Keith Thurman: I believe I’ll be full throttle sooner than later
When it comes to the sport of professional boxing, there is no question that the field is rife with danger. This is why knockouts, injuries and even fatalities are common place. Sadly, due to this harsh physical reality, it is also a regular scenario to see your favorite boxer sidelined for small or lengthy periods. Such has been the case with former world champion Keith “One Time” Thurman (29-1, 22 KO’s). And in his situation, the time that he has been forced to stay away from the ring has been especially detrimental to his career and popularity. Yet, as he revealed on the Last Stand Podcast with Brian Custer, the former top dog of the 147-pound division is very cognizant of what his physical maladies have cost him.
“I haven’t been in great athletic condition. Even though numerically I’ve been in my prime, physically my body hasn’t been feeling at its primest. So it just is what it is. It’s been tough on me, it’s been hard on the fans. I’ve lost fans because of it!”
“I had people that were riding my back, they were on the Thurman train [makes train noises] and when I lost momentum, [they said], ‘where’s the next stop, let me get off, let me hop on the Garcia, let me hop on Spence, let me hop on this Crawford, let me go hop on these middleweights, let me go hop on these heavyweights!’
At the end of the day I can’t blame them. A consumer wants a product and what I give out is some high level entertainment. But once you stop giving it out, it’s like a teaser, it’s like I am playing with them. I understand the fight fan, I am a fighter but I do understand the fight fan.
So no disrespect to anyone who has ever turned against me, or anyone who has just lost interest in me or anything. At the end of the day, I know that once they are tuning into a Thurman fight they’re getting some prime action because I bring it!”
RECOVERY ROAD
Sadly, it does not sound like Thurman will be operating at his peak levels for a while.
“I’ve been testing myself, I’m still just working into the big punches. I just don’t want to hurt myself. So I am gaining strength, I’m gaining confidence as I build into bigger punches little by little. I do believe that I will be full throttle sooner than later and I am happy with that, my team is happy with that. Really the rest of my career is mission injury free, that’s the whole mission from here on out!
I’m not in my twenties no more, I put my body through a lot. I’m like a race horse that ran around the track many times, always trying to be in first place. It’s just strenuous on the body, so I just got to wisen up.”
“…the elbow is good, the hand is the only real issue right now as far as mentally…so really it’s just a barrier, a mental barrier. Even if I can’t throw the punch [left hook] 100% ever again, I just need to know what can I do?! What can I do consistently so that I can perform and put pressure on my opponents and just know what I am capable of doing so that I don’t have to hold anything back.
I feel 80% right now, I feel 80. So I just think that as we go along and I get into my next camp it’s just going to be getting as close to 100% as we can from there, that’s all.”
For the sake of his fans and the great fights he can be a part of, let’s hope that One Time is back hitting on all cylinders as quickly as possible.
By: Bakari Simpson
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