As fight week begins for the first Premier Boxing Champions on FOX and FOX Deportes event of 2019, WBA welterweight world champion Keith Thurman and veteran contender Josesito López took part in a media workout at Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn on Wednesday before they headline action this Saturday, January 26 from Barclays Center, the home of BROOKLYN BOXING.
Due to injury, Thurman has been out of the ring for nearly two years after beating Danny Garcia to win the WBC welterweight title in March 2017. Ultimately, he would vacate the WBC belt, but now he’s back and ready take over the division.
“When I’m outside of the ring, I’m not the jealous type watching other people perform,” Thurman said. “But I feel better when I’m here living out my dream. These past weeks, I have just felt so good. I feel fantastic and ready to perform. I’m going to be an active fighter and one of the best welterweights in the world today.
“My ranking, my ‘0’ and my accomplishments haven’t gone anywhere. I’ve been out of sight and out of mind for a little, but I’m back now. You can’t block a star from shining. We’re in the galaxy and shining bright.”
Some believe the 30-year-old Thurman is a little reluctant to get in the ring with IBF welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr., including Spence himself, who said this about fighting Thurman in December after Thurman noted recently, that he was looking to fight Spence in 2020.
“Man, I mess around and don’t even fight him,” Spence said about Thurman back in December. “I probably won’t even fight him. Man, I honestly can’t wait that long, and he might get injured again, especially if I look good, and start stopping more people. He’ll probably get injured or hurt, or something crazy.”
However, on Wednesday, Thurman made it clear that he is more than willing to fight Spence.
“I’m definitely interested in a big unification fight with Errol Spence Jr,” Thurman said. “When I first met Errol at MGM Grand years ago, I told him that it’s nice to meet him and I can’t wait to get in there and scrap it out. I’m humble, but I’m also honest. I’m a man of my word. It doesn’t matter how many years ago that I said it, but from that day to this day, it’s a true statement.”
I guess we’ll have to see if Thurman will be a man of his word and fight Spence at some point in the future.
Televised coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and features additional participants from Wednesday’s workout including rising Polish heavyweight contender Adam Kownacki and former title challenger Gerald Washington, who meet in a 10-round attraction, and hard-hitting featherweights Claudio Marrero and Tugstsogt Nyambayar, who meet in a 12-round showdown.