Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman will be returning to the ring in two months to face junior middleweight Brock Jarvis on March 12th at the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney, Australia.
Three Years Later…
The 36-year-old former WBA and WBC welterweight champion Thurman (30-1, 22 KOs) will be coming off a three-year layoff when he takes on the 27-year-old Jarvis (22-1, 20 KOs).
That’s assuming that Thurman makes it out of training camp without suffering a fight-canceling injury, like it occurred last year when he was scheduled to challenge Tim Tszyu for his WBO 154-lb title on March 30th. Thurman pulled out of the fight with a biceps injury and was replaced by Sebastian Fundora, who upset Tszyu.
In the past, one would say Thurman was too old and inactive to have a chance at big paydays. Now, with old-timers like Mike Tyson being brought back, Thurman has a chance. He might not beat anybody with talent, but he can get some nice paydays unless he keeps getting injured. He’s been frail, suffering repeated injuries since 2017.
Thurman Eying Tszyu
The plan is for the winner of the Thurman-Jarvis fight to take on Tim Tszyu. However, you can’t rule out there being interest from Turki Al-Sheikh in Thurman if he’s victorious against Jarvis. That’s the likely reason why Thurman is making a comeback after three years out of the ring because he’s done nothing with his career since losing to Manny Pacquiao
“Jarvis will headline a shock Sydney showcase on March 12 against Thurman,” per Fox Sports Australia about Brock Jarvis fighting former WBA and WBC welterweight champion Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman next. “A press conference will be held on Wednesday to reveal details of an event which — set to take place inside Sydney’s famed Hordern Pavilion.”
For a brief time, Thurman was considered one of the best welterweights in the sport. However, his career slowed after his grueling fight against Danny Garcia in March 2017. In the last eight years, Thurman has fought only three times against Josesito Lopez, Manny Pacquiao, and Mario Barrios. Injuries have been an issue for Thurman, but he also lacks the ambition to stay busy like normal fighters who don’t have a large nest egg to live off of.
Jarvis’ Back Chance
The Aussie Brock Jarvis has fought mostly unknown opposition during his 10-year career. He stepped up once and was knocked out in the first round by Liam Paro on October 15, 2022. Since that fight, Jarvis has returned to fighting lower-level opposition, beating Adrian Rodriguez and Marlon Paniamogan.
If Thurman has anything left after sitting for three years on his backside, he should beat Jarvis. Still, it’s questionable whether he does or if he can even make it out of training camp without pulling out with some kind of ailment.
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