Thurman has not been an active or influential figure since 2017. Injuries, layoffs, and long stretches of silence have replaced momentum. While his name still carries recognition, his career has existed more in recall than in sequence. Despite that, he has been placed at No. 3 in the WBC rankings at 154 pounds and is now positioned for a title opportunity.
The fight was originally scheduled for October 25, 2025, before Fundora withdrew with a hand injury. It is expected to be rescheduled for early this year. On paper, it reads like a second act. In practice, it looks more like a referendum.
“You got 12 rounds to take care of this boy and remind the people why you have the name Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman,” Thurman said in comments to DAZN.
The Babe Ruth comparison hinges on the belief that legacy can be revived with one swing. Boxing rarely works that way. Thurman has recorded one knockout in the last ten years. That stoppage came against Brock Jarvis, a second tier opponent, in March, following nearly three full years of inactivity. It functioned as a reentry, not a statement.
Even during Thurman’s most active years, his knockout run was built largely against fringe level opposition. His reputation as a puncher was established early and sustained selectively. When the division hardened, the dangerous intersections never arrived. Fights against Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford were discussed, then bypassed. Time moved on.
Fundora is not a nostalgic opponent. At 6 foot 5, with sustained volume, reach, and durability, he represents a physical and tactical problem that does not reward patience or memory. This is not a fight that can be coasted into or solved by reputation.
For Thurman to win, a knockout may be necessary. For Thurman to expect one now requires belief untethered from recent evidence. Boxing does not often reward memory, and it rarely pauses to accommodate nostalgia. The idea that a decade of absence can be erased by a single night is compelling as a metaphor. As a plan against a 6-foot-5 titleholder who thrives on volume and pressure, it looks fragile.
