Thurman says Fundora win could bring Spence, Jermell fights

Former unified welterweight champion Keith Thurman believes a victory over Sebastian Fundora could open the door to potential matchups with Errol Spence Jr. and Jermell Charlo.

Thurman is scheduled to challenge Fundora for the WBC junior middleweight title on March 28. The 37-year-old veteran said the fight could place him back into the mix for bouts with familiar rivals who have also spent long stretches out of the ring.

Thurman is scheduled to challenge Fundora for the WBC junior middleweight title on March 28. The 37-year-old veteran said the fight could place him back into the mix for bouts with familiar rivals who have also spent long stretches out of the ring.

“People are wondering why I’m fighting Fundora and not Spence or Charlo,” Thurman said in comments to The Ring. “Those are great fights, but you can’t fight people when there are no contracts. Those guys have been inactive, similar to me, and we’ve had different timelines. So do they need tune-ups? Or are they ready to get in the ring with elite competition right away?”

Thurman believes the equation would change if he were to defeat Fundora and capture the WBC belt.

“They don’t want to fight me because I don’t have a world title,” Thurman said. “They don’t want the bragging rights. But they are going to want to fight me after I beat Fundora. The risk-reward factor will be leveled once I become the champion, and it’ll be easier for them to step up to me. We’ll see what happens.”

Spence has not fought since his stoppage loss to Terence Crawford in July 2023 and has long discussed moving up to 154 pounds. Charlo, the former undisputed champion in the division, has also been inactive, last appearing in a loss to Saul Alvarez in September 2023.

Thurman has faced similar inactivity during the later stages of his career, fighting only a handful of times since his 2019 defeat to Manny Pacquiao. The upcoming bout with Fundora represents his first opportunity in several years to compete for a world title and attempt to reinsert himself into the picture among the division’s established names.