Via Jack Tiernan: Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman lashed out at fans this week in response to their lack of interest in his “regain” rhythm fight against Mario Barrio this Saturday night at Michelob Ultra Arena, Las Vegas.
(Image source: Ryan Hafey / Premier Boxing Champions)
Thurman (29-1, 22 KOs) didn’t help the second comeback for the past five years and the price tag is a whopping $74.95 on FOX Sports pay-per-view.
It’s a combination of things that don’t interest fans when it comes to paying to see Thurman take on another match in Barrios (26-1, 17 KOs).
Reasons why fans are NOT interested in Thurman’s return:
- $74.95 price point
- Thurman & Barrios is about to fail
- Thurman-Barrios does NOT deserve a PPV
- Fans forgot about Thurman
- Poor timing: Fans asked to pay during the pandemic
- Fighting is considered a money-making game for Thurman
- Keith is said to not be able to regain his 1st place
If this is Thurman’s first comeback after a 2 and a half year hiatus, boxing fans will have extra patience. But this is the second-longest layoff for Thurman, and the boxing public has moved on.
They no longer see Thurman as a viable 147-pound athlete, and they feel he will lose most of the top 10 at this point in his career. In that case, it would be a mistake for Thurman and his management to sell this tweak on PPV.
It will be free. If Thurman can get back to the title position, it should only try to promote his battles to the public.
Until then, he needs to be active again, fighting three times a year and trying to get back into position to win the world championship title.
Unfortunately, Thurman is doing just the opposite. He wants a world title immediately after the equalizer against Barrios, and it shows that his return is more about money than love for the sport.
Thurman scolds fans for short memories
“Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman is the #1 heavyweight in the world and there’s a reason for that. So I want to address that reason. I want to wake everyone up because That’s the problem with these fighting fans out here,” Thurman said to Top boxing champion.
“You have short memories. You are just short-term memories. Whoever is fighting, you see the ruckus and you jump on board,” Thurman said in scolding the fans for not being excited about his comeback against Barrios.
“Now you are a fan of this fighter, now you are a fan of that fighter. For those types of battle fans, Thurman is not the type for them to fix. My inactivity, being fired, they didn’t get me through, but that’s okay.
“We look forward to staying very active this year and the years to come. We have February, we have July-August, and from that point, you have December and January,” Thurman said when asked how many times he plans to fight in 2022.
“Can I come in three? I do two books and then we come back with the books early next year in January? To me, that’s what a calendar looks like. I definitely want to stay active and have the most.
“I’m still at my peak at 33 and I still have a lot to show. I think my body is moving better than ever. I feel better today than in 2019.
“No matter what, it’s going to be some kind of fightback and Mario Barrios is the only former world champion introduced to me,” Thurman said when asked why he was fighting Barrios.
“People can criticize this game all they want, but if I had picked any other opponent, I would have received more criticism. So I respect this fight and I respect anyone who moves into a whole new weight class.
“Mario Barrios is fighting a former #1 ranked boxer in the world, and you can’t do that without wanting to make a statement in the semi-weight division,” Thurman said.
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