While half the sport is busy ducking on social media, Keith “One Time” Thurman is out here trying to actually fight somebody.
In a sit-down with Mill City Boxing, Thurman revealed negotiations are underway for him to face Vergil Ortiz at 160 pounds. The fight, he said, “came to the table” through Oscar De La Hoya — because Ortiz’s team would rather move up than deal with the politics at 154, where Sebastian Fundora and Boots Ennis are clogging up the picture.
According to Thurman, most terms are already agreed. The only thing pending is the date — early-to-mid December, with the 5th or 12th in play, potentially as the co-main on a David Benavidez card. That’s a serious stage for a serious fight.
Thurman also did his homework on the tape. He called Ortiz consistent and fundamental, pointed to the early knockout of Erickson Lubin as proof of the power, but noted Serhii Bohachuk dropped Ortiz twice — and believes his own combination punching can disturb Ortiz’s rhythm. A win, Thurman said, keeps his name in the game and opens doors at 154 or 160.
Respect where it’s due: this is what standing on business looks like. No catchweight games, no ten-percent offers, no “done deals” that evaporate. A former champion stepping up two divisions’ worth of danger against one of the most feared young punchers in the sport. O’Shaquie Foster took the same energy into his Navarrete unification — real fighters take real fights, and the fans always remember who did.
If December delivers Thurman vs. Ortiz at 160, that’s a late-year banger with title implications in two divisions. Stay tuned.
Video credit: Mill City Boxing.
