Keith Thurman hasn’t fought since he lost his title to Manny Pacquiao 2½ years ago and he has been in the ring only twice (against Josesito Lopez and Pacquiao) since 2017. Also, he hasn’t had a significant victory since he outpointed Danny Garcia five years ago.
To say he’s pleased to be getting back in the spotlight is an understatement.
“I feels great to be back,” said Thurman, who faces Mario Barrios in the main event of a pay-per-view card Saturday in Las Vegas. “… “I missed the action. I love the sport and I love what I bring to the table. I’m looking forward to the challenges that Mario Barrios brings to that ring.
“I’m just happy to be here. I’m back where I belong, which is at the forefront of the sport of boxing.”
What he’ll do with that opportunity remains to be seen, beginning on Saturday.
Thurman (29-1, 22 KOs) went down in the first round against the then-40-year-old Pacquiao and was never able to dig himself out his hole, losing a split decision in the Filipino icon’s penultimate fight.
He subsequently had hand surgery, one reason he has followed boxing from a distance since before the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
Can Thurman, at 33, recapture the form that allowed him to beat the likes of Julio Diaz, Robert Guerrero, Luis Collazo, Shawn Porter and Garcia between 2014 and 2017 after such a hiatus? We’ll learn a lot when he’s face to face with Barrios, a capable boxer-puncher moving up in weight.
He believes he’ll have success against Barrios (26-1, 17 KOs) if he lets his hands go.
“I love to out-punch my opponent,” he said. “Against everyone but Shawn Porter, I’ve felt like I had the ability to out-punch and out-perform them. In the Manny Pacquiao fight, when I walked him down, I wasn’t letting my hands go. I believe that I was 15 punches away from victory in that fight.
“I don’t need to waste punches in this fight. I need to land the cleaner and sharper shots. I see the warrior spirit in Mario Barrios, and I believe he’s going to push me to fight harder.
[lawrence-related id=27778,27694,27673,27625]
One of the most striking images from the official weigh-in on Friday was Barrios’ height advantage. He’s listed at 5-10, a half-inch taller than Thurman, but he looked down on him during the faceoff.
At the same time, Thurman arguably is the naturally bigger (stronger?) man, having fought at 147 pounds his entire career. Barrios, 26, started at 122 and has worked his way up. He’s fighting as a full-fledged welterweight for the first time.
However, Thurman doesn’t think size is the key factor in the matchup. He believes the lessons he has learned over so many years in the ring will ultimately lead him to his first victory since he outpointed Lopez three years ago.
“At the end of the day, I just evolve and I learn from everyone I’ve ever been in the ring with,” he said. “I’m looking forward to showing everyone my poise and experience. I believe that my experience is going to help give me the upper hand.”