Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero doesn’t know what to expect from former WBA/WBC welterweight champion Keith Thurman when he faces Errol Spence Jr in their still yet-to-be-announced fight.
Based on reports, Spence (28-0, 22 KO) and Thurman (30-1, 22 KOs) are moving up to 154 to fight in a non-title clash.
Thurman can still punch, and his speed & movement are top-notch, but he’s going up against an excellent body puncher in Spence. Taking shots to the body is Thurman’s kryptonite.
Unless Thurman stays on the move for 12 rounds to avoid Spence’s body shots, he’s likely to suffer the first knockout loss of his career.
Thurman is too inactive
“I don’t know how good Thurman is anymore. When was the last time he fought?” said Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero to Fighthype when asked his thoughts on the Errol Spence Jr vs. Keith Thurman fight in April.
“That was January 2022,” said Rolly about the last time Thurman fought against Mario Barrios. “He looked very good against Barrios. I don’t think people were expecting him to come back, but not he’s moving up in weight. Spence is obviously the bigger fighter,” said Rolly.
Like a lot of people, Rolly feels that the 34-year-old Thurman hasn’t been nearly active enough with his career for him to have a chance of defeating Spence.
Thurman has fought just once since making a load of dough in his fight against Manny Pacquiao in 2019, against former light welterweight champion Mario Barrios in February of last year.
Thurman has now been out of the ring for exactly a year, and he’s going to be facing one of the best fighters in the sport in Spence.
In his day, Thurman was one of the best, if not the best, fighter in the 147-lb division. Most would agree that Thurman’s war with Danny Garcia in 2017 took something out of him because he’s only fought three times in the last six years since then.
“Thurman is tricky, he’s explosive, and he can crack,” said Rolly. “Thurman is a very smart individual. That’s another thing. Thurman don’t like body shots. Every time Thurman has been hurt, it’s been with a body shot. What does Spence throw?
“There’s that too. They’re moving up in weight. If I was to bet, I would pick Spence in that one. It definitely won’t be early. Spence doesn’t have the killer instinct. Thurman has this crazy left hook. He throws these weird looping shots.
“I like Thurman, but I don’t know how good Thurman is because Thurman doesn’t fight. Before the fight with Pacquiao, when was his last fight on July 17, 2019?” said Rolly.
One fight in three years
“He fought that one time against Barrios at the beginning of 2022,” continued Rolly about Thurman. “Barrios was strong, and he looked good against Barrios. You fought once in the last three years.
“Almost three and a half years, four years, and you’re already moving up in weight, and Thurman is already small. He’s smaller than me. I like Thurman, Thurman can crack. I’ve always liked Thurman, but too much time off.
“I wish he’d have been more consistent with his career. I did enjoy his fights,” said Rolly.
“I remember the first time I seen Boots, it was at the 2015 National Golden Gloves. I remember he came out orthodox. Me and my dad were watching the fight, and he’d won it. He came out orthodox, and he switched southpaw. I thought, ‘That mother f***er reminded me of Terence Crawford.
“[Jaron] Boots [Ennis] is a great fighter. He’s still in the early stages of his career, but he’s doing good. He’s got 30 damn fights. Out of all the prospects that came up from the 2016 Olympics and whatever, he has the most fights.
“It’s patience with him. He’s going to get his opportunity to do whatever he needs to do. He [Boots] fought a dude [Karen Chukhadzhian] that didn’t want to fight [on January 7th on the Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis vs. Hector Luis Garcia card in Washington, D.C.].
“When people don’t want to fight, it makes it ten times harder to knock them out, and on top of that, I’ll give you an example. When you’re a puncher, and you got some pop, and you’re stopping everybody. Let’s say, for instance, me, Boots, Teo, Tank, and somebody goes to decision against us.
“‘Oh, we look like s**t,’ and you see other fighters that are used to going to decision do a half mediocre performance. They’re like, ‘Oh my God, these are the best fighters ever.’ No, you’re trash. If you were good, you would stop these mother f****kers.
“You’re not a good fighter unless you’re stopping these mother f***kers. I don’t give a f***k what anyone says. You got to close the show. Let’s say it was beyond dominating performance where you just beat the s**t. This s**t is not a dominating performance.
“That’s you being a f***ng p***y. Like I said, they don’t got balls to fight because he looked like that in his last fight, do you really think he’s [Boots Ennis] not a great fighter? No. He fought a dude that didn’t want to engage. He fought a literal f***king p***y. He’s a great fighter. That’s all I’m going to say,” said Rolly.