Thurman’s Post-Fundora Loss: Still Eyeing Tszyu On The Gold Coast For A Lucrative Payday

Keith Thurman is still interested in fighting Tim Tszyu despite his seventh-round stoppage loss to WBC junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora last Saturday night in Las Vegas.

Thurman vs. Tszyu: Gold Coast Interest

Thurman (31-1, 23 KOs) says he’s willing to fight on the Gold Coast against Tszyu if they pay him. He doesn’t say how much he would want, but it’s likely in the millions. He got spoiled from his money fights years ago against the likes of Manny Pacquiao, Danny Garcia, and Shawn Porter.

Keith’s Wasted Career

Fans believe the former WBA and WBC welterweight champion, Thurman, is desperate for a payday. They feel that ‘One TIme’ realizes he’s wasted so much time sitting outside of the ring for years that he’s trying to get the money while he still can.

“Last year, he lost the [WBO junior middleweight] world title [against Fundora]. He fought Bakhram [Murtazaliev] for the [IBF 154-lb] world title. He had one comeback fight [Joey Spencer], and then he tried to win the world title back again,” said Keith Thurman to the Punch Podcast about Tim Tszyu after his loss to Sebastian Fundora last Saturday.

It’s understandable why Tszyu wanted the rematch with Fundora. With the money they offered Tszyu, he wasn’t able to say no to the fight. Obviously, he needed more than one just tune-up to prepare himself for the rematch. Joey Spencer was nowhere near good enough to get Tim ready for a second fight against Fundora.

It would have been too risky for Tszyu to delay the rematch, because the 154-lb division is deep with talent. Even the contenders ranked near the bottom of the top 15 would be dangerous for Tszyu. For example, Charles Conwell is ranked #12. That’s someone who would have an excellent chance of beating Tim.

Desperate Thurman Wants Tszyu Fight

“They [Tszyu’s promoters] rushed to put him back at the top, and obviously, they saw it wasn’t an easy feat. No, the kid is not done, but they need to pick the right fights. They need to pick somebody that is better than Spencer. But somebody that is not a world champion or a Hall of Famer like myself,” said Thurman.

‘One Time’ Thurman isn’t a Hall of Famer, and it’s unlikely that he ever will be. Tszyu’s management isn’t going to choose Thurman after what happened against Fundora. They’re going to feed Tim soft opposition and slowly rebuild him. Thurman needs to move on and forget about the Tszyu because things have changed.

“You take me over to the Gold Coast, and I will end Tim Tszyu’s career. If that’s what y’all want to see, pay me and I’ll do it. I’ll get rid of Tszyu,” said Thurman.

It’s tough for Thurman. He’s wasted so much time in his career,  staying inactive for most of the last eight years since 2017. He’s fought just four times since then, and his popularity is non-existent now. So, all the fighters he’s been calling out aren’t interested in fighting him because he brings nothing to the table.