Thurman, Barrios face each other with same goal in mind: bounce back from 1st defeat
Welterweights headline PBC/Fox PPV card
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Keith Thurman and Mario Barrios, both seeking to rebound from their only defeats, have a lot to prove when they square off in the 12-round welterweight main event of a Premier Boxing Champions/Fox Sports pay-per-view on Saturday (9 p.m. ET, $74.95) at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
Thurman, once a unified welterweight titlist with back-to-back big-time decision wins over Shawn Porter (2016) and Danny Garcia (2017), has boxed just twice since.
There was a shaky performance in a majority decision win over Josesito Lopez in January 2019 followed by getting knocked down for the first time in his career and losing his title by decision to Manny Pacquiao six months later.
But injuries and the coronavirus pandemic have kept Thurman idle for the past 30 months. At age 33, many wonder just what the Clearwater, Florida, product has left given the regular injuries and layoff.
Thurman (29-1, 22 KOs) insists he is back, motivated and ready to re-establish himself.
“It feels great to be back. The time is now. It feels natural,” Thurman said this week. “I was born and raised in this sport. This is where I belong and I’m grateful to be back in this beautiful fight town of Las Vegas.
“I missed the action. I love the sport and I love what I bring to the table. I’m looking forward to the challenges that Mario Barrios brings to that ring. This is what I love. I don’t care how many days it’s been since I’ve been in the ring, I breathe boxing every day of my life. I’m here to showcase my talent to the world once again.
“I love to out-punch my opponent. Against everyone but Shawn Porter, I’ve felt like I had the ability to out-punch and out-perform them. In the Manny Pacquiao fight, when I walked him down, I wasn’t letting my hands go. I believe that I was 15 punches away from victory in that fight. At the end of the day, I just evolve and I learn from everyone I’ve ever been in the ring with. I’m looking forward to showing everyone my poise and experience. I believe that my experience is going to help give me the upper hand.”
Thurman believes his presence as an active fighter is good for one of boxing’s best divisions and that there are other big fights for him in the future if he beats heavy underdog Barrios.
“This is my presidential campaign. I am back,” Thurman said. “The welterweight division is back. Without me, the division has been whack. I bring the most exciting fights at welterweight. With or without a belt, I’m a champion and that’s the statement I’m making Saturday night.”
Barrios (26-1, 17 KOs), 26, a former secondary junior welterweight titlist from San Antonio, has not had the kind of long layoff as Thurman, but he confronts his own set of issues. One, he is moving up to welterweight from junior welterweight, where he never recorded a signature win.
More than the fact that he is facing a long-established welterweight, Barrios, who is taller than Thurman, is also coming off a brutal 11th-round knockout loss to the smaller Gervonta Davis, who knocked him down twice, in June. But he is undaunted by his recent setback.
“’I’m in this sport to fight the best. There’s never been a name that I’ve turned down,” Barrios boasted. “I want to keep testing my abilities and prove to everyone that I belong. That’s why I picked such a difficult fight for my welterweight debut.”
He believes the move from 140 to 147 pounds will be beneficial.
“Now I have the opportunity to make a name for myself at welterweight. The move to welterweight has been a long time coming,” Barrios said. “The fans are going to see the same Mario Barrios that has always stepped into the ring, but I’m going to be a lot stronger. The speed and movement will be the same and I’m excited to show that.
“You’re going to have to hit me with something crazy to get me out of there. I’m always going to keep on coming. I’m in there to do whatever I can to come out victorious. I’m going to have to do it all in this fight. Thurman was the toughest fight presented to me and that’s why I took it. He can box, he can bang and he has good movement. We had to get ready for every style. Keith and I definitely have the potential to bring the best out of each other. I’m looking to make a statement and put the welterweight division on notice that I’m here. Thurman is a great fighter, but it’s my job to go in there on Saturday night and do everything better than him.”
Also on the PPV (10-rounders)
Junior lightweights: Leo Santa Cruz (37-2-1, 19 KOs) vs. Keenan Carbajal (23-2-1, 15 KOs)
Junior middleweights: Jesus Ramos (17-0, 14 KOs) vs. Vladimir Hernandez (13-4, 6 KOs)
Junior featherweights: Luis Nery (31-1, 24 KOs) vs. Carlos Castro (27-0, 12 KOs)
Fox network prelims (7 p.m.-9 p.m. ET, 10-rounders)
Welterweights: Abel Ramos (27-4-2, 21 KOs) vs. Lucas Santamaria (12-2-1, 7 KOs)
Welterweights: Ryan Karl (19-3, 12 KOs) vs. Omar Juarez (12-1, 5 KOs)
Photo: Ryan Hafey/PBC
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