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Will Keith Thurman’s Hand Injury Force a Stylistic Makeover?
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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Avila Perspective, Chap. 303: Spotlights on Lightweights and More
Those lightweights.
Whether junior lights, super lights or lightweights, it’s the 130-140 divisions where most of boxing’s young stars are found now or in the past.
Think Oscar De La Hoya, Sugar Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather.
Floyd Schofield (17-0, 12 KOs) a Texas product, hungers to be a star and takes on Mexico’s Rene Tellez Giron (20-3, 13 KOs) in a 12-round lightweight bout on Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada.
DAZN will stream the Golden Boy Promotion card that includes a female undisputed flyweight championship match pitting Argentina’s Gabriela Alaniz and Gabriela Fundora.
Like a young lion looking to flex, Schofield (pictured on the left) is eager to meet all the other young lions and prove they’re not equal.
“I’ve been in the room with Shakur, Tank. I want to give everyone a good fight. I feel like my preparation is getting better, I work hard, I’ve dedicated my whole life to this sport,” said Schofield naming fellow lightweights Shakur Stevenson and Gervonta “Tank” Davis.
Now he meets Mexico’s Tellez who has never been stopped.
“I’m willing to do whatever it takes,” said Tellez.
Even in Las Vegas.
Verona, New York
Meanwhile, in upstate New York, a WBC junior lightweight title rematch finds Robson Conceicao (19-2-1, 9 KOs) looking to prove superior to former titlist O’Shaquie Foster (22-3, 12 KOs) on Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, N.Y. ESPN+ will stream the Top Rank fight card.
Last July, Conceicao and Foster clashed and after 12 rounds the title changed hands from Foster to the Brazilian by split decision.
“I feel that a champion is a fighter who goes out there and doesn’t run around, who looks for the fight, who tries to win, and doesn’t just throw one or two punches and then moves away,” said Conceicao.
Foster disagrees.
“I hope he knows the name of the game is to hit and not get hit. That’s the name of the game,” said Foster.
Also on the same card is lightweight contender Raymond Muratalla (21-0, 16 KOs) who fights Mexico’s Jesus Perez Campos (25-5, 18 KOs).
Perez recently defeated former world champion Jojo Diaz last February in California.
“We’re made for challenges. I like challenges,” said Perez.
Muratalla likes challenges too.
“I think these fights are the types of fights I need to show my skills and to prove I deserve those title fights,” said Fontana’s Muratalla.
Female Undisputed Flyweight Championship
WBA, WBC and WBO flyweight titlist Gabriela “La Chucky” Alaniz (15-1, 6 KOs meets IBF titlist Gabriela Fundora (14-0, 6 KOs) on Saturday Nov. 2, at the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada. DAZN will stream the clash for the undisputed flyweight championship.
Argentina’s Alaniz clashed twice against former WBA, WBC champ Marlen Esparza with their first encounter ending in a dubious win for the Texas fighter. In fact, three of Esparza’s last title fights were scored controversially.
But against Alaniz, though they fought on equal terms, Esparza was given a 99-91 score by one of the judges though the world saw a much closer contest. So, they fought again, but the rematch took place in California. Two judges deemed Alaniz the winner and one Esparza for a split-decision win.
“I’m really happy to be here representing Argentina. We are ready to fight. Nothing about this fight has to do with Marlen. So, I hope she (Fundora) is ready. I am ready to prepare myself for the great fight of my life,” said Alaniz.
In the case of Fundora, the extremely tall American fighter at 5’9” in height defeated decent competition including Maria Santizo. She was awarded a match with IBF flyweight titlist Arely Mucino who opted for the tall youngster over the dangerous Kenia Enriquez of Mexico.
Bad choice for Mucino.
Fundora pummeled the champion incessantly for five rounds at the Inglewood Forum a year ago. Twice she battered her down and the fight was mercifully stopped. Fundora’s arm was raised as the new champion.
Since that win Fundora has defeated Christina Cruz and Chile’s Daniela Asenjo in defense of the IBF title. In an interesting side bit: Asenjo was ranked as a flyweight contender though she had not fought in that weight class for seven years.
Still, Fundora used her reach and power to easily handle the rugged fighter from Chile.
Immediately after the fight she clamored for a chance to become undisputed.
“It doesn’t get better than this, especially being in Las Vegas. This is the greatest opportunity that we can have,” said Fundora.
It should be exciting.
Fights to Watch
Sat. ESPN+ 2:50 p.m. Robson Conceicao (19-2-1) vs O’Shaquie Foster (22-3).
Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. Floyd Schofield (17-0) vs Rene Tellez Giron (20-3); Gabriela Alaniz (15-1) vs Gabriela Fundora (14-0).
Photo credit: Cris Esqueda / Golden Boy
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Bakhram Murtalaziev was the Fighter of the Month in October
As we close the book on October, let’s look back at the month’s stellar performances. Kenshiro Teraji added another exclamation point to his brilliant career with an 11th-round stoppage of Cristofer Rosales. England’s Jack Catterall, considered no more than a decent domestic-level talent for most of his career, showed that he had been underrated with a comprehensive 12-round decision over declining Regis Prograis. But the top performance, by a landslide, was delivered by Bakhram Murtalaziev who annihilated Tim Tszyu on Oct. 19 in Orlando, Florida.
Murtalaziev was undefeated (22-0, 16 KOs) and the reigning IBF junior middleweight champion, but he was the underdog and the “B” side. As champions go, and there are roughly five dozen across the 17 weight divisions, the California-based Russian ranked among the least well-known. He had won his title in Berlin with an 11th-round stoppage of an unexceptional 38-year-old German-Ecuadorian campaigner, Jack Culcay, and he would be making his first defense.
Managed by Egis Klimas who also handles Oleksandr Usyk and Vasiliy Lomachenko, among others, Bakhram Murtalaziev came from a good barn in the vernacular of a horseplayer, but on paper that alone was insufficient to get him over the hump against Tim Tszyu who a few short months earlier was widely considered the best 154-pound boxer in the world.
That was before he met up with Sebastian Fundora who blemished his record, but that setback could have been written off as a fluke.
As we recall, Tszyu was scheduled to fight Keith Thurman in the initial PBC offering on Amazon Prime Video, but Thurman suffered a biceps injury in training and Fundora was bumped up from the undercard to fill the breach. With only 12 days’ notice, Tim Tszyu went from fighting a five-foot-seven fighter who fights out of an orthodox stance to fighting a southpaw who stood almost a full foot taller. The “Towering Inferno” has his limitations, but poses a special problem to anyone, let alone an opponent with little time to formulate a good game plan.
Tszyu was hampered in the Fundora fight by a gash on his hairline that hampered his vision. The injury happened in the second round when he ducked under Fundora and walked into an elbow. The gash bled copiously throughout the fight and yet the best that Fundora could do was win a split (albeit fair) decision.
To say that Tszyu failed to rebound from the Fundora misadventure would be putting it mildly. Murtalaziev steamrolled him, knocking him to the canvas four times in all before Tszyu’s corner tossed in the towel at the 1:55 mark of the third stanza. It was painful to watch. Referee Chris Young was faulted for allowing the match to continue as long as it did. Compounding Tszyu’s misery, his celebrated father, a first ballot Hall of Famer, was ringside. Kostya Tszyu hadn’t seen his oldest son fight in the flesh since Tim’s pro debut in 2016.
Although the dichotomy is imperfect, Tim Tszyu, who turns 30 on Saturday, is more of a puncher than a boxer. That may work against him so far as clawing his way back to a position of prominence. The noted boxing coach Stephen “Breadman” Edwards, a keen student of the history of boxing in the modern era, expressed this sentiment in a Q and A story for Boxing Scene. “Destructive fighters usually don’t come back to full capacity after bad KO losses,” he said, citing John Mugabi, Mike Tyson, George Foreman, Sonny Liston, and Naseem Hamed to illustrate his point. Moreover, added Edwards, “No one will ever be afraid of him again.”
But there were two stories that emerged from the Murtalaziev-Tszyu fight. Tim Tszyu crashed, but Bakhram Murtalaziev emerged from obscurity, announcing his presence (pardon the cliché) as a force to be reckoned with. As for his next assignment, the best guess is that it will come against Sebastian Fundora or Errol Spence Jr. who are expected to meet early next year. And based on Murtalaziev’s stunning performance in Orlando, it will be impossible to bet against him.
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Foreman-Moorer: 30 Years Later
Foreman-Moorer: 30 Years Later
By TSS SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT JAMIE REBNER — In sports, middle-aged athletes are not supposed to beat opponents who are half their age and in their athletic primes. Only the greatest ones can use guile, technique, and experience to compensate for the dulling of speed, reflexes, and athleticism that have unavoidably eroded with time.
That is why George Foreman’s feat of reclaiming the heavyweight title at 45 is so impressive. It was thirty years ago this coming Tuesday, Nov 5, 1994, that Foreman scored a monumental upset in knocking out Michael Moorer to win back the title he had lost twenty years prior against Muhammad Ali in The Rumble in the Jungle. In doing so, Big George became the oldest heavyweight champion, breaking the record previously held by Jersey Joe Walcott, who had won the title at 38.
When Foreman beat Moorer, he was in the twilight of his second career, a comeback that began in 1987. George had retired in 1977 after losing to Jimmy Young and experiencing a spiritual awakening in his locker room. That led him to become a minister and devote himself to his family and congregation. During his retirement, he opened a youth center in Houston, which required much financial support, prompting him to return to the ring.
After winning 24 straight fights from 1987-1990, Foreman lost his first title shot by decision to Evander Holyfield in 1991. He rebounded from that loss with three more wins before getting a crack at the WBO title against Tommy Morrison in 1993. But his performance against Morrison was disappointing and he lost another decision. After that, Foreman was out of the ring for 17 months before he was gifted another title shot against Moorer.
Foreman got that gift because Moorer, due to his sullen demeanor and curtness with the media, was not a draw with the fans. He was also an unproven champion, having beaten Holyfield for two belts only seven months prior. So. Moorer needed a name opponent who could bring in the crowds for his first title defense. And the other top heavyweights like Oliver McCall (WBC champ), Lennox Lewis, and Riddick Bowe didn’t have close to Foreman’s drawing power. So. deserving or not, Foreman was chosen as the challenger to make a fight that would be worth the public’s attention and pockets.
Even Foreman was surprised by getting selected to fight Moorer. “I never in my wildest imagination thought I’d get a title shot again,” he told Associated Press sports columnist Tim Dahlberg. Still, George was determined to make his third time a charm.
But as motivated as George was, there was an irrefutable gap in speed between himself and the much younger champion. From the opening bell, Moorer used his superior quickness and reflexes to make Foreman look stiff and slow. And although George landed punches early on, he fired them one at a time while Moorer countered with multiple shots. But despite Moorer’s advantage in connects, his trainer Teddy Atlas advised him from the get-go not to stand in front of Foreman and make himself a stationary target for a right-hand bomb.
But Moorer failed to heed that advice as he continued to outwork Foreman in the middle rounds. Although he was winning, Moorer’s overconfidence kept him at close quarters, and he continued to circle unwisely to his left and into Foreman’s dangerous right hand. And despite absorbing many quality shots, Foreman never appeared hurt or discouraged thanks to his granite chin and unyielding resolve. He was determined to win and he was willing to walk through as many flush shots as he needed to do so.
With Moorer content to stay in range, Foreman gladly returned his firepower and he landed some telling right crosses, uppercuts, and plenty of thudding body blows during the battle. And while Moorer continued to pile up points and rounds, as long as George was marching forward and throwing shots, he had a puncher’s chance.
And with a minute to go in round ten, that punch came. After missing a three-punch combination, Foreman scored with a one-two, with the right hand landing on the forehead. He immediately repeated that combination but this time aimed the right hand lower on Moorer’s jaw. That slight adjustment caused his bulldozer right to collide perfectly with Moorer’s chin, sending the champion crashing to the canvas and sprawled onto his back. The champion couldn’t beat the count, and just like that, the fight was over, Moorer’s short-lived title run ending before it ever truly began.
With a single, shattering blow, Foreman etched his name into boxing history. Wearing the same trunks from Zaire 20 years before, he was now heavyweight champion of the world once again. It was a shocking result that defied conventional wisdom since seldom do 45-year-old boxers score knockouts over champions in their athletic primes. But Foreman reminded us that he was anything but your typical quadragenarian. He was special, and he had two distinct heavyweight championship reigns to prove it.
—
About the author:
Jamie Rebner lives in Toronto, Canada. He has been a freelance boxing writer since 2016 and his writing has appeared in The Fight City, Boxing News Online, The Ring, and Ringside Seat magazine. His Substack blog is Fight Fundamental, and he is currently writing a book about George Foreman’s comeback. He is also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Follow him on Twitter @J_NReb.
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