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Keith Thurman-Tim Tszyu Winner May Have A Chance To Fight Terence Crawford

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Calvin Ford thinks that if Keith Thurman beats Tim Tszyu, he could have a chance at fighting Terence Crawford.

Thurman will face Tszyu on March 30 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The bout will be broadcast on Amazon Prime pay-per-view.

Ford is a high-profile coach and serves as the lead voice along with his co-trainer Kenny Ellis in the career of Gervonta Davis.

The elephant in the room is Terence Crawford. The two-division undisputed champion stopped Errol Spence Jr last July in what was viewed as a 50-50 fight. But Crawford dominated the fight en route to a ninth-round technical stoppage.

Crawford was thought to rematch Spence, but that fight hasn’t gained traction and Crawford then teased a move up in weight.

Thurman-Tszyu is being contested at a catchweight of 155 lbs. – one weight class above where Crawford holds the WBC, WBA, and WBO welterweight world titles.

Ford looks at the fight as a chance for either to land a fight with the generational great Crawford.

“Like I said, the winner of this fight may have a chance to fight Terence Crawford,” said Ford. “That is motivation right there.”

Thurman (30-1, 22 KOs) is coming off a lengthy layoff and chronic inactivity. He has fought three times in seven years. He went from being one of the top names in the sport to potentially missing out on facing some of the biggest names of his era – Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford and Ford doesn’t count out Thurman.

“Thurman’s got options if he pulls this one off,” added Ford with a smile during a media conference call. “Both of them have something to prove.”

Tszyu (24-0, 17 KOs) is the opposite. He is seemingly trying to move as fast as possible, fighting three times in 2023. Tszyu has moved up the competition during that time, stopping Tony Harrison and beating Brian Mendoza. Now, Tszyu will look to prove he belongs in a fight with the biggest names in the sport. Thurman is his toughest test on paper, yet.

“This is going to be [an interesting fight],” stated Ford. “Tim Tszyu has been doing his thing, man. I am looking forward to that night, and seeing what is going to happen.”

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BOXING

Keith Thurman, at 35, Aims for the Big Names – Including Terence Crawford

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Terence Crawford

Keith Thurman has at least one last thing to check off before his career is over.

Thurman will face Tim Tszyu at a catchweight bout of 155 pounds as the headliner of a March 30 pay-per-view. The event will be broadcast on Amazon Prime.

Thurman will be ending yet more inactivity. Since 2017, he has fought only four times. Heading into 2018, Thurman had proved himself to be one of the top fighters in the world, having notched consecutive wins over Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia.

Yet an underwhelming performance against Josesito Lopez after a 22-month layoff simmered expectations, and Thurman’s lone career loss – to Manny Pacquiao – came six months later.

Thurman recently appeared on a Premier Boxing Champions livestream on Instagram to talk about his upcoming fight.

“It is hard to leave [home],” Thurman said. “I feel very comfortable. If anything, when they talk about competing with [Terence Crawford], right? People know Bud trains at high altitude, and I would never give a fighter that kind of advantage.”

Since the pandemic, Thurman, from Florida, has fought only once: a February 2022 pay-per-view bout against Mario Barrios. He is now returning at a catchweight against Tszyu, who has had an opposite approach to the sport. Tszyu has stayed extremely active, fighting three times in 2023 (despite only one fight in 2022).

Thurman is fighting above the welterweight limit for the first time since stopping Carlos Quintana in the fourth round of an HBO undercard. That bill was headlined by Andre Berto–Robert Guerrero, but the Tszyu fight is a massive opportunity for the reclusive Thurman to get his name back in the mix.

There is another milestone Thurman, who seems fixated on the idea of training at elevation, wants to reach. He trained in Colorado Springs, Colorado, as an amateur, and even recalled a fighter giving him troubles who had trained at altitude.

“I heard Josesito Lopez trained in Big Bear, [California], when he was training for me, but I was overly confident in the fight,” Thurman said. “So I did what I did in that fight.”

After dropping Lopez in the second round of their fight, Thurman was hurt to the body. Considered a tune-up-type bout at the time, it turned into a highly competitive affair, which Thurman ultimately won via majority decision. Thurman seems to be eyeing a potential fight with Crawford – widely considered the best fighter in the world after he dismantled Errol Spence Jr. in a perceived 50-50 fight.

“If I have to step in the ring with Crawford, I want that to be on an even playing field, baby,” Thurman said. “I would want that to be at a high altitude. I would want to put my body through that.”

Thurman, now 35, realistically has no more than a few fights left. Many of his peers, including Porter, are now retired. Tszyu, 29, has yet to beaten (24-0, 17 KOs).

Thurman is training at the St. Pete’s Boxing Club with Dan Birmingham as the lead voice. Birmingham is best known for his work with Ronald “Winky” Wright, but he has also worked with Chad Dawson and Jeff Lacy.

Thurman is at the stage of checking off his boxing bucket list, and a training camp away from home at a high-altitude seems to be something he wants to get out of his system.

“It is something I never added to my regimen,” Thurman said. “I always said if I fought Floyd [Mayweather], if I fight Spence, I should’ve done it for Pacquiao. Shoulda, woulda, coulda – didn’t. So it is something in the back of my head, and I do need to stop playing with these boys and give this sport my best.”

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BOXING

“I’m Not Ryan Garcia”: Keith Thurman Cautions Gervonta Davis of the “Challenge” if They Ever Fight

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Gervonta Davis

Keith Thurman isn’t Ryan Garcia. But why does he stress this? Garcia, once undefeated, met his match in Gervonta Davis during their historic April 2023 bout. A brutal body shot in the seventh round sealed Garcia’s fate, marking his first professional loss in a dramatic fashion. It wasn’t just a loss; it was a pivotal moment where Ryan faced a significant setback in his rising career.

Thurman, observing from afar, with a seasoned record of 30-1, draws a distinct line between himself and Garcia. Is it confidence or a subtle taunt? Thurman sees something in Garcia’s downfall that he confidently knows doesn’t apply to him. What could it be?

Keith Thurman believes Ryan Garcia had immaturity going into the Tank fight

In the heart of a revealing interview with ESNews, Keith Thurman sheds light on his perspective, offering a critical view of Ryan Garcia’s defeat at the hands of Gervonta Davis. Thurman suggests, “It was evident that Ryan Garcia had immaturity going into that fight, okay? We know this in boxing, that even with talent, you should groom him, right? He had skills, but he was not well-groomed, and it was evident in the performance.”

Gervonta Davis

Furthermore, Thurman distinguishes himself from Garcia, stating, “Keith Thurman is solid, solidified, well-groomed, and that’s why I said I’m not a Ryan Garcia. No disrespect to Ryan Garcia.” This declaration not only highlights Thurman’s confidence in his own preparation and mental fortitude but also sets the stage for the interviewer’s next question, which directly addresses the potential of a fight between Thurman and Davis.

Responding to whether he could beat Tank Davis, Thurman confidently replies, “Oh, I mean, it’s the Thurman test. If you can beat me, beat me. But boy, is it going to be a challenge.” Through this conversation, Thurman articulates a clear message: he is a different breed of fighter, one who is not only aware of his own capabilities but also keenly observant of the nuances that separate the champions from the contenders.

Ryan and Davis’ fans might think that Keith Thurman is just yapping here, but they aren’t the only ones. Tim Tszyu, who is set to fight Thurman on March 30 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, also thinks that Thurman talks a bit too much.

Tim Tszyu believes Thurman is all bark and no bite

Tim Tszyu didn’t hold back when responding to Keith Thurman’s comments about him, questioning the logic behind his statements. “I’m not sure what he’s implying there. Maybe he thinks I’m easy to hit?” Tszyu retorted. Tszyu further dissected Thurman’s character, stating, “The guy doesn’t think before he speaks. He’s just a little yapper.”

He drew parallels between Thurman’s pre-fight antics with Manny Pacquiao and his current behavior. “And I’ve always found the bigger the dog, the less they bark. But Chihuahuas, they’re [going to] yap. It’s all for show,” Tszyu added, painting Thurman as more bark than bite in the buildup to their potential showdown.

When words turn into punches, who will have the last word? Will Thurman’s experience and self-assuredness prevail, or will Tszyu’s determination and critique of Thurman’s approach prove to be the winning formula?

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“He Yo Girlfriend”: Terence Crawford Mocks Keith Thurman and Rolly Romero Coming Together for Promotional Video

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Terence Crawford

On March 30th, after two years, Keith Thurman will return to face the WBO Super-Welterweight champion, Tim Tszyu. On the other hand, on the same card, Rolando Romero will defend his WBA Super-Lightweight title against Isaac Cruz. In this context, after their latest press conference, Thurman and Rolando Romero worked on a promotional video where they urged the fans to buy tickets.

However, in an unprecedented turn of events, as soon as the brief clip came to Terence Crawford‘s notice, he laughed at Thurman and ‘Rolly’. Meanwhile, speaking of ‘Bud’ Crawford, Thurman doubted if the former two-time undisputed champion would be able to beat him.

Rolando Romero and Keith Thurman had Terence Crawford rolling on the floor laughing

The promotional video begins with Rolando Romero and Keith Thurman introducing themselves respectively. By the by, while Thurman announces the fight date, Rolly speaks about the platform and the venue. Although Thurman sounds boisterous and confident while delivering the message, Rolly seems slightly shy in the entire video. As a result, when Terence Crawford stumbled upon the brief clip, he could not help but laugh. And replying to an Instagram post, ‘Bud’ mocked ‘One Time’ and Rolly.

Terence Crawford

As per a video that FightHype uploaded, with several laughing emojis, ‘Bud’ Crawford said, “Roller sound like he yo girlfriend“. At this, while Rolly has yet to reply to Terence Crawford, Keith Thurman, speaking to the media, claimed he would have given ‘Bud’ a run for the money had the two ever shared the ring. Here is what ‘One Time’, who claims to have only love and gratitude for ‘Bud’, said about the former two-time undisputed champion in the sport.

Thurman questions Crawford would have beaten him

In 2022, the WBC ordered Errol Spence Jr. to face Keith Thurman. However, the fight did not take place. Had Thurman defeated Spence Jr., boxing fans would have witnessed Thurman vs. ‘Bud’. Speaking of which, Thurman declared he would have put Crawford in a fix. “The truth is Crawford never got to see Keith Thurman. The truth is if it was Thurman vs. Crawford, it would have been a whole another type of fight,” said Thurman.

“I’m the guy who said to you way back in the day. At an o. I’m not afraid to let it go. ‘One Time’ been beat one time, who’s gonna get me two time?” he concluded. With that said, do you think Thurman would have tested Crawford’s skills? In addition, what do you make of Crawford’s reaction to the promotional video?

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BOXING

“Man of my word” – Keith Thurman serious about intergender boxing match against Claressa Shields

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Claressa Shield

Keith Thurman vs. Claressa Shields might happen after all.

The ‘GWOAT’ has always been vocal about her boxing ability. Having defeated names such as Savannah Marshall, Christina Hammer, and more, Shields feels confident against anyone. In fact, she even feels confident against male boxers.

Earlier this summer, the female boxing champion called out Jake Paul. Shields stated that she could easily outbox ‘The Problem Child’, but later set her sights higher. When Paul had no interest, she called out former champion Keith Thurman.

‘One Time’ was in discussions to return against Errol Spence Jr. this summer. However, ‘The Truth’ wound up getting a deal done with Terence Crawford, making Thurman’s services not needed. As a result, Thurman showed interest in facing Shields in an exhibition boxing match.

Claressa Shields

Claressa Shields re-signed with PFL following her callout, seemingly putting a boxing return on hold. In an interview with Best Women’s Boxing Show, Keith Thurman was asked about the bout. There, he confirmed that he was serious about the fight.

Obviously, he wouldn’t go all out, but Thurman is still interested in the potential bout. Speaking in the interview he said:

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