Four years ago, Keith Thurman was sitting on top of the welterweight division. He was undefeated in 27 fights and had recently defeated former champion, Danny Garcia.
“One-time” was enjoying his time.
16 months ago, Mario Barrios was reveling in championship glory. He had accomplished his dream of capturing a world title.
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Losing is never fun
In 2019, Thurman was no longer an undefeated champion, losing to legendary Manny Pacquiao.
Last year, Barrios put up an admirable effort against Gervonta Davis, only to be stopped late in the fight.
Former champions Thurman and Barrios will throw hands on February 5 at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Manderley Bay and Casino in Las Vegas, NV, in a classic crossroads fight.
Losing stunned Thurman.
“I was depressed,” Thurman told FightHyppe.com. ”I didn’t enjoy taking my first career L. “The sport of boxing, my legacy, is not over. The story is still being written. “
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Barrios surprised many against Davis
Barrios was down, as well, after his setback against Davis – but not for long.
“I did really well for the majority of the fight,” Barrios told KSAT five months ago. “He caught me with something I didn’t see.”
He was doing so well that Davis was told by manager, Floyd Mayweather, that he was likely behind on the scorecards. He wasn’t, but Davis soon ended matters.
Thurman’s constant trash-talking fired up the aging Pacquiao. Maybe he had never heard the old adage to Let Sleeping Dogs Lie.
Oddsmakers have tabbed Thurman a 3-1 favorite over Barrios. That’s quite an edge, and suggests they believe that Thurman’s inactivity, against a fighter of Barrios’ ability, won’t hurt him.
Check out the latest odds here
His odds of scoring a knockout are also higher than Barrios.
Thurman has more power on paper, but not recently. He’s scored 22 knockouts in his 29 wins,but has only stopped one opponent in his last five matches. Hand issues could explain some drop in power.
Barrios, 26, is the younger man by seven years. He’s also taller, and has at least a two-inch reach advantage. It could be asked if he’s returning to the ring too soon after a grueling fight against Davis.
“I’m ready,” Barrios told this writer a few weeks ago before working the pads with trainer Virgil Hunter.
Ready or not, Thurman is rightly favored, due to his caliber of opposition, having defeated former champions Shawn Porter, and Garcia. But that was then.
I see Thurman winning the fight by decision or late stoppage, but don’t count out Barrios. The young man is tough and determined and carries a wicked hook to the body. I watched him work on that punch during sparring.
It’s common knowledge that Thurman is susceptible to body shots.
Barrios smiled when I asked him about aiming a shot at Thurman’s body.
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