By: Hans Themistode
Keith Thurman has endured a long period of inactivity through the end of the year. Having fought only four times in the past seven years, Thurman will try to re-establish himself in the weight rankings when he returns this weekend with former 140-pound middleweight Mario Barrios.
For Thurman, this will be his first fight since the decisive defeat of the 2019 season at the hands of Manny Pacquiao. As Thurman’s comeback game draws near, many have wondered how much of the now 33-year-old player has left in the pool? Among those who have publicly questioned Thurman’s return is former longtime rival Danny Garcia.
“It’s been a long time being laid off,” Garcia said in a self-recorded video. “Can you still take a punch? Can you still push yourself to be great? But in terms of his talent and skill, he was once number one in the welterweight division. We are talking about a guy who is number one on the team. “
At Thurman’s peak, both he and Garcia engaged in a back-and-forth unification fight in 2017. Though Thurman dominated early, Garcia rallied back in the second half of their contest. However, despite the strong finish, Garcia had to receive the first defeat of his career through the split decision.
While they may have squared off nearly 5 years ago, Garcia is unwilling to leave their feud behind them. In fact, if given the opportunity, the former two-timer will seize the opportunity to avenge his defeat.
“It was a close fight that I think I won. We have a competition. I think Garcia and Thurman 2, that’s what the fans want to see.”
As for Garcia, the 33-year-old tennis player is currently in boxing purgatory. Since the defeat at the hands of Thurman, the Philadelphian have only won 3-2 in the last 5 appearances. Most recently, Garcia suffered a decisive one-sided defeat at the hands of Errol Spence Jr. in December 2020.
Currently, Garcia is not sure where he will compete next. Although he’s been active in the welterweight category for more than five years, he openly admits to struggling to hit the 147-pound weight limit.
The weight gain for Garcia is something he enjoys a lot. Regardless of where he plants his next flag, Garcia is now turning his attention to a rematch with Thurman in the second half of this year, provided that both win their respective upcoming matches. .
“I want to be back in the ring, the top tournament of the year. We are negotiating right now. Thurman got his win, Danny got his win, and let’s do it again. I think it’s one of the biggest fights that can happen in boxing this year. ”
