Report- Keith Thurman rebuffed by Crawford now looking at December

After two days of his comments taking shots at WBO 147 lb. champ Terence Crawford resonating throughout the boxing community, former WBA World Welterweight champion Keith Thurman now looks like he is moving on to headline in a non-title fight in December.

This according to a report from Keith Idec, senior writer of Boxingscene.com, who tweeted the info late Tuesday night that he’s learned Thurman will apparently be the main event, the night after Christmas for PBC on Fox:

ICYMI, Bob Arum told me he'd be very interested in making a Terence Crawford-Keith Thurman fight for November 14th. Once he heard Thurman's number, Arum realized it's not remotely possible. Thurman is much more likely to headline FOX's show December 26th vs. an opponent TBD. https://t.co/chv3X6hA1b

— Keith Idec (@Idecboxing) August 19, 2020

Thurman put Crawford and Top Rank boxing “on blast” earlier this week with his comments on an episode of the “Last Stand Podcast” with Showtime TV’s,  Brian Custer.

?Explosive New Episode? @keithfthurmanjr comes out swinging.
Subscribe and check it out.
Keith Thurman Talks About Next Two Fights, Battling Bud Crawford, His Injuries & Floyd Mayweather! https://t.co/N4tRoX2PId

— Brian Custer (@BCusterTV) August 18, 2020

Thurman went on a rant for almost 5 minutes that was apparently set off by PBC and Top Rank discussions having fizzled on a possible matchup with Crawford. That battle would’ve pitted the man who lost his title and unbeaten record last July to Manny Pacquiao against the 36-0, 27 KOs,  Crawford, who’s made four defenses of his WBO belt.

Multiple media outlets reported that Bob Arum quickly told them on Tuesday that Al Haymon and PBC had demanded too much guaranteed money for Thurman with the current, post-Covid 19 economic set up of  fights without fans and no live gates revenue.

In the aftermath of the Pacquiao bout, it was discovered that Thurman had re-injured his left hand that had put him out of action for more than six months a couple of years ago. Thurman has subsequently had surgery and then Covid 19 postponed any fights for him earlier in the summer.

Essentially, the 31 year old Thurman has had only two fights over the course of nearly three and half years due to injuries. And, his inactivity added to the injury question marks are certainly holding back his marketability.

(Will Shawn Porter increase his leverage in the Welterweight division with an impressive win Saturday night? Is Keith Thurman a possible opponent? We discuss on the latest Big Fight Weekend podcast here:)

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 So, that brings us back to whom Thurman might fight in late December? That would likely be too soon for a rematch which Shawn Porter, who Thurman defeated in an exciting 12-round battle in Brooklyn, NY, in June of 2016.

Although, if Porter makes quick work of German Sebastian Formella Saturday night on Fox, there might be more than enough time for that fight to happen in late December.

Still, it seems as though PBC is angling for Porter to rematch Errol Spence should Spence be victorious as expected in his paper view unified Welterweight Title defense with Danny Garcia coming in November.

Spence’s last fight was a highly entertaining 12 round decision win last September in Los Angeles that earned him the WBC 147 lb. title with his IBF World championship.

Will Thurman end up in the ring with the likes of PBC Welterweight, Yordenis Ugas in late December or potentially another welterweight?

Likely.

Also looming for Thurman is a potential rematch with Pacquiao, but that’s even murkier, as Pacquiao would likely want to fight at the beginning of 2021, when the Filipino Senate is out of session.

If the Idec report is correct and Thurman is headlining in late December, then, he likely wouldn’t be fighting again until at least March or April of next year.

And as for Crawford, he still gets to look at Bob Arum/ESPN and why they can’t get him a big time fight with one of the PBC Welterweights that he’s wanted for two years.