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 bears recognition, his career existed more in memory than in sequence. Despite that, he is ranked No. 3 in the WBC at 154 pounds and is now positioned for a title opportunity.
The fight was originally scheduled for October 25, 2025, before Fundora pulled out 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 have 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 legacies can be revived with one swing. Boxing rarely works that way. Thurman has recorded one knockout in the last ten years. That stoppage came in March against Brock Jarvis, a second-tier opponent, after nearly three full years of inactivity. It functioned as a re-entry, not a declaration.
Even during Thurman’s most active years, his knockout run was largely built against fringe-level opposition. His reputation as a puncher was established early and selectively maintained. As the division hardened, the dangerous intersections never came. 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 consistent volume, reach and durability, he represents a physical and tactical problem that doesn’t reward patience or memory. This is not a fight that can be captured or resolved by reputation.
For Thurman to win, a knockout may be necessary. For Thurman to expect one now requires faith detached from recent evidence. Boxing doesn’t 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 title holder who thrives on volume and pressure, it looks fragile.
