Keith Thurman has suffered an injury, putting his March 30th fight against Tim Tszyu in jeopardy for their 12-round headliner on Prime PPV at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The 35-year-old Thurman (30-1, 22 KOs) hasn’t fought in over two years since 2022. It’s unknown whether PBC can salvage the card if Thurman can’t fight.
Source Concerns
A source told journalist Dan Rafael about Thurman’s status: “How many times have you seen a fighter go to the doctor 12 days before a fight for an injury and the fight go through? It doesn’t look good.”
The timing of Thurman’s injury creates serious doubts about whether he’ll be fit to face the big-punching unbeaten WBO junior middleweight champion Tszyu (24-0, 17 KOs) in their non-title main event on Prime PPV.
The unspecified injury that Thurman is dealing with occurs so close to the March 30th fight date, putting this match in jeopardy.
There’s no word on whether Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) boss Al Haymon has a replacement opponent waiting to step in and face Tszyu in the headliner.
It probably won’t work if PBC slides the co-feature fight between WBA light welterweight champion Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero and Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz into the main event, as that’s not a PPV-worthy clash. The event will be a total disaster if Romero vs. Cruz is moved into the headliner position.
Where’s the Backup Plan, PBC?
Given Thurman’s advanced age and inactivity, with only three fights in the last seven years, PBC should have planned for a high-caliber, well-known backup to be ready to step in and replace the aging fighter against Tszyu.
You never bet on an old fighter that has only seen action on rare occasions, seen as often as Halley’s Comet making an appearance. It was always a huge risk for PBC to use Thurman in the main event on this card because he’s been collecting dust on his sofa for ages.