I think Thurman will out speed him and dance around to get the win. Keith hasn’t been the same offensive minded guy since the Collazo fight.
There was a 1 hour feature on this fight, Thurman vs Lopez, on terrestrial TV here in the UK. The sort of thing that 20 years ago you couldn't get without paying for it, if even. I used to lap this shit up, but I changed the channel after a few seconds. A lot of long-shots of Keith nursing his bad hand, holding his bad shoulder, prancing about the ring, slow-motion shots of each of the 12 meaningful punches he landed in the Garcia fight while a Budget Liev Schreiber chatted over the images about this and that. Nobody gives a shit and rightly so.
I’ve never bought the extent of the injures. Seriously, it takes 2 years to recover from elbow surgery?
On paper, Thurman SHOULD be appealing. He's articulate (minus his lisp), he's good lookin, and he has a certain charisma about him.... but he's just boring. His personality simply doesnt appeal to anyone.
It's Obvious Thurman Became CONTENT...Top of the Food Chain in his Division (@ the Time), Recently Unified, Got Married, etc... But if he Didn't Regain Semblances of his Former Hunger, Lopez Could Be a Tough Out...Maybe a 5% Chance of Lopez BEATING Thurman, if That, but There's PRESSURE on Keith to Stop a Tough, Gritty Dude Known for Being Stopped... That Said, Vasyl Lomachenko AND Jarrett Hurd Both Struggled @ Times in Comeback Fights, and Neither of Them was On the Shelf Remotely Close to 22 Months... REED
Like I said, years ago I would have been glued to that sort of show, but now, with plenty to choose from, an hour listening to Thurman is an hour wasted. He's just dull.
Thurman's Not QUITE There Just Yet, but Tonight's Bout & Future Fights are CRITICAL to How He'll Be Perceived... REED
Thurman look like shit, but he's been out for almost 2 years, so it was expected. Let's see if he can get back to his previous level
agreed, it was a terrible performance form him, and I pick Spence big time of they ever fight. But this was not the real Thurman
Despite the Layoff, this Bout Progressed SIMILAR to Most of Thurman's Last Several Bouts...Brisk Start, Hurts Opponent Early, Power Dips/Foe Adjusts to Thurman's Power, Thurman Gets Hurt and Holds On to Win... Yes, he Can Perform Better, But He'll Also Be Facing STIFFER Opposition...REED Wouldn't Pick Thurman Over ANY Elite Welter @ This Point...Jessie Vargas Outworks Him...Even Thurman-Broner is ARGUABLY a 50-50 Fight... REED
Could thurman withstand the barrage of right hands from 3 time champ randall bailey at this point? 3 time > > > 1 time
Pacquiao might fancy a Thurman fight if he saw this tonight. I would still take Keith over Garcia, Khan, and Broner. He’s even money with Porter and Jessie Vargas. And he loses soundly to Spence, Crawford, and possibly Pacquiao.