By: Sean Crose
After more than two and a half years of absence from the ring, Keith “One Time” Thurman finally got back into action Saturday night in Las Vegas when he faced underdog Mario Barrios in a scheduled 12th division bout. presented at the MGM Grand. All eyes were on Thurman, who had lost his previous bout due to a tight decision to Manny Pacquiao in the summer of 2019. It was Thurman’s only defeat to date and it cost him his welterweight title. WBA.
Barrios, too, has lost alone to big-name opponents. His battle with Gervonta Davis in June 2021 ended in the eleventh round – an especially bitter pill to swallow given the people who had helped Barrios win up to that point. Short story – every man has something to prove on Saturday.
29-1 Thurman appeared powerfully when the bell rang while 26-1 Barrios seemed to feel his man throughout first. Thurman rocked his brother in the second with a snake, but Barrios remained calm. However, it was Thurman who dominated the round. Barrios fought well in the third round, but Thurman landed often and hard – especially with his left hand. Thurman continued to really combine his punches well into the fourth round. At the end of the inning, Barrios was seriously injured, although he was still standing.
Barrios looks better in the fifth season, but Thurman simply has too much power for him. What’s more, the Florida natives landed better photos. Barrios played more proactively and confidently in the sixth round. He went on to do enough to be able to move up to seventh place. A bloody Barrios was defeated in the eighth round, although Thurman received a gust of wind that knocked him down late in the round. The ninth was a close, fast-paced affair. Thurman landed and moved efficiently in the tenth round.
Thurman ruled the eleventh. Barrios was looking at the time to win by knockout or penalties. He cannot provide one. Defeated, Barrios continued to eat Thurman’s punches in the twelfth and final round. The judges ruled in Thurman’s favor by unanimous decision. “I still feel a little rusty ring there,” Thurman admitted later. “I’m just happy to be back in the ring.”
“I want the belt, honey,” he said. “I want champions.”
