected to and banged when given no choice. But, with a statement making performance in the making, Thurman was forced to take a much-needed step back. Following seven mostly dominant rounds, Thurman appeared to be on his way to banking the eighth. However, with only a few minutes remaining in the frame, Barrios connected on a right hand to the midsection of his man.

Once Thurman felt the force of the blow, he immediately began back peddling and moved onto the ropes. In another instance, he removed his mouthpiece and breathed deeply for air.

Although it appeared as though Barrios would pull himself back into their contest, Thurman regained his composure and scored a wide unanimous decision victory. With the former unified star winning his first contest in well over three years, he was somewhat pleased with his performance. Nevertheless, as he thinks back to the eighth round, Thurman reveals that he knew an attack to his midsection was something he wanted to avoid at all costs.

“It was weird,” said Thurman to a group of reporters following his win over Barrios. “Backstage I was sitting down and I felt my body hurting with the cup. I was like, you ain’t gonna want to get touched there today boy. I felt tenderness before I was even touched tonight. I know everybody talks about me and body shots yada, yada, yada. Maybe my liver is a little sensitive. Body shots are just different.”

Throughout the career of Thurman, fans have seen him wince in pain when his foes attack him downstairs. During high-profile showdowns against Shawn Porter, Luis Collazo, and Manny Pacquiao – Thurman was in visible pain once they made a concerted effort to focus on his midsection.

Even with Barrios competing as a welterweight for the first time in his career, Thurman tips his cap as a sign of respect for his never-say-die attitude and the pop he showed in his punches. While the former titlist threw on his best poker face, he admits that if Barrios stood his ground and threw his body blow with just a bit more conviction, he would’ve been forced to take a knee.

“That one shot definitely awakened a little sensation, discomfort, and pain but it wasn’t the hardest that I’ve ever been hit. If he was able to step in a little bit more and dig a little bit deeper, he may have been able to put me down.”

Regardless of the eye-catching shot, Thurman boxed and brawled his way to a wide unanimous decision win. Still, in spite of the victory, Thurman is well aware that the boxing world will continue to point to his seemingly tender midsection as a clear avenue to defeating him.

Those thoughts, however, are meaningless to the Florida product. While he has hit the deck on two occasions, once against Pacquiao in 2019 and another in 2010 against Quandray Robertson – Thurman points out that neither of those instances came as a result of a body shot. So, even with many in boxing circles pointing to his body and claiming that it’s a weakness, Thurman smiles as he begs to differ.

“A lot of people who land a good body shot almost put me down but look, they still haven’t put me down bro.”

Posted on 02/05/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Despite spending the majority of his career at the 140 pound super lightweight limit, Mario Barrios is supremely confident in his ability to adapt to his newfound welterweight home.

Though he was already suffering from weight issues, Barrios pondered a move seven pounds north several times in 2021. Ultimately, the 26-year-old opted against heading to the welterweight division just yet and instead, attempted to turn back the explosive, yet smaller, Gervonta Davis. The two clashed on June 26th, at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta Georgia in front of a sold-out crowd with Barrios placing his WBA “Regular” 140 pound title on the line.

Although the San Antonio, Texas, native proved that he was tough, in the end, he was outgunned and overmatched, hitting the deck several times over before suffering the first defeat of his career via 11th round stoppage.

While Barrios could have chosen to slowly get his career back on track, he’s decided to instead throw himself in the deep end. Following his brutal defeat at the hands of Davis, Barrios admitted that squeezing down his 5’10” frame to the 140 pound super lightweight limit was no longer realistic.

So, with the 26-year-old fully prepared to move up in weight, he wasn’t interested in quietly waltzing onto the welterweight scene. The newly turned 147 pounder will instead attempt to make a massive name for himself by taking on former unified welterweight champion Keith Thurman, later on tonight at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The now 33-year-old has spent most of the latter part of his career sequestered on the sidelines due to injuries. In his most recent ring appearance, which took place in July of 2019, Thurman, much like Barrios, also suffered the first defeat of his career. His, however, would come at the hands of future first ballot Hall of Famer Manny Pacquiao.

At one point, Thurman was considered by most as the division’s number one fighter. Still, despite those previous thoughts, Barrios has exuded an enormous amount of confidence. In Thurman’s opinion, nevertheless, he believes that the hubris Barrios has shown is just for show. Deep down inside, the former unified titlist maintains that Barrios is fully aware of what will take place later on tonight.

“He already knows wassup,” said Thurman. “Keep your hands up, protect yourself at all times cause he’s about to get knocked the F out.”

Posted on 01/31/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Keith Thurman has endured long stretches of inactivity as of late. Having fought just four times over the past seven years, Thurman will attempt to re-establish himself in the welterweight rankings when he returns this weekend against former 140 pound secondary titlist Mario Barrios.

For Thurman, it will be his first fight since a 2019 split decision defeat at the hands of Manny Pacquiao. As Thurman’s ring return draws near, many have wondered out loud just how much does the now 33-year-old have left in the tank? Amongst those who have openly questioned Thurman’s comeback, is former longtime rival, Danny Garcia.

“It’s been a long layoff,” said Garcia during a self-recorded video. “Can you still take a punch? Can you still motivate yourself to be great? But as far as his talent and his skill, he was number one at welterweight at one time. We’re talking about a guy who was the number one in the division.”

At Thurman’s peak, both he and Garcia engaged in a back and forth unification war in 2017. Though Thurman dominated early on, Garcia rallied back in the second half of their contest. Still, despite finishing strong, Garcia was handed the first defeat of his career via split decision.

While they may have squared off nearly five years ago, Garcia is unwilling to put their feud behind them. In fact, if given the chance, the former two-division titlist would jump at the opportunity to avenge his defeat.

“It was a close fight that I thought I won. We got a rivalry. I think Garcia and Thurman 2, that’s something the fans want to see.”

As for Garcia, the 33-year-old is currently in boxing purgatory. Since suffering defeat at the hands of Thurman, the Philadelphian has gone just 3-2 in his last five ring appearances. Most recently, Garcia suffered a one-sided unanimous decision defeat at the hands of Errol Spence Jr. in December of 2020.

Presently, Garcia is unsure of where he’ll compete next. Although he has campaigned at the welterweight division for over five years, he’s openly admitted to struggling to make the 147 pound weight limit.

A move up in weight for Garcia is something that he’s flirted with. Regardless of where he plants his flag next, Garcia is now turning his attention towards a rematch with Thurman in the second half of the year, provided, of course, both win their respective upcoming matches.

“I would like to get back in the ring, top of the year. We’re in the talks right now. Thurman gets his win, Danny gets his win, and let’s do it again. I think that’s one of the biggest fights that can be made in boxing this year.”

Posted on 01/31/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Some have grown frustrated with the career arc of Keith Thurman.

At one point, following victories over Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia, the Florida native was considered the best 147 pounder in the world. However, after enduring long stints of inactivity, Thurman now finds himself attempting to work his way back up the welterweight ladder.

During his time on the sidelines, Thurman heard his naysayers loud and clear. Although he wishes injuries hadn’t struck while he was at the top of his game, if the 33-year-old former champion were to forgo his current comeback and hang up his gloves for good, he would look back on his career and smile.

“I’ve achieved so much,” said Thurman on Thurman vs. Barrios Boot Camp. “If I was to be done today, I’ve got so much to be proud of.”

While Thurman enjoys reminiscing about what he’s accomplished in the past, he’s hoping to add even more to his memory bank.

In just a few more days, on February 5th, at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Thurman will end a near three-year hiatus when he faces off against former WBA “Regular” 140 pound champion Mario Barrios.

As the former unified titlist continues to put the finishing touches on a long and grueling training camp, he believes that with his current form, he’ll regain his lofty placement towards the top of the welterweight standings.

“Thurman’s back 100%, back to dominate the welterweight division like I once did. They know that this is the Thurman that they first fell in love with.”

Though Thurman has learned to accept the good, bad, and ugly associated with his career, he still becomes angered when discussing his one and only shortcoming.

Following a majority decision win over fringe contender Josesito Lopez in January of 2019, Thurman had successfully dusted off the ring rust following another long layoff. Six months later, Thurman attempted to pick up the most notable win of his career against former eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao.

Despite Thurman’s confidence heading in, he was sent to the deck in the opening frame and suffered the first defeat of his career. Since then, Thurman has come to accept with his now sullied record. Nevertheless, the former unified titlist refuses to re-live another painful defeat.

“I lost one time, we’re not losing anymore.”

Posted on 01/13/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Time simply hasn’t been on the side of Keith Thurman.

At one point, the former unified welterweight champion enjoyed the views from the top of the 147 pound mountain. Following back-to-back victories over both Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia in 2016 and 2017, the Clearwater Florida, native reigned supreme as the division’s only unified titlist. Since those career-defining victories, however, Thurman’s career has slowly but surely passed him by.

Thurman’s win over Garcia came with a devastating price as he was forced to spend roughly two years on the sidelines nursing various injuries. In his return to action, Thurman picked up a hard-fought victory over Josesito Lopez before losing a split decision to Manny Pacquiao in July of 2019.

With the former hard-hitting star returning to the sidelines immediately after, due to a combination of injuries and a positive COVID-19 test result, Thurman is set to re-enter the ring on February 5th, against Mario Barrios.

Although Thurman has been largely inactive for the better part of five years, with the light at the end of his boxing tunnel rapidly approaching, he’s hoping to put an end to that.

“At this point, we really just have to be active to the end,” said Thurman during an interview with Fight Hub TV. “We missed a lot of time and we acknowledged that.”

Over the past few years, Thurman has sat back and watched as the welterweight division has rapidly changed forms. No longer is Garcia a viable threat to the upper echelon of the division and both Porter and Pacquiao have long since retired.

While the road back to gold appears to be an arduous one for the former titlist, he appears undaunted by what lies ahead. More importantly, despite falling down the welterweight ladder, Thurman is fully convinced that his ultimate goal, is only a few wins away.

“We’re still in a great position,” continued Thurman. “My whole goal is to get a title back, reunify and become undisputed. I want to make it happen, enough time has gone by. All we have to do is brush off the dust, present ourselves to the world of boxing again and then get everybody excited of what Keith Thurman has to offer when it comes to challenging Errol Spence, Terence Crawford, and Ugas.”

Posted on 01/06/2022

By: Hans Themistode

Canelo Alvarez has often been lauded for his opponent selection. However, after making his intentions clear that he plans on moving up to the cruiserweight division to take on the winner of WBC belt holder Ilunga Makabu and Thabiso Mchunu, he’s been openly chastised.

While news of Alvarez’s foray into the cruiserweight division may have come as a surprise, many in the boxing world have viewed it as a strategical way for Alvarez to eschew several top-level contenders in or around the super middle division.

Most recently, Floyd Mayweather chimed in on Alvarez’s decision to move up to a much higher weight class and lambasted the pound for pound star for his choice of opponent.

“He’s going to cruiserweight,” said Mayweather to a group of reporters. “He’s fighting a guy who’s a little up and down but it is what it is. If it was up to me, we wanna see [David] Benavidez. Canelo is a helluva fighter but in my personal opinion, he’s ducking Benavidez.”

Alvarez, 31, is currently enjoying some downtime after putting together arguably the best 12 month stretch of his Hall of Fame bound career. In December of 2020, Alvarez made it look incredibly easy as he dismantled Callum Smith to relieve him of his WBA super middleweight title. Also, in the process, Alvarez snagged the vacant WBC crown.

In 2021, Alvarez laid waste to mandatory challenger Avni Yildirim, stopping him in the third round. From there, Alvarez went on to stop both Caleb Plant and Billy Joe Saunders to win the WBO and IBF 168 pound titles.

With the boxing world seemingly his oyster, Alvarez found his name on the lips of several fighters spread across numerous weight classes. Still, despite public callouts by WBC middleweight champion Jermall Charlo, WBA light heavyweight titlist Dmitry Bivol and of course, former two-time super middleweight champion David Benavidez, Alvarez has opted to go for history. If the pound-for-pound star is successful in his new cruiserweight endeavors, he’ll become the first fighter of Mexican descent to win world titles in five separate weight divisions.

Regardless of Alvarez’s pursuit of history, former unified welterweight champion Keith Thurman does view his jump to cruiserweight as a way to avoid facing both Benavidez and Charlo. With that said, Thurman believes Alvarez is simply following in Mayweather’s footsteps.

“Yes but so what,” said Thurman when asked if Alvarez is avoiding matchups against both Charlo and Benavidez to Fight Hub TV. “He’s Canelo. The people love him. He has a huge following. He’s brought tons of excitement. You can say he’s cherry-picked a little bit but he kinda learned from the best. He got beat by Floyd and now he’s starting to make money like Floyd.”

Throughout the Hall of Fame career of Mayweather, the former five-division titlist was often criticized for his opponent selection, including when he defeated a 23-year-old Alvarez in 2013. Now, with the Mexican star in a familiar position in terms of both fame and fortune, Thurman views them as both one and the same.

But, as Thurman carefully dissects the credentials of Makabu, he does credit him for making it near the top of the cruiserweight food chain. More importantly, despite the widespread outcry, Thurman wants to remind the boxing public that no matter how loudly they demand Alvarez face who they consider stiffer opposition, he isn’t obligated to do so.

“It’s still a champion. The guy got there someway somehow,” said Thurman on Makabu. “Are there greater challengers for Canelo Alvarez? Most definitely. Are there fights that I would truly love to see? Most definitely. Are there super talented individuals that might be able to give him problems? Definitely. Does he have to do any of those things? Absolutely not.”

Posted on 01/03/2022

By: Hans Themistode

The moment Tim Bradley got word, he immediately began holding his sides as tears rolled down his cheeks from laughing. With Keith Thurman set to end his near three-year layoff on February 5th, against Mario Barrios, the former unified welterweight titlist has stated on numerous occasions that he intends to regain championship glory.

Yet, even with Thurman as confident as ever in his ability to challenge for the division’s crown, former two-time welterweight champion Tim Bradley simply isn’t buying it.

“Keith, what you doing Keith?” Asked Bradley during an interview with BoxingInsider.com. “Mercenary, mercenary. Keith is all about that bread, that’s it. Keith is one foot in, one foot out.”

At one point, Thurman was considered by most as the welterweight division’s leading man. In 2015, the now 33-year-old defended his 147-pound title in back-to-back appearances against former champions Robert Guerrero and Luis Collazo. Immediately following those victories, Thurman would pick up consecutive wins over Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia, the latter resulting in a unified title reign.

Although Thurman appeared to be at his peak, his body slowly began breaking down. Shortly after his victory over Garcia, Thurman was ushered into the operating room to take care of an injured elbow and hand. The Florida native was then forced to sit on the sidelines for almost two years.

Upon his return, Thurman eked out a majority decision win over fringe contender Josesito Lopez before losing a split decision against Manny Pacquiao in 2019. Much like the ongoing pattern in his career, Thurman would once again undergo surgery following his bout with Pacquiao, resulting in a layoff of well over two and a half years.

In Barrios, Thurman faces a former 140-pound titlist who will attempt to make a splash in his stop at 147 pounds. In his final contest as a super lightweight, Barrios suffered the first defeat of his career against Gervonta Davis.

Although Thurman believes a victory over Barrios will serve as a springboard to getting the former belt holder bigger fights in the division, Bradley suspects that Thurman is simply continuing his career for the sizable paychecks. Nothing more and nothing less.

“He’s similar to Mikey Garcia, he looking for the best fight. A fight he knows he can possibly win and get the most money from so Barrios is that guy.”

Posted on 12/24/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Mario Barrios was steadfast in his belief that Gervonta Davis and his entire team made a mistake. The 26-year-old sauntered his way to the ring on June 26th, earlier this year, with his WBA 140 pound title wrapped safely around his waist. Davis, on the other hand, who was moving up two weight divisions, proved that despite his diminutive size, his power would carry him to victory.

Though Barrios fought well, he was handed the first defeat of his career via stoppage in the 11th. Shortly following the unwanted result, Barrios hinted at a move up to the welterweight division. For the next several months, the San Antonio, native began plotting his next course of action. While his time in the super lightweight division had come to a screeching halt, Barrios was determined to begin a new title reign one weight class higher.

In his first trip to the ring as a full-fledged 147 pounder, Barrios has decided against facing a lesser named opponent. Instead, the former super lightweight titlist is aiming to dethrone one of the more recognizable fighters in the recent history of the division.

“I’m excited to be making my welterweight debut against a great fighter and former world champion like Keith Thurman,” said Barrios as he discussed his February 5th return. “A lot of fighters wouldn’t take this fight, but that’s why I wanted it.”

Once upon a time, Thurman was considered the best 147 pounder in the world. In back-to-back contests in 2016 and 2017, Thurman successfully defended his WBA welterweight crown against Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia. The latter resulted in a unified title reign.

However, since then, Thurman has entered the ring only twice in a five-year span. Thurman’s career stagnation mostly stems from a long list of injuries. The former unified champion was last seen in the ring in July of 2019 against future first-ballot Hall of Famer Manny Pacquiao.

Although Pacquiao ultimately eked out a close split decision victory, he admitted that despite sharing the ring with numerous heavy-hitters, Thurman ranks near the top of the most deleterious punchers he’s ever faced.

Considering Thurman’s penchant for knockouts, Barrios is excited to be facing one of the more established names at 147 pounds. As the 26-year-old embarks on his new journey, he’s fully aware that a win over the former unified champion will place him in perfect position for another world title run.

“Both of us like to throw a lot of bombs and I believe this will be an all-out war. The fans know I’m a warrior and that I don’t back down from any challenge, that’s why everyone should order this fight. ‘El Azteca’ is going to make a statement on February 5.”

Posted on 12/09/2021

By: Hans Themistode

After spending yet another long stint on the sidelines, former unified welterweight champion Keith Thurman is seemingly on his way to returning to the ring.

As first reported by Mike Coppinger of ESPN, Thurman and former WBA “Regular” 140-pound champion Mario Barrios, have agreed to terms on a January 29th, showdown.

Thurman, 33, was once considered the leading man in the welterweight division. However, since successfully unifying titles against Danny Garcia in March of 2017, the Florida native has suffered numerous setbacks in the form of injuries, causing him to enter the ring just twice in a four-year span.

The now 33-year-old was last seen in the squared circle, giving a spirited effort in a loss against future first-ballot Hall of Famer Manny Pacquiao. The two would originally clash in July of 2019. Although he was knocked down in the opening round, Thurman would rally back during the second half of their contest before suffering defeat via split decision.

Since then, Thurman would be forced to sit out yet again. This time, due to ailments to his hand and elbow.

As for Barrios, after capturing a secondary title at 140 pounds, the 26-year-old saw his time near the top of the 140-pound mountain come to an end. Six months prior in June of 2021, the San Antonio native was violently stopped against Gervonta Davis.

Following the first defeat of his career, Barrios flirted with the idea of moving up in weight. The 5’10” former titlist has long detailed his struggles of making the 140-pound limit. Now, with his official move up in weight, Barrios will have his opportunity to prove himself against a former unified champion.

Posted on 11/22/2021

By: Hans Themistode

In the not so distant past, Keith Thurman occupied the consensus number one in the welterweight division. In a four-fight span from 2015-2017, Thurman handed defeats to Robert Guerrero, Luis Collazo, Shawn Porter, and Danny Garcia – all of whom at some point, were world champions.

However, following his split decision victory over Garcia, Thurman’s career has spiraled into the land of inactivity. While he’s fought only twice since unifying the welterweight division, Thurman is hard at work as he prepares to make his return.

In the meantime, the former 147-pound belt holder admits to watching plenty of boxing in his spare time. Amongst the names he finds himself observing is current WBO champion Terence “Bud” Crawford. With the pound-for-pound star coming off arguably the biggest victory of his career this past weekend, a tenth-round stoppage over former two-time champion Shawn Porter, Thurman has now thrown his hat in the mix as a possible opponent.

“I’m going to get back in the ring shortly,” said Thurman during an interview with The Athletic. “I’d be more than happy, more than willing, to step in the ring with “Bud” Crawford next summer. I’m willing to fight Crawford eight months from now.”

Thurman’s willingness to face Crawford is likely to come with a bit of skepticism. Although the 33-year-old was once considered the top dog of the division, constant injuries have taken away all of his momentum.

In his most recent ring appearance, Thurman gave future Hall of Famer Manny Pacquiao, all he could handle. Regardless of the Florida native suffering the first loss of his career, Pacquiao has openly confessed that Thurman was one of the more challenging fights of his career.

Since then, Thurman has been forced to sit on the sidelines as he nurses more injuries. As for Crawford, he’s long expressed a desire to face Thurman in the ring. Well before the Omaha, Nebraska, native signed on the dotted line to take on Porter, he viewed a clash with Thurman as a much bigger event, going as far as to say Thurman was “the number one guy in the division whether anyone likes it or not.”

Although Thurman is absent of any world titles at the moment, considering his stature and the ambitions of Crawford, Thurman is convinced that he’s the exact fighter Crawford should be taking on.

“He seems like somebody who, of course, wants accolades on his record,” continued Thurman. “He wants these titles in his possession. He also wants the legacy that has names that are part of history.”

Posted on 10/11/2021

By: Hans Themistode

After calling out the top names in the welterweight division for years on end, Terence Crawford was pleased when he discovered that one has decided to take him up on his offer. On November 20th, at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, Crawford will place his WBO title on the line when he takes on arguably the most difficult test of his career in Shawn Porter.

Crawford, 34, has long watched his resume get ripped to shreds by both fans and media pundits. However, in Porter, Crawford faces not only a former two-time welterweight champion but someone who is still presumably in the prime of their career.

While Crawford is fully aware that Porter is one of the division’s top contenders, he isn’t willing to name him as the biggest fight that can be made at 147 pounds.

“It’s one of them,” said Crawford when asked about the magnitude of his showdown against Porter. “It’s definitely one of them but you still got fighters out there like Keith Thurman and Ugas.”

Porter, an Akron Ohio native, scratched and clawed his way to a number one ranking in both the WBO and WBC sanctioning bodies. Although Porter was tempted with the opportunity to square off against unified champion Errol Spence Jr. once more, losing their September 2019 showdown via split decision, Porter instead opted to enforce his mandatory position with the WBO. Porter would also claim that Crawford is the most versatile fighter in the division and presents a slew of issues in the ring.

Crawford, on the other hand, views Porter as an opportunity to dig deeper into his bag of tricks than normal. With the pound-for-pound star stopping every single one of his welterweight opponents since moving up in weight in 2018, he’s made his opposition look incredibly foolish in the ring.

With that said, Crawford is of the mindset that while Porter vs. himself is a huge fight, a former Porter opponent would be an even bigger event.

“I don’t believe Porter is the only welterweight out there that I can showcase my talent at a high level. I believe Keith Thurman is a bigger fight in my eyes.”

Approximately five years ago, both Thurman and Porter went toe to toe in a fight of the year contender in 2016. Thurman would ultimately eke out a close split decision win and follow things up by unifying the division against Danny Garcia one year later.

Presently, Thurman has been woefully inactive. But, as Crawford looks at Thurman’s past handiwork, he’s steadfast in his belief that once upon a time, Thurman was the man to beat.

“I feel like Keith Thurman was considered the number one guy in the division. Whether anybody likes it or not. Keith Thurman was the number one guy in the division. Pacquiao beat him. Nobody else beat him.”

Posted on 08/14/2021

By: Hans Themistode

As of late, Gervonta Davis has had the propensity to move up in weight.

Earlier this year in late June, Davis opted to move up two weight divisions to take on a much larger man in Mario Barrios. Despite giving up several inches in height and reach, Davis had little to no trouble dealing with the Texas native, dropping him a total of three times before ultimately stopping him in the 11th.

With the win, Davis added the WBA 140 pound “Regular” title to his collection. Since then, rumors have surfaced of a possible showdown between the Baltimore native and former unified welterweight champion, Keith Thurman. In order for the two to lock horns, Davis would have to once again move up in weight.

While things are far from official, promoter of Davis and CEO of Mayweather Promotions in Leonard Ellerbe, has not only expressed a willingness to make their showdown a reality but he’s also supremely confident in the end result.

“I’d make that fight in two seconds,” said Ellerbe on his social media account when discussing a possible Thurman vs. Davis matchup. “Tank would knock him the f*ck out right now.”

Although Ellerbe has shown absolutely no hesitancy in what would ultimately take place between the pair, Calvin Ford, head trainer of Davis, was a bit more reluctant.

“I’m not as confident because you can’t sleep on Thurman,” said Ford during an interview with FightHype.com. “I’ve been knowing Thurman since the amateurs.”

Since unifying welterweight titles against Danny Garcia in March of 2017, Thurman has suffered several setbacks due to injury. Over a four-year span, Thurman has stepped into the ring only twice and in his most recent appearance in 2019, he suffered the first defeat of his career to Manny Pacquiao. The now 32-year-old was floored in the opening round but managed to rally back. Ultimately though, Thurman came up just short, losing via split decision.

With his record now blemished, Ford believes there’s a clear blueprint to defeat the former unified 147-pound titlist.

“I know how to get past him. In the words of Floyd Mayweather, you’ve been beat, so you know how to be beat.”

Posted on 08/08/2021

By: Hans Themistode

Although it’s been well over two years since Keith Thurman has entered the ring, the former unified welterweight champion is slowly rounding into form and looks forward to making his return.

Having dropped his WBA 147 pound title to Manny Pacquiao in July of 2019, Thurman had subsequent hand surgery to correct a long-standing issue. With the Florida native now back in the gym and working off the rust, he’s patiently waiting to see what his team can line up for him in the near future.

Recently, Thurman’s name was mentioned by CEO of Mayweather Promotions Leonard Ellerbe as an opponent he would match up against Gervonta Davis, the current WBA “Regular” titlist at 130, 135 and 140. While Thurman isn’t opposed to the idea of facing Davis, his eyebrows begin to raise intriguingly when asked if he would be interested in moving up in weight to face unified super welterweight champion, Jermell Charlo.

“I love the credentials I have and I want to further my credentials,” said Thurman during an interview with FightHype.com. “That fight entices me as far as furthering my credentials. It would be hard to say no to all of the belts. It would be hard to say no to making history and becoming a champion once again in a new weight class.”

After settling for a split decision draw in his most recent ring appearance, Charlo, 31, has made his intentions clear that he fully intends on facing off against Brian Castano once again. The two swapped fists on July 17th, at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.

With 12 rounds of mostly aggressive action, judges Tim Cheatham, Nelson Vazquez and Steve Weisfeld were unable to determine a winner. While Charlo vs. Castano may have been the most-watched fight on Showtime since December of 2019, averaging 422,000 throughout the night and peaking at 536,000, Thurman was not amongst those who tuned in to watch.

Regardless of his lack of interest in their matchup, Thurman is still fascinated with the possibility of moving up in weight to face the antagonistic knockout artist. If, in fact, he does make the trek seven pounds north and ultimately fails to become a two-division champion, Thurman believes he has a backup plan.

“Worst case scenario, I fall short, Thurman hops right back into the welterweight division.”

All in all, the possibility of heading to the 154-pound division would be something of a whirlwind for the Florida native. It isn’t that the former unified welterweight titlist is unwilling to move up in weight but in a moment of candid conversation, Thurman reveals that he envisioned the move happening when the light at the end of his boxing tunnel was a bit more closer.

“I’ve always had small admirations to move up but I just always felt that it would be a little bit more in that 34-35 age bracket. Maybe even at the last chapter of 36 and beyond. It’s always been a maybe later kind of issue. Too many belts, too much for the history books, I might have to sign up for that.”

Posted on 08/03/2021

By: Hans Themistode

With his most recent performance, Gervonta Davis proved that size doesn’t always matter.

On June 26th, earlier this year in front of a jam-packed crowd at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta Georgia, Davis moved up two weight classes to take on a much larger man in Mario Barrios. While the Baltimore native was cautious in his first trip to 140 pounds, he ultimately found his groove and scored three knockdowns on the night before ending things in the 11th. The win for Davis netted him the WBA “Regular” title in the process.

With that victory well behind him, Davis revealed that he plans on returning to the ring this coming October. At the moment, team Davis is currently scouring the boxing landscape as they look for his next possible opponent. Amongst those possible candidates have been: Joseph Diaz, Ryan Garcia and a slew of others.

One name, however, that has received noticeable attention recently, is former unified 147-pound champion, Keith Thurman.

According to promoter of Davis and CEO of Mayweather Promotions, Leonard Ellerbe, he’d put them in the ring against one another in a “nanosecond.”

Thurman, 32, was once considered by most as the best fighter that the welterweight division had to offer. Since defeating Danny Garcia in March of 2017 and unifying titles, Thurman has struggled with activity. The Clearwater, Florida native has fought only twice in a four-year span and is coming off the first defeat of his career at the hands of Manny Pacquiao in July of 2019.

Although injuries have ravaged much of his career as of late, Ellerbe still has a tremendous amount of admiration for Thurman as a fighter.

“Keith can fight his ass off,” said Ellerbe on his social media account. “He’s a guy I got a lot of respect for but that fight I’d make in 2 seconds.”

If Ellerbe did in fact pick up the phone and get both men to sign on the dotted line, it would represent the fifth fight in a row for Davis in a different weight class.

The Baltimore product scored a decisive second-round knockout win against Ricardo Lopez in July of 2019 at 130 pounds. He then followed that up five months later, this time at 135 pounds against Yuriokis Gamboa, stopping him in the 12th. One year later, Davis would drop back down to 130 pounds to stop former multi-division champion Leo Santa Cruz in the sixth round of their contest. And, of course, most recently, Davis made the trek ten pounds north to stop Mario Barrios.

If Davis were to climb up even higher in weight, Ellerbe is very much confident that Thurman will suffer the same fate as those who came before him.

“Tank is not a 47 pounder but Tank would knock him the f*ck out right now.”