Will Keith Thurman’s Hand Injury Force a Stylistic Makeover?

Published

6 years ago

January 23, 2019

A boxer’s hands are the tools of his trade. Like all tools, they are subject to chipping and breaking from repeated usage. But whereas a carpenter can go to a hardware store and purchase, say, a new hammer, a fighter with a damaged hand can’t send out for a replacement fist during the course of a bout. He has to finish the job with the same physical equipment with which he began.

Given WBA welterweight champion Keith “One Time” Thurman’s recent injury history, which has sidelined him for nearly two years, it remains to be seen if the 30-year-old from Clearwater, FL is still the elite fighter he was before the trouble he encountered with his right elbow (which required surgery) and badly bruised left hand that could affect him as much or more as any accumulated ring rust when he defends his title against Josesito Lopez Saturday night in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.

Thurman-Lopez is the main event of a Premier Boxing Champions card to be televised via Fox and Fox Deportes, with the lead-in a 10-rounder pitting heavyweight Adam Kownacki (18-0, 14 KOs against former world title challenger Gerald Washington (19-2-1,12 KOs).

Thurman (28-0, 22 KOs) understands his much-anticipated return against prohibitive underdog Lopez (30-7, 19 KOs) — barring a line change, Thurman is a whopping -2300, Lopez +1490 — comes shrouded in question marks. Is he the same devastating puncher who not so very long ago was widely considered to be the best 147-pounder on the planet, or have circumstances not of his choosing dictated that he switch to a less-aggressive style? And even if Thurman reveals himself to be all or nearly all of what he had been, where does he stand in a new and improved welterweight division in which IBF champion Errol Spence Jr. (24-0, 21 KOs) and WBO titlist Terence Crawford (34-0, 25 KOs), who moved up from super lightweight during the Floridian’s medical sabbatical, may have usurped him in the public consciousness? Another welter who again has insinuated himself into that discussion is 40-year-old Manny Pacquiao ( 61-7-2, 39 KOs), the secondary WBA champ who demonstrated he still has some gas in his tank with the near-shutout he pitched en route to a unanimous decision over Adrien Broner on Jan. 19. And don’t dismiss the very real possibility of another comeback by Floyd Mayweather Jr. (50-0, 27 KOs), despite the fact he turns 42 next month.

If nothing else, 22 months of inactivity have not adversely affected Thurman’s ability to parry and counter tough questions posed to him by the media, as he proved during a teleconference on Tuesday in which he was asked frequently about the current state of his health and his vision of what the future might hold. Asked how he felt about skeptics who are leery of his readiness to quickly or even ever re-assume his former position atop the division, Thurman responded with some witty quips that came with a serious undertone.

“I could care less about what people say and think about Keith Thurman, how he’s ducking guys, he’s getting injured to avoid people,” he responded. “I’m a seven-figure fighter, man. There’s a lot of money out there to be made. I’ve worked really hard my whole life since the age of seven (when he took up boxing).

“A lot of opinions really don’t get to me. If anything, some of them are humorous. My favorite is I’m Keith `One Time’ Thurman, I’m Keith `None Time’ Thurman, I’m Keith `Sometime Thurman,’ I’m Keith `Once Upon a Time’ Thurman. That was pretty amusing.”

But it is not so easy to crack wise when the subject involves balky body parts and the necessary healing process that isn’t always easy, fast or effective. Although he says and certainly hopes otherwise, what might otherwise be a standard keep-busy type of fight against the willing but limited Lopez now shapes up as a litmus test for Thurman to certify he is not damaged goods.

The hand injury obliged Thurman to withdraw from a scheduled May 19, 2018, bout against an opponent that had yet to be named. Given that boxing is an out-of-sight, out-of-mind activity, Thurman – whose most recent bout was a split-decision victory in his welterweight unification showdown with WBC champ Danny Garcia on March 4, 2017– understandably grew antsy as fight fans turned to others for their pugilistic adrenalin fixes. Spence, perhaps kiddingly and perhaps not, even suggested that Thurman’s lengthening absence from the ring was deliberate.

“With Keith Thurman, he’s going to stay injured as long as I keep winning,” Spence said in November. “I don’t think me and him are ever going to fight.”

Thurman said there was nothing he could do about the reality of his circumstances and he would have jeopardized his career by attempting to rush back into action against medical advice.

“The elbow surgery … I kept pressing my doctor to give me a turnaround date,” Thurman said. “I didn’t understand why he kept beating around the bush. He was very clever with his wording. He pretty much never answered the question.

“Probably it was about six months after the surgery that I realized this was a long recovery and I would need more time. It was 10 months to a year of recovery, which would have been OK. It was frustrating, but it wouldn’t have been the longest layoff. Luckily for me I got to spend a lot of time with my wife in Katmandu, Nepal. A lot of new life experiences.

“Then, when I was trying to get back in the ring, I had another injury to my left hand. The doctors were telling me, `You’re not going to be out forever,’ but it felt like forever.”

It also felt pretty painful. You wouldn’t think that something that initially was described as a “deep bruise” would have such potentially disastrous ramifications.

“When it occurred it was painful enough to where it hurt to land a jab on my sparring partner with 16-ounce gloves,” Thurman recalled. “If I can’t punch my sparring partner with a jab, I knew I wasn’t going to get a fight date.”

And now?

“In the back of my mind, yeah, we (Thurman refers to himself and trainer Dan Birmingham in a collective sense) were a little worried about things going into the future. But we’re also doing our best to stay positive. We feel great, we’re ready for this fight and I just want my health to hold up because I want to be an active fighter at the top of the welterweight division once again. I believe I will be able to do that even if I do have to monitor things.

“Maybe I do have to make adjustments in my fight style, but I’ll do whatever it takes to continuously showcase the skills and talents that I have. I’ve always been versatile. There are many ways to get to the finish line when it comes to a 12-round championship fight. I didn’t knock out Shawn (Porter) and I didn’t knock out Danny. I’m hard to beat even if I’m not trying to knock you out.”

The possibility of Thurman, or any fighter, making allowances for a chronic hand condition is real. Floyd Mayweather Jr., as gifted, rich and successful as he is, underwent a stylistic makeover that was largely wrought by his tender mitts. Boxing historian Bert Sugar, who was 75 when he passed away in 2012, said he was aware of the problem that dates back to Floyd’s childhood.

“My wife is from Grand Rapids, Mich. (Mayweather’s hometown), and when we went there to visit her family I sometimes would go over to Buster Mathis’ gym,” Sugar recalled in April 2007. “I remember seeing this little eight-year-old kid, who even then was magnificent. And even then that kid’s hands were very fragile.”

Veteran trainer and TV analyst Teddy Atlas believes Mayweather’s defense-heavy, less-risk-taking approach to his craft is an outgrowth of a bad experience associated with those oft-throbbing hands.

“The only knockdown of Floyd’s career, against Carlos Hernandez (on May 26, 2001), wasn’t really a knockdown,” Atlas said, also in 2007. “His right hand was hurting him so much that he doubled over in pain and his glove brushed the canvas. The referee saw it and called it a knockdown, which, technically, I guess it was.

“Against (Carlos) Baldomir (a fight which Mayweather won on a 12-round unanimous decision on Nov. 12, 2006), Floyd went all-out early, going for the knockout, but he hurt his hands so badly he could barely use them in the later rounds.”

It will be interesting to see if Thurman winces whenever he connects with a hook or a jab against Lopez because, well, usually when you land a punch it’s supposed to hurt the hitee more than the hitter. But like the man said, there are lots of ways to win a prizefight, and lots of ways to again be recognized as the welterweight division’s top performer.

“I am the truth,” Thurman said, playful again. “It is what it is, man. I belong here. Have I held my position? Some people say yes. Some people say no. Where do you put Keith Thurman? Maybe he’s No. 1. Maybe he’s No. 2. Oh, wait, but you have that Crawford guy now, so, well, he’s No. 3.”

Bernard Fernandez is the retired boxing writer for the Philadelphia Daily News. He is a five-term former president of the Boxing Writers Association of America, an inductee into the Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Atlantic City Boxing Halls of Fame and the recipient of the Nat Fleischer Award for Excellence in Boxing Journalism and the Barney Nagler Award for Long and Meritorious Service to Boxing.

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Jorge Garcia is the TSS Fighter of the Month for April

Published

2 days ago

April 28, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Jorge-Garcia-is-the-TSS-Fighter-of-the-Month-for-April

Jorge Garcia has a lot in common with Mexican countrymen Emanuel Navarrete and Rafael Espinoza. In common with those two, both reigning world title-holders, Garcia is big for his weight class and bubbled out of obscurity with a triumph forged as a heavy underdog in a match contested on American soil.

Garcia had his “coming of age party” on April 19 in the first boxing event at the new Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California (roughly 35 miles north of San Diego), a 7,500-seat facility whose primary tenant is an indoor soccer team. It was a Golden Boy Promotions event and in the opposite corner was a Golden Boy fighter, Charles Conwell.

A former U.S. Olympian, Conwell was undefeated (21-0, 16 KOs) and had won three straight inside the distance since hooking up with Golden Boy whose PR department ballyhooed him as the most avoided fighter in the super welterweight division. At prominent betting sites, Conwell was as high as a 12/1 favorite.

The lanky Garcia was 32-4 (26 KOs) heading in, but it was easy to underestimate him as he had fought extensively in Tijuana where the boxing commission is notoriously docile and in his home state of Sinaloa. This would be only his second fight in the U.S. However, it was noteworthy in hindsight that three of his four losses were by split decision.

Garcia vs. Conwell was a robust affair. He and Conwell were credited with throwing 1451 punches combined. In terms of punches landed, there was little to choose between them but the CompuBox operator saw Garcia landing more power punches in eight of the 12 rounds. At the end, the verdict was split but there was no controversy.

An interested observer was Sebastian Fundora who was there to see his sister Gabriela defend her world flyweight titles. Sebastian owns two pieces of the 154-pound world title where the #1 contender per the WBO is Xander Zayas who keeps winning, but not with the verve of his earlier triumphs.

With his upset of Charles Conwell, Jorge Garcia has been bumped into the WBO’s #2 slot. Regardless of who he fights next, Garcia will earn the biggest payday of his career.

Honorable mention: Aaron McKenna

McKenna was favored to beat veteran campaigner Liam Smith in the co-feature to the Eubank-Benn battle this past Saturday in London, but he was stepping up in class against a former world title-holder who had competed against some of the top dogs in the middleweight division and who had famously stopped Chris Eubank Jr in the first of their two encounters. Moreover, the venue, Tottenham Hotspur, the third-largest soccer stadium in England, favored the 36-year-old Liverpudlian who was accustomed to a big fight atmosphere having fought Canelo Alvarez before 50,000-plus at Arlington Stadium in Texas.

McKenna, from the small town of Monaghan, Ireland, wasn’t overwhelmed by the occasion. With his dad Feargal in his corner and his fighting brother Stephen McKenna cheering him on from ringside, Aaron won a wide decision in his first 12-round fight, punctuating his victory by knocking Smith to his knees with a body punch in the 12^th round. In fact, if he hadn’t had a point deducted for using his elbow, the Irishman would have pitched a shutout on one of the scorecards.

“There might not be a more impressive example of a fighter moving up in class,” wrote Tris Dixon of the 25-year-old “Silencer” who improved his ledger to 20-0 (10).

Photo credits: Garcia/Conwell photo compliments of Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy; McKenna-Smith provided by Mark Robinson/Matchroom

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Chris Eubank Jr Outlasts Conor Benn at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Published

3 days ago

April 27, 2025

David A. Avila

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Feudal bragging rights belong to Chris Eubank Jr. who out-lasted Conor Benn to
emerge victorious by unanimous decision in a non-title middleweight match held in
London on Saturday.

Fighting for their family heritage Eubank (35-3, 26 KOs) and Benn (23-1, 14 KOs)
continued the battle between families started 35 years ago by their fathers at Tottenham
Hotspur Stadium.

More than 65,000 fans attended.

Though Eubank Jr. had a weight and height advantage and a record of smashing his
way to victory via knockout, he had problems hurting the quicker and more agile Benn.
And though Benn had the advantage of moving up two weight divisions and forcing
Eubank to fight under a catch weight, the move did not weaken him much.

Instead, British fans and boxing fans across the world saw the two family rivals pummel
each other for all 12 rounds. Neither was able to gain separation.

Eubank looked physically bigger and used a ramming left jab to connect early in the
fight. Benn immediately showed off his speed advantage and surprised many with his
ability to absorb a big blow.Chris Eubank Jr Outlasts Conor Benn at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Benn scrambled around with his quickness and agility and scored often with bigcounters.

It took him a few rounds to stop overextending himself while delivering power shots.

In the third round Benn staggered Eubank with a left hook but was unable to follow up
against the dangerous middleweight who roared back with flurries of blows.

Eubank was methodic in his approach always moving forward, always using his weight
advantage via the shoulder to force Benn backward. The smaller Benn rocketed
overhand rights and was partly successful but not enough to force Eubank to retreat.
In the seventh round a right uppercut snapped Benn’s head violently but he was
undeterred from firing back. Benn’s chin stood firm despite Eubank’s vaunted power and
size advantage.

“I didn’t know he had that in him,” Eubank said.

Benn opened strong in the eighth round with furious blows. And though he connected
he was unable to seriously hurt Eubank. And despite being drained by the weight loss,
the middleweight fighter remained strong all 12 rounds.

There were surprises from both fighters.

Benn was effective targeting the body. Perhaps if he had worked the body earlier he
would have found a better result.

With only two rounds remaining Eubank snapped off a right uppercut again and followed
up with body shots. In the final stanza Eubank pressed forward and exchanged with the
smaller Benn until the final bell. He simply out-landed the fighter and impressed all three
judges who scored it 116-112 for Eubank.

Eubank admitted he expected a knockout win but was satisfied with the victory.
“I under-estimated him,” Eubank said.

Benn was upset by the loss but recognized the reasons.

“He worked harder toward the end,” said Benn.

McKenna Wins

In his first test in the elite level Aaron McKenna (20-0, 10 KOs) showed his ability to fight
inside or out in soundly defeating former world champion Liam Smith (33-5-1, 20 KOs)
by unanimous decision to win a regional WBA middleweight title.

Smith has made a career out of upsetting young upstarts but discovered the Irish fighter
more than capable of mixing it up with the veteran. It was a rough fight throughout the
12 rounds but McKenna showed off his abilities to fight as a southpaw or right-hander
with nary a hiccup.

McKenna had trained in Southern California early in his career and since that time he’s
accrued a variety of ways to fight. He was smooth and relentless in using his longer
arms and agility against Smith on the outside or in close.

In the 12 th round, McKenna landed a perfectly timed left hook to the ribs and down went
Smith. The former champion got up and attempted to knock out the tall
Irish fighter but could not.

All three judges scored in favor of McKenna 119-108, 117-109, 118-108.

Other Bouts
Anthony Yarde (27-3) defeated Lyndon Arthur (24-3) by unanimous decision after 12 rounds. in a light heavyweight match. It was the third time they met. Yarde won the last two fights.

Chris Billam-Smith (21-2) defeated Brandon Glanton (20-3) by decision. It was his first
fight since losing the WBO cruiserweight world title to Gilberto Ramirez last November.

Viddal Riley (13-0) out-worked Cheavon Clarke (10-2) in a 12-round back-and-forth-contest to win a unanimous decision.

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 323: Benn vs Eubank Family Feud and More

Published

5 days ago

April 24, 2025

David A. Avila

Avila-Perspective,-Chap.-323:-Benn-vs-Eubank-Family-Feud-and-More.jpg

Next generation rivals Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr. carry on the family legacy of feudal warring in the prize ring on Saturday.

This is huge in British boxing.

Eubank (34-3, 25 KOs) holds the fringe IBO middleweight title but won’t be defending it against the smaller welterweight Benn (23-0, 14 KOs) on Saturday, April 26, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. DAZN will stream the Matchroom Boxing card.

This is about family pride.

The parents of Eubank and Benn actually began the feud in the 1990s.

Papa Nigel Benn fought Papa Chris Eubank twice. Losing as a middleweight in November 1990 at Birmingham, England, then fighting to a draw as a super middleweight in October 1993 in Manchester. Both were world title fights.

Eubank was undefeated and won the WBO middleweight world title in 1990 against Nigel Benn by knockout. He defended it three times before moving up and winning the vacant WBO super middleweight title in September 1991. He defended the super middleweight title 14 times before suffering his first pro defeat in March 1995 against Steve Collins.

Benn won the WBO middleweight title in April 1990 against Doug DeWitt and defended it once before losing to Eubank in November 1990. He moved up in weight and took the WBC super middleweight title from Mauro Galvano in Italy by technical knockout in October 1992. He defended the title nine times until losing in March 1996. His last fight was in November 1996, a loss to Steve Collins.

Animosity between the two families continues this weekend in the boxing ring.

Conor Benn, the son of Nigel, has fought mostly as a welterweight but lately has participated in the super welterweight division. He is several inches shorter in height than Eubank but has power and speed. Kind of a British version of Gervonta “Tank” Davis.

“It’s always personal, every opponent I fight is personal. People want to say it’s strictly business, but it’s never business. If someone is trying to put their hands on me, trying to render me unconscious, it’s never business,” said Benn.

This fight was scheduled twice before and cut short twice due to failed PED tests by Benn. The weight limit agreed upon is 160 pounds.

Eubank, a natural middleweight, has exchanged taunts with Benn for years. He recently avenged a loss to Liam Smith with a knockout victory in September 2023.

“This fight isn’t about size or weight. It’s about skill. It’s about dedication. It’s about expertise and all those areas in which I excel in,” said Eubank. “I have many, many more years of experience over Conor Benn, and that will be the deciding factor of the night.”

Because this fight was postponed twice, the animosity between the two feuding fighters has increased the attention of their fans. Both fighters are anxious to flatten each other.

“He’s another opponent in my way trying to crush my dreams. trying to take food off my plate and trying to render me unconscious. That’s how I look at him,” said Benn.

Eubank smiles.

“Whether it’s boxing, whether it’s a gun fight. Defense, offense, foot movement, speed, power. I am the superior boxer in each of those departments and so many more – which is why I’m so confident,” he said.

Supporting Bout

Former world champion Liam Smith (33-4-1, 20 KOs) tangles with Ireland’s Aaron McKenna (19-0, 10 KOs) in a middleweight fight set for 12 rounds on the Benn-Eubank undercard in London.

“Beefy” Smith has long been known as one of the fighting Smith brothers and recently lost to Eubank a year and a half ago. It was only the second time in 38 bouts he had been stopped. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez did it several years ago.

McKenna is a familiar name in Southern California. The Irish fighter fought numerous times on Golden Boy Promotion cards between 2017 and 2019 before returning to the United Kingdom and his assault on continuing the middleweight division. This is a big step for the tall Irish fighter.

It’s youth versus experience.

“I’ve been calling for big fights like this for the last two or three years, and it’s a fight I’m really excited for. I plan to make the most of it and make a statement win on Saturday night,” said McKenna, one of two fighting brothers.

Monster in L.A.

Japan’s super star Naoya “Monster” Inoue arrived in Los Angeles for last day workouts before his Las Vegas showdown against Ramon Cardenas on Sunday May 4, at T-Mobile Arena. ESPN will televise and stream the Top Rank card.

It’s been four years since the super bantamweight world champion performed in the US and during that time Naoya (29-0, 26 KOs) gathered world titles in different weight divisions. The Japanese slugger has also gained fame as perhaps the best fighter on the planet. Cardenas is 26-1 with 14 KOs.

Pomona Fights

Super featherweights Mathias Radcliffe (9-0-1) and Ezequiel Flores (6-4) lead a boxing card called “DMG Night of Champions” on Saturday April 26, at the historic Fox Theater in downtown Pomona, Calif.

Michaela Bracamontes (11-2-1) and Jesus Torres Beltran (8-4-1) will be fighting for a regional WBC super featherweight title. More than eight bouts are scheduled.

Doors open at 6 p.m. For ticket information go to: www.tix.com/dmgnightofchampions

Fights to Watch

Sat. DAZN 9 a.m. Conor Benn (23-0) vs Chris Eubank Jr. (34-3); Liam Smith (33-4-1) vs Aaron McKenna (19-0).

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