Keith Thurman has a plan for after he returns to the ring in February, fresh from a two year plus layoff. “Brush off the dust, present ourselves to the world of boxing again, and get everybody excited of what Keith Thurman has to offer when it comes to challenging Errol Spence, Terence Crawford, and (Yordenis) Ugas,” he says. Speaking to Marcos Villegas at Fight Hub, the returning former welterweight titlist lets the words flow freely, as he’s known to do. “At the end of the day,” he says, “I love great fights, man. I love great fights, I love entertaining fights, and that’s all I want to bring to the welterweight division.”
After facing Mario Barrios in a matter of weeks, Thurman wants to once again find himself on top of the welterweight heap. “I’m definitely focused on all the champions at 147,” he says. With Spence, Ugas and Crawford all currently holding belts, the road ahead certainly doesn’t appear to be easy – and that’s if Thurman can get past the rugged Barios. “It was not scary,” Thurman says of Crawford’s recent knockout of Shawn Porter, who Thurman battled tooth and nail himself several years back. “It was not a rated R movie. I was not frightened.” To Thurman, the welterweight division is like a land without a king at the moment. “Don’t go crowning anybody yet,” he tells Villegas, Let’s make these fights happen.”
Although he’s had a highly successful career, a lack of ring activity in recent years has led Thurman to be seen as someone who only fights on occasion or in patches before once more fading off into the figurative ether. Talking to Villegas, however, it’s clear Thurman wants to change that perception. He even indicates he wants to fight one of the big names in the division next summer. “I don’t have a belt right now,” he says. “I want a belt back.”
Crawford, of course, is seen as perhaps the biggest name at welterweight after having knocked out the tough as nails Porter a few weeks back. Spence has been at the top of his game for years, though questions regarding injuries received during a car crash, along with unrelated eye damage, has surrounded the man with questions. As for Ugas – his brilliant win over Manny Pacquiao has made the Cuban fighter the toast of 147. Before he can face any of these individuals, however, Thurman must get past Barrios, who has lost but once, and that was to Gervonta Davis.
No doubt he doesn’t plan on losing again.