Keith Thurman has this fight to silence all the jokers

Keith Thurman has heard it all. During a nearly two-year absence from boxing to allow injuries to heal, the native of Clearwater, Fla., had to hear his moniker “One-Time” mocked by critics.

“Some of them were humorous,” the unbeaten welterweight champion said this week. “I was called Keith ‘Sometime’ Thurman and Keith ‘Once Upon A Time’ Thurman. I thought that was creative.”

The jokes over Thurman’s inactivity will end Saturday when he returns to the ring to meet Josesito Lopez of Riverside, Calif., at Barclays Center. Brooklyn-based Adam Kownacki takes on Gerald Washington in a heavyweight bout, while Claudio Marrero battles Tugstsogt Nyambayar in a featherweight clash. All three bouts will be televised live on Fox and Fox Deportes.

Thurman hasn’t fought since March 4, 2017, when he earned a split decision over former champion Danny Garcia to add the WBC belt to his WBA welterweight crown. At age 28, Thurman was at the top of the division and in the prime of his career.

But after taking a year off following elbow surgery, Thurman injured his left hand during training to the point at which he couldn’t jab without pain while wearing 16-ounce gloves. It took nearly another year for the hand to heal sufficiently to allow him to fight again. Meanwhile, with Thurman out of the ring, welterweights Terence Crawford, Shawn Porter, and Errol Spence Jr. emerged as belt-holders in the 147-pound division.

Now Thurman begins his quest to reestablish himself against Lopez, who is 36-7 with 19 knockouts and has faced notable champions like Canelo Alvarez, Marcos Maidana and Andre Berto.

“I’ve been out of the ring for two years,” said Thurman, who is 28-0 with 22 knockouts. “I was 28 years old the last time I fought. I’m 30 now. It was disappointing missing some of those years. Luckily, I’m still in my prime with tons to give.

“I’m stepping back in the ring against Josesito Lopez to remind the world who Keith Thurman is, what it looks like when he’s fighting, how entertaining I can be and that I’m an elite fighter at 147.”

The welterweight division is one of the most talented in boxing. Crawford (34-0, 25 KOs) is the WBO champion; Spence (24-0, 21 KOs) owns the IBF belt, while Porter (29-2-1, 17 KOs) is the IBF king. Thurman is technically the WBA champ, but is sharing the belt with interim champ Manny Pacquiao, who is coming off a win over Adrien Broner last weekend.

Thurman already owns a win over Porter but suggested he may take on another contender before a mega-fight with one of the champs.

“I just believe for the sport of boxing and for a lot of the top fighters and top contenders, this is a great moment to be part of a beautiful sport,” he said. “I’m looking forward to my return and I’m going to give you guys a good show.”

Lopez doesn’t plan on being a walkover.

“I’m always in tough battles because I don’t shy away from them,” he said. “I’m in a tough fight this weekend, but I’m more than ready for it. I feel like I’m at a championship level. I prepared well and I have no excuses.”

Thurman said his left hand may need “monitoring,” but is fit.

“I just want my health to hold up because I want to be an active fighter at the top of the welterweight division once again,” he said.

Kownacki, a native of Poland who moved to the United States when he was 7, needs a win to continue his climb up the heavyweight rankings.

“Every fight keeps getting bigger and bigger,” said Kownacki, who is 18-0 with 14 KOs. “I was an amateur when Barclays Center first started and now I’m the co-main event. I hope the next time here I’m the main event. That’s the goal.”

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