Boxing News: Keith Thurman Set to Return in a Title Fight Against Tim Tszyu, Reports Reveal Date and Venue

In a recent development, Keith Thurman will reportedly return to the ring after a two-year-long hiatus from boxing. Thurman will take on Australia’s Tim Tszyu in a title fight at MGM Grand Garden Arena on March 30 this year. Tszyu’s WBO light-middleweight title will be on the line in PBC’s first-ever pay-per-view event.

The fight will be aired on Amazon Prime Video as part of their new deal with the streaming platform. The update comes from boxing journalist Mike Coppinger from ESPN today. Thurman comes into the fight as a 30-1 record holder, with the last fight against Mario Barrios in February 2022. His only loss came at the hands of Manny Pacquiao in July 2019. On the other hand, Tszyu is undefeated and is coming off a unanimous decision win over Brian Mendoza in October last year. The fight against Thurman will be Tszyu’s second title defense after Mendoza.

The development follows the news of Erickson Lubin allegedly withdrawing from the fight, something he refuted in a recent social media post.

Erickson Lubin was shocked by his own withdrawal from the Tim Tszyu fight

The plans for Tim Tszyu facing Lubin have officially collapsed, with varying opinions on its fall. On January 22, Australian media revealed that Lubin had pulled out of the WBO junior middleweight title fight against Tszyu that was scheduled for March. “Erickson Lubin has withdrawn from negotiations to face [Tim Tszyu] March,” wrote Aus-Boxing.com in a tweet.

However, the news did not seem correct to Lubin or his team! As ‘The Hammer’ responded to the tweet, claiming it’s all a lie. “[Cap emoji] wait what? This is news to me. I was waiting [for] the date,” wrote Lubin. Moreover, even the American’s trainer had chimed in, trying to reveal the truth behind the story. Kevin Cunningham told Boxing Scene, “The truth is, we haven’t been contacted by anyone regarding Hammer’s next fight.”

Also Read: Tim Tszyu Earns His Father’s Appreciation After Proving Himself to “The People That Never Believed in Him”

Further challenging the story from Aus-Boxing, Cunningham claimed there hasn’t been any confirmed date or opponent for Lubin. The 26-2 boxer was previously thought of as the opponent for Tszyu to headline in PBC’s Amazon Prime Video deal. This was after ‘The Soul Taker’ was promoted to the WBO title from his original interim title. 

Even though a fight against Erickson Lubin seemed all but confirmed previously, Tim Tszyu will now potentially face Kieth Thurman in a major sidestep. What do you think of Thurman’s return? Do you think he stands a chance against Tszyu?

Watch This Story: Keith Thurman possible comeback and opponents following long layoff