by Steve Kim
WBC/WBA welterweight champion, Keith Thurman (28-0, 22 KOs) is scheduled to make his return to the ring on May 19th at the Barclay Center in Brooklyn, New York.
'One Time' hasn't fought since defeating Danny Garcia last March in their unification, which also takes place at Barclays.
Following that contest, Thurman had to undergo elbow surgery which kept him out of the ring for the remainder of the year.
So just who will Thurman face in his 2018 debut on Showtime?
Stephen Espinoza, the head of Showtime Sports, told BoxingScene.com - "There have been a variety of different discussions. The challenge there is it's fair that Keith be in with a guy something short of world championship level. (He's had) an elbow surgery, a car accident, a long layoff. Not to mention marriage. He's entitled to take less than a killer in his first fight back.
"Having said that, we still want a competitive, credible fight, as does he. So finding these guys in the division it's a bit of a process but I do think it's not going to go another week before we know the opponent."
Thurman technically has two WBC mandatory challengers waiting in the wings, but the World Boxing Council has yet to order him to face either one. Shawn Porter, who Thurman decisioned two years ago at Barclays, is sitting in the mandatory slot after winning WBC eliminators over Andre Berto and Adrian Granados. And then there is Danny Garcia, who knocked out Brandon Rios in a final eliminator earlier this to become the mandatory behind Porter.
On May 19th Showtime has scheduled a split-site doubleheader that features WBC light heavyweight champion, Adonis Stevenon, who will face former super middleweight titlist Badou Jack at a venue in Canada.
Steve Kim is the news editor for BoxingScene.com.
