Background and career
Keith Fitzgerald Thurman (born November 23, 1988) is an American professional boxer. He is a former unified welterweight world champion, having held the WBA title from 2016 to 2019 (promoted to Super champion in 2017), and the WBC title from 2017 to 2018. As of July 2022, he is ranked as the world's fifth best active welterweight by BoxRec.
Thurman was born in Clearwater, Florida, to an African-American father and a European-American mother of Polish and Hungarian descent.
Thurman's first amateur fight was in 1997. He was trained by the late Benjamin Getty who worked with Sugar Ray Leonard. Getty took Thurman under his belt as a child and helped shape him into the fighter he is today. Thurman is now trained by Dan Birmingham. Thurman finished his amateur career with 101 victories (76 KO's), he won 6 National Championships including the 2004 PAL National Championships cadet (16yo) division. In 2007 he lost twice to world champion Demetrius Andrade at the Olympic Trials and won the silver medal.
On November 9, 2007, an 18-year-old Thurman debuted as a light middleweight against Kensky Rodney at the A La Carte Event Pavilion in Tampa, Florida, in a scheduled 4 round fight. Thurman won via first-round KO after a body shot floored Rodney. On August 8, 2008, Thurman defeated undefeated Jamaican Omar Bell (6–0, 4 KOs) via first-round knockout following an uppercut and left hand. Thurman faced off against Francisco Garcia in April 2009. The fight lasted less than 3 minutes after an accidental clash of heads halted the fight and it was announced as a no contest. In November 2009, Thurman was taken the 8 round distance by Brazilian Edvan Dos Santos Barros (10–7–1, 7 KOs). The scorecards read 80–71 79–72 (twice) all in favour of Thurman. On July 23, 2010, Thurman beat the undefeated Stalinn Lopez (7–0, 3 KOs), the fight was on TeleFutura. Over the course of the next few years, Thurman developed from being a 'puncher' to become a more well rounded 'boxer puncher'. On November 26, 2012, Thurman brutally knocked 36-year-old Carlos Quintana (29–3, 23 KOs) out in the fourth round to win the WBO NABO super welterweight title. Quintana announced his retirement from professional boxing after the loss.
On March 9, 2013, Thurman who had 19 wins in as many fights moved down to welterweight weight and fought on the undercard of Hopkins-Cloud at the Barclays Center in New York City. His opponent was 36-year-old former IBF welterweight champion Jan Zaveck (32–2, 18 KOs). Thurman won via unanimous decision after a one-sided 12 round bout, all three judges scored it 120–108 for Thurman, who in the process also won the WBO Inter-Continental welterweight title. It was the first time Thurman fought in a scheduled 12-round bout and his first time to go beyond the eighth round. After the bout, Thurman admitted it was a tough fight and he had prepared to go the distance, whilst also looking for a knockout, which he couldn't find. Thurman called Zaveck 'a true veteran and great boxing lesson' for him.
Despite being the mandatory to the WBO title, on July 27, 2013, Thurman challenged the Interim WBA welterweight champion Diego Gabriel Chaves (22–0, 18 KOs) at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. Thurman won the Interim WBA title by knocking out Chaves in the tenth round of a very competitive fight. At the time of the knockout, Thurman led on all three cards: 87–83, 87–83, 86–84 thanks in part to a knockdown in round 9 which was the beginning of the end for Chaves. Thurman had been landing extremely strong body shots the entire fight and finally dropped Chaves with one of the same. The end for Chaves came after another hook to the body and a huge overhand right to the forehead. Thurman was never in trouble but absorbed some strong body work as well from Chaves. They traded close rounds early until Chaves really slowed around the seventh, opening the door for Thurman's left hook.
