Thurman's last three fights
By Joaquin Henson
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 12 Jul 2019
Thurman (L) and Shawn Porter.
Undefeated Keith Thurman will battle Manny Pacquiao for the WBA welterweight unified title at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on July 20 with a history of not-too-impressive wins in his last three outings over the last three years.
In that span, Thurman defeated Shawn Porter on a unanimous 12-round decision in Brooklyn on June 25, 2016, beat Danny Garcia on a split 12-round verdict in Brooklyn on March 4, 2017 and struggled to outpoint Josesito Lopez on a majority 12-round decision in Brooklyn last Jan. 26. You?ll notice that Thurman didn?t see action in 2018 and fought his last three bouts exclusively in Brooklyn. He took a 22-month layoff to recover from surgery in his right elbow and an injured left hand.
The Porter fight was postponed from March 12 to June 25 after Thurman figured in a car accident, driving his 2016 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 into another vehicle during a rainstorm. The airbag that deployed caused Thurman to suffer whiplash and doctors ordered complete rest, meaning no gym work, for six weeks.
Against Porter, Thurman showed his vulnerability to body blows. ?Porter?s body punches were starting to make Thurman hold a little more in the eighth round,? wrote Jack Hirsch in Boxing News. ?In the ninth, Porter appeared to shake up Thurman a couple of times and cut him in the process.? Thurman went to the ropes a lot and later said it was deliberate on his part to invite Porter inside his strike zone. ?Whether it was or not, the strategy backfired,? said Hirsch. ?Porter had him where he wanted him and went to work. Not that Thurman didn?t have his moments while backed up. He countered with a right off the ropes in the third which hurt Porter who quickly came back with a hard blow of his own.?
Porter looked like he was gassed out in the late going and Thurman took advantage. Unlike Porter, Pacquiao isn?t expected to tire out when the championship rounds come in so Thurman will have his hands full until the final bell, assuming their tussle goes the distance. Judges Eric Marlinski, Waleska Roldan and Steve Weisfeld scored it 115-113, all for Thurman but the decision was lustily booed by the crowd of 12,718. ?A draw would not have been out of line,? wrote Hirsch.
Porter said he deserved to win while Thurman claimed defense led to his triumph. ?I was able to rock him with clear, effective blows and I believe that was the difference,? he said. ?Defense is the key to victory. I had a great defense tonight.?
Against Garcia, Thurman built an early lead but slowed down in the late rounds. Thurman had a strong start and an overhand right clearly hurt Garcia in the first stanza. Garcia rebounded with a serious body assault and late in the 10th, Thurman was staggered by shots to the midsection and his sides. ?Thurman walked slowly to his corner at the bell,? noticed Hirsch.
The decision was close. Judge Kevin Morgan saw it 115-113 for Garcia while judge John McKaie had it 116-112 for Thurman. Judge Joseph Pasquale scored it 115-113 for Thurman and if he had awarded one more round to Garcia, the outcome would?ve been a split draw. Thurman said he tapered off in the late rounds to preserve his lead without taking any chances. ?I wasn?t giving the fight away,? he said. ?I felt I had a nice lead. My defense was effective----he wasn?t landing.?
Against Lopez, Thurman was deadly in the early rounds. In the second, a left hook sent Lopez down. But Lopez soldiered onwards, attacking Thurman?s body to try to slow him down. In the seventh, Lopez landed a left hook-right straight combination that snapped Thurman?s head back. Thurman ran away as Lopez went in for the kill. Lopez connected with more punches but Thurman stayed on his feet. The three judges scored it 10-8 for Lopez even as Thurman never went down. In the 12th round, a vicious right hand pounded Thurman but it was too late for Lopez to capitalize.
Thurman admitted he was hurt by Lopez. ?If a 34-year-old warhorse like Lopez could do that, it makes you wonder whether the injuries suffered by Thurman have taken a toll,? said Hirsch. Judge Don Ackerman saw it a draw, 113-all but Weisfeld had it 115-111 and the third judge Tom Schreck 117-109 to give Thurman a win by majority decision.
From his performance in the last three fights, there are several indicators----Thurman is a strong starter, has suspect stamina, fades in the end, is weak in the body, packs power in both hands, is dangerous with the overhand right or the left hook, is quick on his feet particularly in avoiding an attack and fights intelligently.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Joaquin Henson.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Signed, Sealed… but Still Unsettled: Unanswered Questions Hang Over Fury-Joshua Ahead of Expected Ink
By NewsHub @ PhilBoxing , Wed, 29 Jul 2026VETERAN SAVVY VS UNDEFEATED POWER: MUGICHA NAKAGAWA VS LEMUEL DE BARBO AUGUST 1 IN LA TRINIDAD
By Carlos Costa, Wed, 29 Jul 2026SKYE NICOLSON TO DEFEND WORLD TITLE AGAINST MIYO YOSHIDA ON AUG 29 IN BIRMINGHAM AS MATCHROOM AND MVP ANNOUNCE ALLIANCE
Wed, 29 Jul 2026Tickets for Martinez vs. Plantic in Los Angles, Saturday, August 29
Wed, 29 Jul 2026Grandy Twins Celebrate Milestone 18th Birthday, Set to Shine at BiYu Promotions' "Fights Under the Lights" on August 14
Tue, 28 Jul 2026Sergeev and Lubkovich set for key bouts at WINLINE. IBA.PRO 20 in Naberezhnye Chelny
Tue, 28 Jul 2026Hard-hitting SEA Games bronze medalist Mark Ashley Fajardo signs with Sanman Boxing
Tue, 28 Jul 2026THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 27 JULY 2026: Tszyu vs Spence, Return of Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury Highlight Busy Week
By Eric Armit, Tue, 28 Jul 2026The Legacy Continues: Team Durán Prepares for Historic Panama-Mexico Showdown
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Tue, 28 Jul 2026NM Ric Portugalera Tops Hongkong Blitz Chess
By Marlon Bernardino, Tue, 28 Jul 2026Nurghali gets second shot at Japparbergenov’s bantamweight title at International Boxing Day in Astana
Tue, 28 Jul 2026Champion's Mindset: Gustavo Trujillo Ready to Defend BKB Heavyweight Title Against Mark O'Neil at BKB 58
Tue, 28 Jul 2026Spanish boxer Eddine has been Hospitalized in Spain
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Tue, 28 Jul 2026PH football in group C, G
By Lito delos Reyes, Tue, 28 Jul 2026PHILBOXING.COM MONDAY ROUNDUP: Tszyu Outclasses Spence in Sydney as "The Truth" Retires; Heavyweight Drama in Pattaya and Jeddah
By NewsHub @ PhilBoxing , Mon, 27 Jul 2026