Keith Thurman explains lengthy absence, rolls out 2025 comeback blueprint

Sitting in his hotel room in Sydney, Australia, Keith “One Time” Thurman is giving boxing every bit of what it has been missing from him. The former unified welterweight world champion is engaging in entertaining boxing banter, speaking in the third person and has his usual rhymes on deck.

After a three-year absence from the ring, Thurman makes his return Wednesday when he faces Brock Jarvis at Hordern Pavillion in Sydney in a 154-pound tilt set for 10 rounds.

If all goes his way, this fight will serve as the first phase of Thurman’s comeback blueprint for 2025.

“This could be part one, [Tim] Tszyu could be part two and then from there, easily back in America — hopefully, at minimum a title eliminator shot or some form of a title shot,” an eager Thurman tells DAZN News in excitement.

“We got to take it one step at a time this year.”

Thurman is using his fervor to purge himself of any lingering distaste following three years of not having a fight. After suffering his only pro loss — to Manny Pacquiao in July 2019 — Thurman returned to the ring after the COVID-19 pandemic and looked sharp in outpointing Mario Barrios by unanimous decision in February 2022.

His comeback following the boxing clinic was in effect … or so it seemed.

“Months and months go by … how come Thurman didn’t have another fight after a victory? Why?” he raises, looking back on his absence. “That is a good question that I have no answer for.”

Pressing further, Thurman relegates his absence to “boxing politics.

“I could see the smoke but I couldn’t really smell the fire and it was hard to see who lit the fire.”

In fact, Thurman is still working through the ashes and soot from those flames.

“Honestly,” he tacks on, “it’s a whole bunch of misfortunate that has happened.”

Thurman, 36, says the trouble began when he signed a contract to fight Errol Spence Jr. only for the latter to get into a car accident and derail those plans. Then, according to Thurman, when Spence recovered, the Texas boxer decided to not sign the contract to fight him and fought Terence Crawford in July 2023, instead.

“He was going after the big-money fight,” Thurman says. “I can’t really be mad.”

Another setback arose when Barrios fought Yordenis Ugas in September 2023.

“I already said yes to fighting Yordenis Ugas but I didn’t get Yordenis Ugas,” Thurman claims. “I could have been in the ring with Ugas, I could have been in the ring with Spence. Neither one happened.”

Trudging on, a big March 2024 fight against Tim Tszyu in Las Vegas on Amazon Prime pay-per-view was presented to Thurman. “One Time” signed off on it with excitement before being hit with another stinging disappointment.

“Two weeks prior to fight night, I’m in the 11^th round of sparring,” Thurman recalls, “I throw a left hook and pop my bicep tendon like [Carlos] Santana done popped a guitar string.”

Boom. The final domino falls, shelving the Clearwater, Florida native some more.

And following his recovery, that’s what brings us here, a year later.

“Even though it was a very challenging year, I got through last year, was able to recover, back in training camp, back in action,” Thurman says, “flying around the world, showcasing my skills and talent here in Australia.”

Thurman (30-1 with 1 no contest, 22 knockouts) has had testy exchanges with Jarvis (22-1, 20 KOs) who is nearly 10 years his junior.

The fireworks, though Down Under, are helping to Thurman to reintegrate his name back into the mix, for there was “One Time” that he was a two-belt ruler at welterweight and on top of boxing.

While it will likely take a process for Thurman to achieve title status again, “One Time” is glad to be back.

“I feel like I have more to give,” he says. “The one thing about being inactive is I haven’t been beat up. I’m not a beat-up fighter.”

He adds: “A three-fight year and then at the beginning of next year, I’ll be lined up for a world title shot.

"Then, who could say Keith Thurman is not back?”