Keith Thurman has thrown down the gauntlet to Tim Tszyu, promising to end the Australian's boxing career. The former unified welterweight champion didn't mince words when discussing the ex-super-welterweight titleholder.
Thurman, now 36, recently returned to the ring after a long absence. The Florida native stopped Brock Jarvis in the third round of their March clash in Sydney. This fight marked Thurman's debut at 154 pounds as he aims to become a two-weight world champion.
Before his comeback, Thurman had been out of action for three years. His last fight was a win over Mario Barrios in February 2022. During his prime, Thurman held both the WBC and WBA welterweight titles. He vacated the WBC belt due to inactivity and lost the WBA strap to Manny Pacquiao in the summer of 2019.
On The Punch Podcast, Thurman took aim at Tszyu following the Australian's recent loss to Sebastian Fundora. He didn't hold back in his assessment:
"He just thinks he's the s**t. He believed that boxing in the real world outside of Australia, the real world of boxing, the plethora of talent and skills and opposition was just something that he was gonna fly over here and handle like myself, you take me over to the Gold Coast I will end Tim Tszyu's career, if that's what y'all wanna see, pay me and I'll do it, I'll get rid of Tszyu."
Thurman seems to think Tszyu has overestimated his standing in global boxing. The American fighter, known as 'One Time', appears ready to prove his point in the ring.
While his next opponent hasn't been confirmed, Thurman will likely fight again before the year ends. He's expected to continue campaigning at 154 pounds as he pushes to become a world champion in a second weight class.
Thurman's return to form after his long break has put the super-welterweight division on notice. His challenge to Tszyu adds another intriguing storyline to the weight class. Boxing fans will have to wait and see if this war of words leads to an actual fight between the two former champions.
