A fiery press conference in Sydney, Australia has set the stage for a junior middleweight showdown on March 12 at the Hordern Pavilion. Brock Jarvis confidently declared he’d “hit and hurt” former welterweight champion Keith “One Time” Thurman – labeling the 36-year-old American a past-prime fighter simply returning to the ring for a payday. Meanwhile, Thurman shot back that even at 56 years old, he’d still have enough in the tank to conquer Jarvis.
Jarvis, 27, believes Thurman’s best days are behind him. He pointed to Thurman’s thinning hair, inactivity, and past injuries, plus the fact that Manny Pacquiao – who was 40 at the time – dropped him en route to victory back in 2019. Jarvis says he’s ready to exploit the vulnerability to body shots that’s haunted Thurman for much of his career. If he lands, Jarvis vows, “I’m going to hurt him.”
Watch the full press conference here: Watch
For Thurman, who hasn’t fought since beating Mario Barrios in 2022, after an even longer layoff post-Pacquiao, it’s a chance to shake off ring rust and prove he’s still got “hot fire” left. The former WBC and WBA welterweight champion insists age and yoga won’t slow him down – he’s back because he loves boxing, not just to pad his bank account. He’s motivated, too, by the prospect of an even bigger fight against former WBO 154-pound champ Tim Tszyu, should he get past Jarvis.
A key narrative here is Thurman’s rumored plan: defeat Jarvis and set up a showdown with Tszyu. Jarvis, of course, means to derail that plan by scoring a stunning upset. Despite “One Time” being older and inactive, many still view him as a cut above Jarvis in skill – but also question if he can take it to the body the way he did in his prime.
Get to know more about Keith here.
Image Credit: No Limit Boxing