WBA welterweight champion Keith Thurman will make his long-awaited return to the ring when he battles Josesito Lopez on January 26 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The 30-year-old Thurman has missed close to two years of action due to elbow and hand injuries. The last time we saw Thurman was in March 2017 when he beat Danny Garcia to capture the WBC welterweight title. Ultimately, due to injury, Thurman vacated the WBC strap.
Having missed close to two years, Thurman is very excited to get back in the ring and knock off some rust against Lopez.
“I’m extremely excited to step back into the ring,” said Thurman. “It’s a little nerve-wracking considering the time off and because I want to have a tremendous performance. I want to speak more with my hands more than my words and quiet the naysayers who think that Keith Thurman has lost his passion and skills in boxing.
“I believe I’m the best welterweight in the division and in the world and I hope to showcase that on January 26 with a knockout. The best fights in the welterweight division have involved Keith Thurman, and that will continue to be the case. I’m looking forward to having a tremendous year and showing why I’m number one.”
If he beats Lopez in January, many of the big fights at 147 will involve Thurman, and if Thurman is right, he’s still one of the best welterweights in the world. He holds victories over Garcia and WBC welterweight champion Shawn Porter.
The two other champions at 147, who are signed to Al Haymon and PBC are Porter and IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. Both Spence and Porter have fights lined up in 2019. If they all handle their business, we will probably see Thurman against either Spence or Porter sometime in 2019.