Via Dan Ambrose: Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman says he wants to challenge both IBF/WBC champion Errol Spence Jr and WBO WBO heavyweight Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford after he faced Mario Barrios in a comeback bout on February 5th.
Keith says he doesn’t like any champion he faces between undefeated Spence (27-0.21 KOs) and Crawford (38-0.29 KOs).
Ultimately, it will be determined by his mentor Al Haymon, who will contract and send it to one or both of those champions next year for the 147-lb former WBA/WBC champion Thurman to fight. .
‘One Time’ must defeat Barrios
First things first, Thurman, 33, must win a comeback match against former WBA 140-lb champion Barrios (26-1, 17 KOs) on February 5 on FOX PPV at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas .
With Thurman coming back after a long time lay off 31 months, It is impossible to predict how he will perform.
Thurman is likely to assume that his body has been suspended from animation since his loss to Manny Pacquiao in July 2019 and that he will be able to pick up where he left off in that fight.
Honestly, Thurman looks like he just 70% about what he’s been up to in his fight against 40-year-old Pacquiao after fighting just once with Josesito Lopez after coming back from Layoff 22 months.
You can only imagine how much Thurman has lost from his bout since his most recent 31-month break from boxing.
The writer will not be surprised if Thurman only 50% of the boxer he was at his peak, might not be enough to defeat Barrios.
If Thurman loses to Barrios, he will be an excellent example of what other young boxers shouldn’t do after they’ve had a taste of the money.
You don’t sit back for three years, eat and enjoy the money. You will have enough time to sit on your butt, smell the poppy after retirement.
Thurman can fight three times in 2022
“If I actually go back to work this year, we will get check 1, check 2 and check 3,” said Keith Thurman. DAZN about his return. “I’m ready, a long way from coming, and I want to go to work.
“I’m not done yet,” Thurman continued. “There is only one great thing about not being in the ring. Now, I wasn’t beaten, and I wasn’t hit in the head. So I have work to do.
“There is a lot of work to be done. Weld weight units are stacked. I may not be the current champion, but you best believe that Thurman against all these current champions is a huge fight and me a huge challenge.
“They can beat me and anything they want to do with me, and that’s why we’re back in the ring and reminding everyone of what Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman does in the sport. Boxing. I deliver action, be entertaining, and deliver great battles,” Thurman said.
Given Thurman’s poor record at staying active, it’s not unreasonable to assume he’ll fight three times in 2022. If anything, fighting once will be the best that fans have boxing can expect from him.
Thurman is likely going to have some sort of injury during the game against Barrios and then end up injured and not return for 18 to 24 months.
Thurman is very predictable when he takes an extended break after the game and you can guess that he will continue to do what he has done in the past.
Keith wants Spence & Crawford to have titles
Errol Spence Jr has said that he will never fight Thurman, and you have to believe he is serious. Spence will only give Thurman a chance to capture his two titles if Al Haymon gets him involved.
“Both Spence and Crawford are on the table,” Thurman said when asked to choose which of the two he wants to go up against for the world title. “Look, I want the biggest battle. First, come on, you know boxing. We do not forecast the season.
“This is not basketball, this is not football, and out of respect for the sport of boxing for what it really is, I am not predicting a season. I don’t have a contract that says, ‘After Barrios, there will be Terence Crawford.’
“There is no real schedule. We have a plan. Honestly, I don’t have a real hobby. I think they both fight well and I want both,” Thurman said of wanting to fight Crawford and Spence.
“Can I have both? I want both. The only problem with wanting two things at once is that you can only do one at a time. We just have to see which is presented, and like I tell people when I look at a contract, I negotiate, and then I sign; it’s that simple.
Once hoping for a title
Considering Crawford is in need of a big fight right now, it’s a match that would be for Thurman if he hadn’t disappeared into domestic life and enjoyed himself at home without a fight for another two years.
If Thurman returns for a second game in 2022, and it’s a big IF, then the Crawford title will be for him.
34-year-old Crawford needed to fight Thurman rather than vice versa because he made the lion cubs Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis and Vergil Ortiz Jr sigh on their necks.
“Problem with Bob [Arum] Thurman said. “They just spoke words, gave me low numbers. I said, ‘stop this movie. Call Ali [Haymon] and write a contract. ‘ That never happened, so the fight never happened.
“It really is that simple. Not only am I a world-class boxer, but I also have some backing businesses. We don’t get too deep into it, but those who fight really understand how it plays out.
“So after this war [Barrios], I am looking forward to a contract. That contract will feature Terence Crawford or Errol Spence. I think the bigger fight is Spence because he’s the unification champion. There are rumors about him and Yordenis Ugas, which will bring back the three belts together.
“I think that would be the bigger of the two, but we also heard, ‘Spence doesn’t even want to talk to Thurman. Spence didn’t even want to negotiate with Thurman. ‘
“We’ve heard these things, but for me, it doesn’t matter until the real talk and the real negotiations, and until Al Haymon tells him, ‘Yo, this is it. is a great war. I don’t need a rematch clause. Just come and see your body, Once. That’s all,” Thurman said.
