Thurman tells Spence: ‘I’m better than anyone you ever fought, let’s fight’

By Boxing News - 04/13/2021 - Comments

By Dan Ambrose: Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman is banging the drum for a title shot against IBF/WBC welterweight champion Errol ‘The Truth’ Spence, and he doesn’t want him to continue to sidestep him in 2021.

The former WBA/WBC 147-lb champion Thurman (29-1, 22 KOs) is making his comeback after two years out of the ring, and he would like nothing better than his first fight back to be against the unbeaten Spence (27-0, 21 KOs) if possible.

Unfortunately, Spence seems to be holding a grudge against ‘One Time’ Thurman because of all the years that he was attempting to get a fight against him, and he wasn’t given the time a day from the Florida native.

Now that the shoe is on the other foot and Spence the two-belt champion at 147, he’s giving Thurman a small taste of his own medicine. But his reasons for doing so aren’t based on self-preservation to keep from losing the fight, which is what many boxing fans believe was behind Thurman choosing not to fight Spence for years.

Spence paying Thurman back

With Spence, it’s more about payback, getting his sweet revenge against Thurman, showing him what he had to deal with for years.

Spence has been in the pro ranks for nine years, and he never even got a whiff of a fight with Thurman all that time until now when he’s belt-less, coming off another long injury-induced layoff and his career on shaky ground.

Thurman was practically begging Errol in an interview last week, telling him not to be “stubborn” and that he’s a better fighter than all the guys he’s fought before during his nine-year professional career.

Image: Thurman tells Spence: 'I'm better than anyone you ever fought, let's fight'

Once again, Thurman mentioned that Spence was fighting guys he’d already beaten in Danny Garcia, Leonard Bundu, and Shawn Porter.

“I’m better than anyone you ever fought; make the fight,” said Thurman to PBC.

It’s unclear how much money Thurman has left in the kitty after sitting out of the ring for the last two years, licking his wounds from his 12 round split decision loss to Manny Pacquiao in July 2019.

Some boxing fans believe Thurman is dead broke, which is why he sounds so desperate all of a sudden for the Spence fight. If Thurman is broke, he’s going to have to try to talk nicely to Spence and hope that he’ll thaw.

Maybe Spence will throw Thurman a bone by giving him an undeserved title shot for old time’s sake.

Thurman with a hard road ahead

If not, Thurman has got a hard road to a title fight, which may involve him needing to take on one of the two young lions at 147 in Vergil Ortiz Jr or Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.

With Thurman’s inactivity, injuries, and fluctuating weight issues, he could be food for Ortiz and Ennis. That’s why Thurman must convince Spence to GIVE him a title shot based on what he’s done in the distant past rather than what he’s done lately.

‘One Time’ Thurman hasn’t won a fight since his unimpressive 12 round majority decision over journeyman/fringe contender Josesito Lopez in January 2019.

Image: Thurman tells Spence: 'I'm better than anyone you ever fought, let's fight'

When Thurman took that fight, he was coming off another two-year layoff from boxing after suffering injuries in his previous fight against Danny Garcia in 2017.

Josesito staggered Thurman in the seventh round of their 2019 fight, and he had him on the verge of being knocked out. If not for the round ending, it’s safe to say that Thurman would have been knocked out.

Aside from that fight, Thurman has only two victories in the last four years of his career. His career is in the same position that Adrien ‘The Problem’ Broner’s career is right now, with wins hard to come by and A LOT of inactivity and weight issues.

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