Brock Jarvis says he is worried about 36-year-old Keith Thurman showing up for their March 12 fight due to injury issues. Jarvis (22-1, 20 KOs) notes that Thurman (30-1, 22 KOs) hasn’t fought in three years and pulled out of a fight last year due to an “old injury” due to his scheduled return against Tim Tsziu.
Age and injuries
Thurman has been plagued by constant injuries since 2017, and it’s anyone’s guess whether his tired, fragile and aging body can withstand the grueling training camp for his March 12 fight against young lion Jarvis.
Thurman-Jarvis will headline the 12-round contest at Hordern Pavilion in Sydney, Australia. This is an important fight for Thurman as he has already lined up big things for him in 2025 and 2026 and hopes to use the 27-year-old Jarvis (22-1, 20 KO) as a springboard for big money fights against the stars.
Thurman (30-1, 22 KOs) hasn’t fought since his 12-round unanimous decision win over Mario Barrios on February 5, 2022. That was a long, long time ago, and Thurman doesn’t physically look like he’s still young, a bright fighter he is then was. Like anyone who has sat on the sofa watching TV and reading books for three years, Thurman could be a shadow of himself – fodder for Jarvis.
As we saw with Sugar Ray Leonard when he left a long six-year hiatus to face Hector ‘Macho’ Camacho, Thurman could be on his way to losing.
Keith Thurman: “At 36, I still have a passion for sports. I was world champion twice. I like sports. “I have fans all over the world and this gives me the opportunity to get back to boxing, which I love,” said Keith Thurman. Fox Sports Australiatalking about his return on March 12 against Brock Jarvis.
“It allows me to travel overseas to allow the fans to see me show my skills and talent in Australia to show you how wrong you are if you think you’re going to fight Keith Thurman and it’s going to be an easy fight.”
“You have to understand that he (Brock Jarvis) was not a champion. You have to understand that Keith Thurman was not only the champion, I beat the champion, and I trained the last champion, Mario Barrios (2022). So it’s hard to impress me, but what I saw was a very lively fighter.
“I saw a guy who was going to fight.” He is an insider; he will come and bring powerful punches to the table. I was notorious when I was coming up, I was a power hitter. This allows me to get back to my roots. Of course, my legs are always under me. I have an intelligent ring IQ that I can always bring to the table.
“As the promoter says. He knows on March 12, there will be firecrackers from the USA and Australia, and life in action on March 12. I’m looking forward to it. This young man in his prime at 27 years old, and the fact that he’s not Mexican, but he’s got to have some cajones to approach me,” Thurman said.
Brock Jarvis: “He said there that he’s a powerful puncher, but I know he hasn’t scored a knockout in 10 years.” He hasn’t fought in three years. That’s a lot of time at his age. To put it this way, last year he had a fight scheduled (Tim Tsziu) and got away with an old man’s injury, a torn bicep. So I’m a little worried that it might not even show up. I’ll feel a bit better when he gets here and gets on Australian soil.”
