Keef Thurman (Before His Injury): They Gave Me Options: Stanionis, Ugas, Boots. I Told Al, Give Me Stanionis Or Ugas And I'll Fight Boots Next, Then Tszyu Got Offered For Title Guarantee

[Combat Talk Radio]

155 was the weight. That's why it wasn't for the title, because it was a normal middleweight fight with a 155CW

Good correction on the weight. But Keef is making it seem like the reason for the offweight is because of the title contingency. If he'd fought at 154, it'd have to be for a title and he wouldn't have earned it (nobody disagrees this), so the middle ground was to fight at a different weight - in this case, above it - so that it didn't fall in the weight range as a "proving out".

[paulf]

I get that but this isn't really what went down - Thurman-Ugas were in talks last spring. Keith didn't take the fight, and Barrios ended up fighting Ugas.

If Keith wanted to get in shape before a fight with Boots (or Tszyu) like he said he did, he should have taken that Ugas fight.

And I'm a big fan of Thurman, but come on.

[dan-b]

It's ludicrous how many options are afforded to this guy. Meanwhile, Stanionis is still festering on the sidelines.

[Combat Talk Radio]

I get that but this isn't really what went down - Thurman-Ugas were in talks last spring. Keith didn't take the fight, and Barrios ended up fighting Ugas.

If Keith wanted to get in shape before a fight with Boots (or Tszyu) like he said he did, he should have taken that Ugas fight.

And I'm a big fan of Thurman, but come on.

Keef is implying that the only reason he didn't accept Ugas was because he planned to fight Stankonia. We do know that negotiation was getting hot and heavy.

https://www.fightsports.tv/eimantas-...rol-spence-jr/

Since the WBA sanctioning body ordered the secondary title holder to defend his belt against Vergil Ortiz Jr., it is likely that Errol Spence Jr. moves into contention against Keith Thurman. A report from yesterday afternoon said that Spence and Thurman are closing in on a deal for a non-title fight.

However, Stanionis is not amused by this development. Considering the fact that Thurman has spent most of the time on the sidelines due to injuries, the Lithuanian boxer doesn’t think it’s right to see him in action consistently. He believes Thurman shouldn’t be eligible to fight for three of the four major world titles.

“It’s not fair,” said Stanionis to BoxingScene.com.

“The sport has to move on. He’s not active, he got injuries so you fix your injuries, you come back and you fight other fighters who is in line. You can’t skip the line, it’s not fair.”

“I understand from business standpoint. Thurman is a bigger draw, is a bigger name. I’m not known well in the U.S.”

Spence deal fell out, Stankonia gets booked:

https://www.boxing247.com/boxing-new...rograis/269897

Keith Thurman couldn’t get the big money fight he wanted, so he’ll be facing WBA ‘regular’ welterweight champion Eimantas Stanionis on December 9th on Showtime PPV in Las Vegas.

Thurman never stood a chance of getting a fight with Spence because he was paying him back for not giving him a shot when he was interested in facing him earlier in his career in 2016 & 2017.

And per Keef, the only reason Stankonia came into play is because he was signed to fight Spence before Spence's second injury, then Spence went after Crawford. Keef was WBC mandatory for Spence, so Spence had no choice but to fight him OR drop his pants for Crawford. We saw what he chose to do

Spence himself is on record admitting that likely was the case:

https://www.boxingscene.com/spence-i...-on-me--176528

“Keith is a very formidable opponent, you know, great resume,” Spence told BoxingScene.com. “But at the time, I didn’t feel like even considering Keith Thurman as an opponent. It was being pushed on me, but you know, I wanted to fight Terence Crawford. Anything could’ve happened. I could’ve, you know, got injured during the Keith Thurman fight or after the Keith Thurman fight, and that would’ve prolonged the Terence Crawford fight. So, I was gonna wait till, you know, everything was situated for the Terence Crawford fight to make it happen.”

Whoever was "pushing" Spence to fight Keef first was likely a very smart person. Wouldn't surprise if it was Derrick James - but it was probably Al Haymon, because Keef needed to get back in the ring ASAP and so did Spence.

[dan-b]

Good correction on the weight. But Keef is making it seem like the reason for the offweight is because of the title contingency. If he'd fought at 154, it'd have to be for a title and he wouldn't have earned it (nobody disagrees this), so the middle ground was to fight at a different weight - in this case, above it - so that it didn't fall in the weight range as a "proving out".

The WBO refused to sanction it. The fight had to be above 154lb otherwise Tszyu risked being stripped because of the rule below.

SECTION 15. NONCHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTS or NON-WBO
CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTS
(a) A WBO champions shall not participate in a non-championship fight that is not a
WBO Championship without the prior authorization of the WBO World Championship
Committee. This authorization shall be subject to such conditions as the WBO World
Championship Committee determines. In addition, this authorization will be granted only
on the condition that the WBO Champion pay a fee to the WBO that is the equivalent of
the amount that he WBO Champion would have paid to the WBO if the non-championship
fight were conducted as a WBO Championship fight.
(b) If a WBO Champion participates in a non-WBO Championship or Non-title fight as
the case may be, the WBO World Championship Committee may order the WBO
Champion fulfillment of his Mandatory title defense immediately thereafter in spite of the
WBO Champion being within his voluntary title defense period.
(c) A WBO Champion who wins a non-WBO Championship in weight class that is
different than the weight class in which he holds his WBO Championship must
decide within ten (10) days of the non-WBO Championship which title in which
weight class he will retain. No WBO Champion may hold a non-WBO
Championship in a weight class that is different from the weight class of his WBO
Championship.
(d) The WBO may vacate the title of any Champion who conducts a contest in the
Champion’s Weight Division which is not a defense of the title.