“Give me a good three. Give me a good five. I mean, because five will get me to 40,” said Thurman to MillCity Boxing.
Later in the discussion, he began naming potential opponents.
“Thurman versus Conor Benn. Ryan Garcia. Like Thurman versus Tank Davis. Put the name Thurman next to everybody. All the bodies. Just not the nobodies,” said Keith.
The comments highlight Thurman’s desire to secure major fights rather than take part in a lengthy rebuilding process. However, landing bouts against Benn, Garcia, or Ennis may prove difficult given his recent activity and form.
Thurman, 37, is coming off a sixth-round knockout loss to WBC junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora on March 28. The former welterweight champion struggled throughout the contest and was unable to establish any sustained success against the taller, younger champion.
The defeat continued a trend that has followed Thurman for much of the last decade. Since his victory over Danny Garcia in March 2017, he has fought only four times. Injuries, layoffs, and long periods of inactivity prevented him from building momentum during the years that should have represented the prime of his career.
The challenge for Thurman is convincing the teams behind Benn, Garcia, and Ennis that those fights make business sense. Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn currently campaign at welterweight and have little incentive to move up in weight for a fighter coming off a stoppage defeat.
Ennis may be the most realistic target, but even that path likely requires Thurman to rebuild his standing first. A victory over a respected contender such as Israil Madrimov could help restore some credibility, while back-to-back wins over contenders would make him more difficult to ignore.
Thurman appears focused on the biggest names available. Whether those fighters are interested in facing him is another matter entirely.
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