It’s such a waste of all the hype! Keith Thurman was supposed to make his blockbuster return to the ring on March 30 against Tim Tszyu at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. However, it turns out the fight will have to go on without Thurman. According to recent reports, the former unified welterweight champion suffered a biceps injury.
The update has unfolded twelve days away from Amazon Prime Video’s first-ever boxing broadcast, which was part of PBC’s deal with the video streaming platform. So, Australia’s Tszyu will have to make do with a fight against Florida’s (20-1-1) Sebastian Fundora. As expected with such an update, fans weren’t happy and expressed their thoughts on social media pointing to numerous reasons!
What’s on the line now?
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ESPN’s Mike Coppinger revealed that Tszyu will now face Fundora for the former’s WBO super welterweight title. He wrote, “Breaking: Tim Tszyu will now defend his WBO junior middleweight title vs. Sebastian Fundora on March 30 in Las Vegas in the main event of PBC’s inaugural PPV on Prime Video, sources told ESPN. Keith Thurman suffered a biceps injury in training and was forced to withdraw.”
Breaking: Tim Tszyu will now defend his WBO junior middleweight title vs. Sebastian Fundora on March 30 in Las Vegas in the main event of PBC’s inaugural PPV on Prime Video, sources told ESPN. Keith Thurman suffered a biceps injury in training and was forced to withdraw.
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) March 18, 2024
Moreover, as per Box Rec, the fight will also see the winner take home the vacant WBC super welterweight title. The fight was supposed to be Thurman’s first bout since a win against Mario Barrios in 2022 and Tszyu’s entry into the American boxing scene. So, when the fans discovered the unfortunate news, they didn’t hold back from voicing their frustration.
Keith Thurman in hot waters
Since the news broke, hundreds, if not thousands, of people hopped on social media to condemn the former champion. One user suggested Thurman’s pullout wasn’t because of an injury. Rather, it was because of poor ticket sales. He commented, “The leading cause of injuries is poor ticket sales.”
SOURCES: the leading cause of injuries is poor ticket sales.
— Michael Montero (@MonteroOnBoxing) March 18, 2024
Another user boldly claimed that the fight should not have been a pay-per-view event, especially not for what is being charged for the fight.
This fight should be taken off ppv….it never should have been ppv to begin with ….or charge 40$.
— Rawdoggish 🐶 (@J_DriverIII) March 18, 2024
Someone else contended that Keith Thurman was never able to capture interest for his fight, claiming that the people just wanted to watch Rolly Romero vs. Isaac Cruz.
The only people I know going to this card refer to it as Rollie vs Pitbull. Nobody has ever cared about Thurman.
— Jeff Joiner (@Jeffjoiner1976) March 18, 2024
The next user speculated whether Thurman would like to reschedule his fight against Tim Tszyu, which the user thinks is an easy win for Tszyu.
lets see if thurman wants to reschedule his imminent KO loss to Tszyu…
— Scoop Malinowski (@scoopmalinowski) March 18, 2024
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One user claimed that Tim Tszyu could have produced better revenue in Australia while suggesting Thurman was never interested in fighting Tszyu.
Tim would've done far better numbers in Australia. Would have sold out a massive stadium. Thurman was never going to fight him.
— Sonny Rollins' Spiritual Son (@amg3200) March 18, 2024
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With the unfortunate news spreading like wildfire among the masses, people aren’t buying Thurman’s injury. However, it would be interesting to see whether Keith Thurman ever returns to the ring. Do you think agree with your fellow fans regarding Thurman’s intentions? Let us know in the comments!