Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. might be the best, most talked about welterweights in boxing. But neither fit into Keith Thurman’s comeback plans for 2019.
When Sporting News asked the WBA welterweight champion if he feels like he needs to fight Crawford or Spence in the New Year — due to his 22-month absence from the ring — to prove that he’s still the best in the division, Thurman flat out said, “No.”
Sign up for DAZN and watch boxing and MMA live in Canada
Why doesn’t he feel pressed to cement a 2019 showdown with Crawford, the WBO champion, or Spence, the IBF titleholder? It’s simple: “One Time” believes there’s plenty of time down the road to make a mega bout with either fellow champion happen.
“What I need to do is come back in the ring, stay healthy, be active, have some great fights — or some good fights — this year and I think, we’ll possibly still save some of the great ones,” Thurman told Sporting News as part of a press conference Saturday at Barclays Center, before the Charlo twins’ co-headlining card began. “We’re still in our prime. There’s still a little bit of time on the calendar. I like the year 2020, man. It just sounds really nice. It’s the Olympic year.”
He added: “I like the year 2020 because ’19 is the get-back year. ’19Keith Thurman has to remind you who Keith Thurman is, why Keith Thurman is one of the baddest men at 147, why you need to always mention me when you mention the others … and, hopefully, put my name first.”
Sporting News asked Keith Thurman if he feels like he has to have a fight with Terence Crawford or Errol Spence in 2019 to prove he’s still the man at welterweight.
— Sporting News Boxing (@sn_boxingring) December 23, 2018
This was his answer:
(Part 1/2) pic.twitter.com/kuhecRWKJP
Thurman’s last fight was a split-decision victory over Danny Garcia in March 2017. The very next month, he had surgery to extract calcium deposits from his right elbow. This past March, Thurman suffered a hand injury while training, effectively putting an end to his 2018 as well amidst rehab and recovery.
Despite his nearly two-year absence, Thurman (28-0, 22 KOs) has never lost and still feels like he’s the top welterweight in boxing. But who’s second on his list?
“Keith Thurman No. 1, Errol Spence No. 2 and everything else is debatable,” Thurman told a pool of reporters after his press conference. “I’ve said it many, many, many times, I don’t give ‘Bud’ Crawford any credit at 147 yet. He hasn’t gotten any credentials off of me.”
Let’s see if Crawford’s body of work in the New Year changes that. Until then, Thurman returns to the ring Jan. 26, when he takes on Josesito Lopez at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. If all goes well, he says he’d love to work in at least one, maybe two more fights onto his 2019 docket.
“At the end of the day, I’m here to make a statement that ‘One Time’ is back,” he said. “I’m going to do hopefully two fights this year and because of the long layoff — if I’m blessed, if it does not go into deep waters, if we’re able to shut this show down early in January — there’s a lot of room for the rest of the year. I would love to deep down — two [fights] is enough — but I would love to sneak in three fights and just be back active, so that I know I can bring my best into the sport. I got one belt, I’m missing one belt. So, that’s on my mind this year, in 2019, is to re-establish my own accomplishments and then move forward from there.”
While Crawford or Spence don’t figure into those plans just yet, the winner of the Adrien Broner-Manny Pacquiao fight on Jan. 19 and/or the winner of the Shawn Porter/Yordenis Ugas bout on March 9 just might in 2019. Each fight holds a level of high intrigue for the 30-year-old Thurman.
“One Time” has always been interested in a fight with Pacquiao, but wonders how much longer the 40-year-old wants to box and the level of competition he wants to face. Still, the opportunity to add a legend like “Pac Man” as another notch on his belt would be hard to resist for Thurman.
As for a fight with Broner, the promotion alone leading up to the scrap would present high-level drama, considering he and AB are easily two of the most entertaining talkers in the fight game.
“I’m not that interested, but if he starts running his mouth and depending on what happens [with the Broner/Pacquiao fight],” Thurman said, detailing how quickly that feeling could change.
As for the winner between Porter-Ugas, let’s not forget that Porter was crowned WBC welterweight champion following a unanimous decision win over Danny Garcia in September and that the title was up for grabs in that bout only because Thurman voluntarily relinquished the strap in April to continue with his rehab.
“I told Shawn Porter in Fox studios, ‘Don’t lose because you’ll get a rematch … with Danny [Garcia],” Thurman told reporters Saturday. “You lose, I’m going after my belt, I’m going after Ugas.’”
Join DAZN and watch more than 100 fight nights a year
All this being said, a convincing, economical victory over Lopez in January and perhaps we could see Thurman in action against Pacquiao or Broner or possibly Ugas or Porter, who “One Time” already defeated in June 2016.
Whether he keeps a perfect record at this time next year remains to be seen. But either way, 2020 for Thurman-Spence or Thurman-Crawford to decide welterweight supremacy is something “One Time” might be plotting on his chess board — even if Crawford and Spence fight each other before that.
“You can’t have a No. 1 fighter when you have three undefeated champions,” Thurman told Sporting News about the current top welterweights. “It’s just the dumbest thing in the world. Let’s just be honest. You can’t have three undefeated champions of the world.”
He added: “I mean, Terence Crawford and Errol Spence … that’s a great fight. But Keith Thurman vs. Errol Spence and Keith Thurman vs. ‘Bud’ Crawford, I think those are better fights.”
