Former welterweight champ Keith Thurman always was a great talker. Now, ahead of his latest planned comeback – this one following a three-year layoff – the once-beaten 36-year-old is again talking big. Thurman will return to action in Sydney, Australia, against Brock Jarvis, and he aims to use a win over Jarvis to get him back in position to fight Tim Tszyu. Thurman, beaten only by living legend Manny Pacquiao, was set to face Tszyu, then the WBO 154-pound champ, last March, only for the injury-plagued former champ to suffer a biceps tear.
Now, vowing to give the sport a “Muhammad Ali after prison” style comeback, Thurman is aiming to make up for lost time. Thurman, though, has to prove to both himself and to the fans that he can A – get through a full training camp without suffering an injury of some kind and B – then get through an actual fight without picking up an injury. But can Thurman do it?
Thurman has been chronically inactive these past six years, and it’s been primarily down to injuries. Since his January 2019 win over Josesito Lopez, Thurman has boxed just twice. Last seen in the ring in February of 2022 when he won a decision over Mario Barrios, Thurman will now be battling a possibly unbeatable trio – age, ring rust, and an injury-prone body.
It will be interesting to see how Thurman gets on with Jarvis, who is 22-1(20) and almost a decade younger than Thurman at age 27, in the fight that is set for March 25th. Indeed, will Thurman get through his full training camp and then be able to go through with the fight? If so, and providing he gets the win, Thurman, 30-1(22) says he will then fight Tszyu. Tszyu is no longer a world champion, but the fight would still be a big deal in Australia.
Thurman, once one of the best fighters in the world, says the time he has been out of the ring will not stop him doing what he wants to do.
“This is going to be one of the greatest comebacks in 2025,” Thurman told Fox Sports. “Time does not take away the ability of champions. I’m going to warm up my skills and talent and remind people of who Keith Thurman is by beating up some kangaroos. I’m going to fly over there, I’m going to get this kangaroo (Jarvis), and I’m going to come back to America, and I’ll come get Tszyu.”
After all the time he has been out of the ring, fans really will need reminding about Thurman. The trash-talk Thurman has come out with could be looked at as fun, while some might go as far as to say he has been guilty of racism with his “kangaroo” reference. But that aside, can Thurman still fight? The former champ sure has a lot to prove, no doubt. Will Thurman’s body hold up, and if so, for how long?
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