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Former WBA world welterweight champion Keith Thurman responded to being called out by British prospect Conor Benn.
Thurman said:
“I had to Google what his face looks like, so I kind of have an image now. He’s a London boy, a European fighter? It seems like he has a decent boxing background... I’ll fight all the young fighters... If the money is there on the table, the date is good... we can make it happen. I’ve never fought overseas — it might entice me.”
As Thurman has acknowledged, he has been inactive as a fighter. ‘One Time’ fought in 2022, but prior to that, his last bout was a 2019 loss against Manny Pacquaio.
The fight against Pacquiao is the only loss on Thurman’s record. At one point, the fighter was considered to be the future of the welterweight division alongside Errol Spence Jr. Unfortunately, inactivity has plagued his career — the fighter has only had four fights in the last five years.
Conor Benn is arguably Matchroom Boxing’s biggest prospect right now. Eddie Hearn and DAZN see the fighter as the future of boxing and their next PPV star. As such, Benn has been matched carefully over the years.
However, after an unexpectedly tough fight in his 11th bout against Cedrick Peynaud (5-4-3 at the time; now 8-8-3). Fans believe Peynaud was robbed of a win, but Benn has shown vast improvements since then.
Watch the full Benn vs. Peynaud bout below:
Benn has been calling out the likes of Amir Khan, Kell Brook, and Adrien Broner as of late, and it seems clear that he and his promotional team want a big fight next.
Keith Thurman would be a statement win for Conor Benn
If Conor Benn did manage to beat Thurman, it would be the greatest win of his career to date. Thurman is a former world champion who has faced some of the best names at welterweight. ‘One Time’ has wins over Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia.
The lack of activity, however, may mean that Thurman will not be at his best for a fight with Benn. Almost an entire decade has elapsed since Keith Thurman became interim world champion in 2013, and he won the unqualified world title way back in 2015. Benn did not make his debut until 2016.
Keith Thurman, however, believes that he is still at the top of the division and is more than tough enough to take on the young prospect. The winner of their bout would be in a great position to fight for a world championship.
