Via Huck Allen: Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman says he’ll be ready to take on Terence Crawford eight months from now in the summer of 2022 for his welterweight WBO title. Crawford needs a senior opponent for the next game, and Thurman, 32, would be the ideal candidate for the position.
Last Saturday night, Crawford put in a classy performance when he defeated former IBF/WBC weight champion ‘Showtime’ Shawn Porter by a tenth round knockout in the main event on ESPN+ PPV at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
The only problem with the Crawford-Porter fight was the lack of interest from boxing fans. With Porter lacking the ability to promote the fight, it placed the burden on Crawford and promoter Bob Arum to draw attention to the battle.
The great thing about Thurman is his ability to take on the promotion of a war and become a one-man advertising team. Thurman can single-handedly create a buzz for a fight with Crawford without him lifting a finger.
“I will be back in the ring soon; I am more than happy, more than willing, enter the ring with Bud Crawford next summer. I’m ready to fight Crawford eight months from now,” Thurman told The Athletic.
Crawford (38-0, 28 KOs) said last week that he wants to take on former WBA/WBC weight champion Thurman (29-1, 22 KOs) because of the things he’s done in the past when he was picked up. considered as Warrior No. 1 at 147.
Thurman has had a number of injury problems that keep him on the bench since a decisive round 12 loss to Manny Pacquiao on July 20, 2019.
Three years is a long time for a boxer who can’t leave the ring, but if Muhammad Ali can come back and fight in high form after a period of inactivity in the 1960s, so can Thurman. can do that.
‘Once’ Thurman would probably be back in the ring by now if he hadn’t invested so much time in his rematch with Pacquiao. That’s the fight Thurman has kept all this time, and it’s understandable why.
Thurman made a lot of money in the fight against Pacquiao, which he did most of the hard work promoting, and he wants a second crack because he feels he can win. that match if he doesn’t make a few mistakes.
Top Rank’s Crawford promoter Bob Arum said he wanted to match him with Errol Spence Jr. or the next Josh Taylor. However, it remains unclear whether Arum is interested in making a fight between Crawford and Thurman.
Last Saturday night, Arum talked about wanting to make a fight between Crawford and undisputed lightweight champion Taylor (18-0, 13 KOs) next if Spence doesn’t want to face Terence.
Arum predicts that Spence and Taylor will rake in 1.5 million PPV purchases and sales of a 70,000 stadium match in the UK.
