Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman will return to the ring in two months to face junior middleweight Brock Jarvis on March 12 at Hordern Pavilion in Sydney, Australia.
Three years later…
Former WBA and WBC welterweight champion Thurman (30-1, 22 KOs), 36, will come off a three-year layoff when he faces 27-year-old Jarvis (22-1, 20 KOs) ).
That’s assuming Thurman comes out of training camp without suffering a fight-canceling injury, as happened last year when he was scheduled to challenge Tim Tszyu for his WBO 154-pound title on March 30. Thurman withdrew from the fight due to a biceps injury and was replaced by Sebastian Fundora, who upset Tszyu.
In the past, it might have been said that Thurman was too old and inactive to have a chance of winning big. Now, with veterans like Mike Tyson returning, Thurman has a chance. He may not beat anyone with talent, but he can get good paydays unless he keeps getting injured. He is fragile and has suffered repeated injuries since 2017.
Thurman looks at Tszyu
The plan is for the winner of the Thurman-Jarvis fight to face Tim Tszyu. However, it cannot be ruled out that Turki Al-Sheikh will be interested in Thurman if he achieves victory against Jarvis. This is probably why Thurman is making a comeback after three years out of the ring, as he hasn’t done anything with his career since his loss to Manny Pacquiao.
“Jarvis will headline a shock showcase in Sydney on March 12 against Thurman,” according to Fox Sports Australia about Brock Jarvis next fighting former WBA and WBC welterweight champion Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman. “A press conference will be held on Wednesday to reveal details of an event expected to take place inside Sydney’s famous Hordern Pavilion.”
For a brief period, Thurman was considered one of the best welterweights in the sport. However, his career slowed down after his grueling fight against Danny Garcia in March 2017. Over the past eight years, Thurman has only fought three times against Josesito Lopez, Manny Pacquiao and Mario Barrios. Injuries have been a problem for Thurman, but he also doesn’t have the ambition to stay busy like normal fighters who don’t have a big nest egg to live off of.
Jarvis’ return chance
Australian Brock Jarvis has fought mostly unknown opposition during his 10-year career. He interfered once and was knocked out in the first round by Liam Paro on October 15, 2022. Since that fight, Jarvis has returned to fight lower level opposition, defeating Adrian Rodriguez and Marlon Paniamogan.
If Thurman still has anything after three years of sitting on his ass, he should beat Jarvis. Still, it’s questionable if he makes it or if he can even make it out of training camp without opting out due to some sort of illness.