By Keith Idec
NEW YORK – Danny Garcia shared the ring with Keith Thurman the last time Thurman fought.
When Thurman finally fights again Saturday night, Garcia will sit about 3,000 miles away, analyzing Thurman’s return from FOX’s studio in Los Angeles. Garcia will be joined by retired lightweight champion Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini for FOX’s pre-fight and post-fight coverage of the tripleheader featuring Thurman and Josesito Lopez at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The 30-year-old Thurman (28-0, 22 KOs, 1 NC) hasn’t boxed since he edged Garcia by split decision in their 12-round welterweight title unification fight in March 2017 at Barclays Center. Thurman fought through bone spurs in his right elbow the night he defeated Philadelphia’s Garcia (34-2, 20 KOs) on two of three scorecards in their 12-rounder to retain his WBA 147-pound crown and win the WBC championship from Garcia.
Thurman underwent surgery on his elbow the month after the Garcia fight. His recovery took longer than expected and his comeback, initially planned for last May 19 at Barclays Center, was delayed again once Thurman hurt his left hand.
The Clearwater, Florida, native is listed by several Internet sports books as a 50-1 favorite over Lopez (36-7, 19 KOs, 1 NC), of Riverside, California.
Thurman will defend only the WBA “super” world welterweight title against Lopez. He vacated the WBC championship late in April due to inactivity.
Las Vegas’ Shawn Porter (29-2-1, 19 KOs) beat Garcia by unanimous decision in their 12-rounder to win the then-vacant WBC title September 8 at Barclays Center.
The broadcast team of blow-by-blow announcer Chris Myers and analysts Lennox Lewis and Joe Goossen will call the Thurman-Lopez main event and two bouts before it takes place.
FOX’s telecast is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
This three-bout broadcast will begin with a 12-round, 126-pound championship bout that’ll match Mongolia’s Tugstsogt Nyambayar (10-0, 9 KOs) against the Dominican Republic’s Claudio Marrero (23-2, 17 KOs). Nyambayar and Marrero will fight for vacant IBO world featherweight crown.
In the co-featured fight, Brooklyn’s Adam Kownacki (18-0, 14 KOs) and Gerald Washington (19-2-1, 12 KOs), of Vallejo, California, will square off in a 10-rounder between heavyweight contenders.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
