Keith “One Time” Thurman will return to the ring in two months to face junior middleweight Brock Jarvis on March 12 at the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney, Australia.
Three years later…
36-year-old former WBA and WBC welterweight champion Thurman (30-1, 22 KOs) is coming off a three-year layoff when he takes on 27-year-old Jarvis (22-1, 20 KOs).
That’s assuming Thurman makes it out of training camp without suffering a fight-cancelling injury, as happened last year when he was scheduled to challenge Tim Tszyu for his WBO 154-lb title on March 30. Thurman pulled out of the fight with a biceps injury and was replaced by Sebastian Fundora, which upset Tszyu.
In the past, one would say that Thurman was too old and inactive to have a chance at big paydays. Now, with the old guys like Mike Tyson coming back, Thurman has a chance. He might not beat anyone with talent, but he can get some good paydays unless he gets hurt. He is fragile, suffering from repeated injuries since 2017.
Thurman Eying Tszyu
The plan is for the winner of the Thurman-Jarvis fight to take on Tim Tszyu. However, you cannot rule out Turki Al-Sheikh’s interest in Thurman if he is victorious against Jarvis. That’s probably the reason why Thurman is back after three years out of the ring because he hasn’t done anything with his career since losing to Manny Pacquiao.
“Jarvis to headline shock Sydney showcase on March 12 against Thurman”, per Fox Sports Australia on Brock Jarvis fighting former WBA and WBC welterweight champion Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman next. “A press conference will be held on Wednesday to reveal details of an event which – will take place at Sydney’s famous Hordern Pavilion.”
For a while, Thurman was considered one of the best welterweights in the sport. However, his career slowed down after his struggling fight against Danny Garcia in March 2017. In the last eight years, Thurman has fought only three times against Josesito Lopez, Manny Pacquiao and Mario Barrios. Injuries have been a problem for Thurman, but he also lacks the ambition to stay busy like normal fighters who don’t have a big nest egg to live on.
Jarvis’ back opportunity
Aussie Brock Jarvis has fought mostly unknown opposition during his 10-year career. He stepped up once again and was defeated in the first round by Liam Paro on October 15, 2022. Since that fight, Jarvis has returned to fighting lower level opposition, beating Adrian Rodriguez and Marlon Paniamogan.
If Thurman has anything left after sitting for three years on his back, he should beat Jarvis. However, it is doubtful whether or not he can even leave the training camp without pulling out with some kind of illness.
