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Boxing

Can Keith Thurman become the number one welterweight again?

Can Keith Thurman become the number one welterweight again?GettyImages
The DAZN Boxing Show discussed whether Keith Thurman can climb the welterweight ladder for a second time.

After a two and a half year absence, former unified welterweight champion Keith Thurman finally returns to the ring on February 5th when he takes on Mario Barrios in Las Vegas.

But will the 33-year-old rise to the top of the welterweight division for a second time?

Chris Mannix and Sergio Mora voiced their doubts on the latest instalment of JABS, citing inactivity as a major issue. 

"No, I don’t because I’ve been there before as far as the inactivity goes," Mora said.

"It takes away your skill, diminishes your talent and your hunger.

"Once you start becoming a family man, that’s another thing that gets thrown into the mix.

"I don’t think Keith Thurman at 33-years-old can do it. Even though he only has that one loss to a legend in Pacquiao, no shame there, he’s had some solid wins.

"I don’t think he could beat a Spence or a Crawford, I don’t think he can even beat a Jamal James."

Mannix had similar concerns when it came to the effects of inactivity and spoke about a worrying pervious visit to Thurman's training camp before his loss to Manny Pacquiao in 2019. 

"I don’t see Thurman having the same kind of fire in his belly that he did when he was climbing the ranks beating guys like Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia,

"Before the Pacquiao fight I went down to St. Petersburg in Florida and spent some time with Thurman. Look, he’s got an excellent trainer in Dan Birmingham; he works in one of those salt-of-the-Earth gyms in Northern Florida.

"But being around him during that time, he didn’t seem like he was going through hell in his training camp, he was working hard like his strength and conditioning coach was a family member and when I saw him workout it didn’t seem like he had that edge anymore," Mannix recalled.

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