Former WBA/WBC welterweight king Keith Thurman says that he wants to face unified champion Errol Spence Jr upon boxing’s return.
The 31-year-old, who lost his WBA Super crown to the evergreen Manny Pacquiao back in July 2019, says that, although he harbours hope of reclaiming his old title, he would happily jump straight into a fight with WBC/IBF title-holder Spence if the opportunity presented itself.
Speaking on ESPN’s ‘Now or Never’, Thurman said: “I want my belt back, man. I want my belt and then I want the Errol Spence fight. Ultimately, I saw a big clash between me and Spence leading into 2020 or 2021. We were both undefeated champions of the world and that’s how I thought I was going to be introduced to Errol Spence.
“Deep down, there’s still a big part of me that wants to grab my belt back, and then really try to manifest my inner-most dreams and desires in the sport of boxing. If I just have to go straight to Spence and grab two belts, so be it. I’ve had other rivals and I’m looking for new opposition all the time.”
‘One Time’ also revealed that, despite lengthy spells of inactivity and an array of injury setbacks, he still intends to fight on for the foreseeable future. The Florida native was out for almost two years after his victory over Danny Garcia in 2017 and looks set to complete another 12 months without stepping into the ring.
“I’ve been through some things, man,” he said. “I might be at a prime number, but this racehorse has ran around the track. I’ve had two different surgeries and I don’t see another nine years on the books. I would love to just keep doing what I’m doing at the top for another three to four years.”