How does a return fight between former champs Keith Thurman and Danny Garcia grab ya? Does it grab you at all? It’s a little over five years since “One Time” defeated “Swift” via 12 round split decision in their two-belt welterweight unification showdown. Back then, Thurman was undefeated and he was in his prime, far away from the long spells of inactivity he would endure. Garcia was pretty close to his prime himself and he too was sporting an unblemished pro record.
Garcia, like Thurman only not quite as severely, would himself fight only sporadically after the March, 2017 fight that saw Thurman take his WBC belt and add it to his WBA strap. Since their dust-up, Thurman has boxed just three times (two wins and that loss to living legend Manny Pacquiao) and Garcia, the older man by a year at 34, has fought six times (four wins and losses to Shawn Porter and Errol Spence).
Now, right after Garcia’s 154 pound comeback win over Jose Benavidez Jr, Thurman – who made his return to the ring in February, beating Mario Barrios by 12 round UD – has called Garcia out for a sequel. Garcia, who looked pretty good in taking a 12 round MD over Benavidez, got rid of some inner demons with the win and maybe now he will take Thurman up on his offer, this in attempt to rid himself of one of the trio of losses he has on his record?
“I’m too pretty, I’m too blessed. Danny Garcia can never pass the Keith Thurman test!” Thurman, doing a Muhammad Ali impersonation that just about passes muster, wrote on social media. “I beat that boy with bone spurs, you see, I wasn’t even at my best. Look man, my IQ is even higher, his feet are slow like a flat tire. Be careful what you wish for. You silly Philly boy. This is not a game, it’s not Street Fighter – but I will still hit you with that yoga fire.”
So did Thurman, 30-1(22) call out Garcia, 37-3(21) for the rematch or was it the other way around? In any case, is there appeal to this fight? A few years ago, before both guys started fighting so infrequently, this rematch would have been big stuff. Now, not so much. That said, as long as nobody has any crazy ideas of putting the fight out on full-price PPV (some would say this potential rematch is not PPV worthy at all), maybe there would be pretty decent fan interest in this one.
Who wins if Thurman and Garcia do get it on again, at either 154, back down at welter, or maybe some place in-between? Talk about a classic case of whichever fighter has the most left wins.
