Unified welterweight champion Keith Thurman is recovering from surgery on his right Elbow and expects to be out of action until the end of 2017.
“I had loose bodies in the elbow, similar to what baseball pitchers have. They had to go in and take out the loose bodies and calcium deposits,’’ Thurman said. “It was getting in the way of the hinging of the elbow and when I threw a punch. It was causing pain and inflammation. I noticed it before the Danny Garcia fight. There was no way to get rid of it without the surgery. I’m healing and getting the function back so that I can be pain free.’’
Thurman, who held the WBA 147-pound title, defeated WBC 147-pound champion Danny Garcia at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on March 4 to become the unified 147-pound champion. Thurman fought through severe pain in his right elbow to secure the 12-round unanimous decision victory. The injury helps explain why Thurman's activity decreased in the second half of that fight.
A few weeks later, he traveled back to New York to have surgery to remove calcium deposits in his right elbow. The surgery occurred on April 19 and was deemed a success. Thurman is currently undergoing rehabilitation on his arm and doctors have told him he will need six months to recover.
The healing process is slow and frustrating for Thurman.
“One thing for sure, the doctor doesn’t want me to rush back into action,’’ he said. “You can’t jump back into the race too soon. It might start to feel good after a month or two, but you don’t want to rush it. My right elbow’s job is to launch punches like a missile. It might feel good, but it might not be able to sustain that. It might cause inflammation to develop, and then you have to wait to let it calm down and feel better. I figure a 4-month recovery will be quick. The doctor recommended 6 months of no action, before training. I won’t rush it.’’
Thurman has a special message to his fans who want to see him back in the ring as soon as possible.
“I worked hard to be where I am. We’re excited to move forward. This is just the real struggle of an athlete,’’ he said. “It’s not always picture perfect. It happens in every sport and that’s because we demand a lot from our bodies and ourselves. It has repercussions. Cars break down. We get them fixed and put them back on the road. We’re looking forward to getting back into the ring and giving you another fight before the year is out.’’
In the meantime, Thurman will be closely watching the title match between Errol Spence, Jr. and Kell Brook from Sheffield, England on Saturday, May 27.
“I’ll be tuning in and looking forward to the belt coming back to America and looking forward to seeing what Kell Brook has to offer at 147 pounds. I want to see if he wants to make his stand at 147. I like the idea of Spence showing everybody he’s the “Truth’’ and Kell trying to show everybody how “Special’’ he is.’’
In other boxing news . . .
Terence Crawford faces Felix Diaz
Undefeated World Junior Welterweight Champion and top pound-for-pound fighter Terence Crawford (30-0, 21 KOs), of Omaha, Neb., will make his 2017 debut tonight at the Mecca of Boxing, Madison Square Garden.
RAY BELTRAN
“This fight is so important to me. It’s for a shot at world title and for my Green Card. If I win this fight, my next stop is Trump Tower where I can wave my Green Card at the building for everyone in there to see it. I’ve had so many struggles to get here today. My family’s future depends on my winning the fight. Everything is riding on this.”
GARY RUSSELL JR.
“We worked on versatility most. We believe in the sweet science. A lot of these guys just win because they’re stronger and faster. We want to be more technically sound too.”
ANDRE DIRRELL
“My opponent is a fantastic fighter. If anyone should be in line for a title it’s this guy. He has the the power and he has the skill. I just believe he’s up against a better and tougher opponent."
RANCES BARTHELEMY
"I'm living a dream right now that I myself never in a million years imagined. Every time I get to speak with my mother in Cuba, I tell her of this dream that I am currently living and how it is still surreal to me. To be able to fight on these big cards in the U.S. after the long journey, after all the setbacks, I could not be any more grateful."
“I’m just on a whole different level. I do know they built you good, but you’ve been dropped before. They’ve been protecting you from the power, so I know you have no chin. On Saturday night you’ll be on your ass. And then your brothers can get in next."
Joe Smith to face Sullivan Barrera
Joe Smith Jr., (23-1, 19 KO's), boxing's best story of 2016, will make his first start of the new year, defending his WBC International Light Heavyweight Title against world ranked Sullivan Barrera, (19-1, 14 KO's) on Friday, July 15 from the iconic, Fabulous Forum in Los Angeles and live on HBO's Boxing After Dark (9:50 p.m. ET/PT).
The 27-year-old Smith of Long Island, New York said, "I'm thrilled to be back on HBO against another top light heavyweight, Sullivan Barrera, I've already started training and will be 'more than ready' on July 15. There's a number of great fighters in our division and I'm looking forward to another victory on my way to a world title shot."
Smith bursted onto the international boxing scene last June, knocking out the highly favored, former world title challenger, Andrzej Fonfara in the first round of a nationally televised contest from the Pole's hometown of Chicago.
Six months later Smith challenged future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins at the Fabulous Forum and live on HBO. Dominating the legend on December 17 through the first seven rounds, the construction laborer Smith drilled Hopkins to the canvas and out of the ring earning the knockout in the eighth round.
"This is a great opportunity for me. I want to thank my entire team for making this happen. I respect Joe for taking this fight. He is a great fighter and I have a tough test on July 15. I will work hard to put on a great show for all the fans," stated Barrera.
Barrera is riding a two bout knockout streak with victories over Paul Parker on April 15 and Vyacheslav Shabaranskyy on December 16, 2016. His only loss was to light heavyweight champion Andre Ward in March 2016.
By Staff of TheDailySportsHerald.com and news services
