Keith Thurman has a bicep injury and needs an MRI today to determine whether he can fight Tim Tszyu on March 30th on PBC’s show on Prime PPV.
The results of today’s MRI for Thurman will decide whether he’ll be available to fight in 12 days from now against the dangerous puncher Tszyu. The hefty $75 price tag for the Prime PPV event puts the card at risk of being canceled.
Wow horrible news, multiple sources have confirmed to me that Keith Thurman has a MRI scheduled today for a potential bicep injury. 😢I’m told MRI Results will determine if the fight is canceled or happens. #thurmantszyu pic.twitter.com/QPEJOBX1AD
— ThaBoxingvoice (@ThaBoxingVoice) March 18, 2024
Finding a replacement that fans would be willing to shell out that kind of dough to see could be near impossible for Premier Boxing Champions, as there are not many stars willing to jump in on 12 days’ notice to fight a slugger like Tszyu.
Thaboxingvoice are the ones that broke the news that 35-year-old Thurman (30-1, 22 KOs) has suffered a bicep injury, which could cause him to be pulled from the March 30th headliner fight against Tszyu (24-0, 17 KOs).
The Desperate Search for a Headliner
It’s a monumental challenge for PBC to find a replacement if Thurman can’t go through with the March 30th date due to his biceps injury. PBC has some big names they manage, but they don’t fight at 154.
Using someone like junior middleweight contender Erickson Lubin wouldn’t work, as he’s not a big enough name to be used for PPV purposes as Tszyu’s opponent.
In an ideal scenario, Terence Crawford or Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis would replace Thurman to battle Tszyu. It’s unrealistic to even consider either of those two fighters as subs to face Tszyu.
Time Is Ticking
Putting a fight together would require that PBC move at light speed, negotiate quickly, and get the green light from Tszyu’s management to accept one of those talents as the late-minute replacement to save the March 30th date.
It would be PPV-worthy if David Benavidez or David Morrell Jr. stepped in to replace Thurman, but the weight would need to be adjusted to 168, and Tszyu likely wouldn’t agree to face one of those killers at super middleweight.
On the bright side, fans would at least be willing to pay to watch Tszyu face one of these talents. It would show courage on Tszyu’s part, even if he could not win.
The logical question is, why did PBC use the 35-year-old inactive Thurman in the main event for this important date in the first place? Dumb, dumb, and dumb.