Tim Tszyu hopes the 35-year-old Keith Thurman is at his best when they square off next month in their headliner on Amazon Prime PPV on March 30th in Las Vegas.
This could end badly for ‘One Time’ Thurman if he’s not able to motor around the ring to keep out of the firing line of Tszyu, who will slowly chop him apart with his powerful shots if he can get to him.
It would have been better for Thurman to make his ring return against a less threatening 154-lb contender like Sebastian Fundora, Erickson Lubin, or Xander Zayas.
Thurman’s Extended Layoff Raises Questions
It’s questionable whether Thurman (30-1, 22 KOs), coming off a 29-month layoff, can still perform, especially against a powerful puncher like Tszyu (24-0, 17 KOs).
Thurman seems to have lost interest in the sport since 2017, fighting just three times and only facing one good opponent during those years, 40-year-old Manny Pacquiao, who beat him.
While ‘One Time’ Thurman’s fans and supporters believe he hasn’t shown any signs of decline since his peak years, they can’t say that with any accuracy because he’s only fought three times since 2017 against these fighters:
– Mario Barrios
– Manny Pacquiao
– Josesito Lopez
Tszyu Calls for Peak Performance
“It’s intriguing and I’m seeing the best Keith Thurman out there. I’m hoping he’s refreshed, rejuvenated and ready to go, jumping out of his skin to fight and he’s got no injuries, he’s sweet. I’m hoping for that,” said Tim Tszyu to Compas on the Beat about his March 30th clash against inactive former welterweight champion Keith Thurman on Amazon Prime PPV.
“I’m hoping there’s no excuses as they all say. The 24 have said, ‘I’m in the best shape of my career.’ I just want to prove that. I want to hear ‘The Soul Taker.’ I want him to feel that. That’s what it’s all about.
“Unfinished business. We both have things to take care of,” said Tszyu about his still wanting to face former undisputed junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo.
“Jermell has some stuff to clear up in his personal life, but assuming that happens, there’s a lot of water under the bridge for that fight. There’s a lot of build-up,” said Stephen Espinoza, the former head of Showtime Sports. “It would be a shame for all that trash talk to lead to nowhere. That’s what Tim is not saying.”
