Tim Bradley: “Keith is all about that bread, one foot in, one foot out”

By: Hans Themistode

The moment Tim Bradley received the words, he immediately hugged both sides as tears rolled down his cheeks from laughing. With Keith Thurman set to end his three-year layoff on February 5, ahead of Mario Barrios, the former unified welterweight champion athlete has repeatedly stated that he intends to regain championship glory. .

However, even as Thurman is more confident than ever in his ability to challenge for the division crown, former two-time weight champion Tim Bradley simply isn’t buying it.

“Keith, what are you doing, Keith?” Asked Bradley in an interview with BoxingInsider.com. “Mercenary, mercenary. Keith is all about that bread, that’s it. Keith is one foot in, one foot out. ”

At one point, Thurman was considered by most to be the leader of the weight class. In 2015, the now 33-year-old defended his £147 title in head-to-head matches against former champions Robert Guerrero and Luis Collazo. Immediately after those victories, Thurman would win consecutive victories over Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia, then leading to a unified dynasty.

Although Thurman seemed to be at his peak, his body slowly began to collapse. Immediately after the win over Garcia, Thurman was rushed into the operating room to take care of his injured elbow and hand. The Florida-born player was then forced to sit on the sidelines for nearly two years.

Upon his return, Thurman won a majority decision against fringe candidate Josesito Lopez before losing in a split decision to Manny Pacquiao in 2019. Like the pattern going on in his career. , Thurman will once again undergo surgery after his fight with Pacquiao, which led to a layoff of more than two and a half years.

In Barrios, Thurman was up against a 140-pound ex-player who was going to try to make a splash by stopping at 147 pounds. In his final competition as an ultralightweight, Barrios suffered the first defeat of his career to Gervonta Davis.

Although Thurman believes a win over Barrios would be a springboard to helping the former fight belt holder get bigger in the tournament, Bradley suspects that Thurman is simply continuing his career because of the sizable salaries. . No more no less.

“He’s like Mikey Garcia, he’s looking for the best fight. A fight he knows he can win and make the most of, so Barrios is that guy. ”