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Battered Keith Thurman isn’t doing himself any favors by going on a tirade about Fundora being detained

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Split-screen: Keith Thurman with bruised and swollen face speaking into a microphone at post-fight press conference (left) and Thurman in action during his bout against Sebastian Fundora (right) in Las Vegas.

Keith Thurman made a spectacle of himself after being stopped in the sixth round on Saturday night by Sebastian Fundora – and not in a way that would enhance his legacy.

From the opening bell, Thurman could barely get a spotless shot off, constantly falling back against the bigger, longer and much more energetic champion.

In the sixth round, a precise right uppercut that opened a cut above Thurman’s left eye ended the fight, and yet Thurman protested as if the stoppage had been unfair.

WBN scored a goal in the fight

WBN watched each round closely during the live score summary and couldn’t give much to Thurman. At times he looked like a novice compared to a polished professional.

Age and long inactivity – which he claimed before the fight didn’t matter – were glaring. Only Thurman’s peak from 2015 to 2017, when he defeated Robert Guerrero, Shawn Porter, Luis Collazo and Danny Garcia, could realistically challenge Fundora’s relentless pressure.

Words don’t erase the damage

In the post-fight presser, Thurman vented his emotions, his words coming faster than punches ever hit the ring.

“Whoever the hell that referee (Thomas Taylor) was, don’t ever hire him for shitty main events again, man. I’m earnest,” Thurman began.

“Remember Erik Morales vs. Marco Antonio Barrera? Mine’s not even broken. I never fell during the whole fight.

“I got caught in the back of punches. I wasn’t strapped in. He just jumped in like a white rabbit, man. Little, jumpy judges aren’t made for main event boxing.”

He continued with colorful analogies, insisting that fans were robbed of a decent fight:

“The fight was getting funnier and funnier! People were on their feet! We were just getting into the grind, you know? Four more minutes and he could have made a mistake right in front of me.”

“I had this long-term vision. But the judge wouldn’t let me get there, man.”

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Reality and rhetoric

The visual and statistical reality tells a different story: Thurman was dominated.

Fundora controlled the early rounds with his jab, averaging 44 per round, while Thurman landed just 15 total punches in the first three rounds.

He switched to massive punches in the fourth and landed 36 in the fifth – the most any opponent had ever hit Thurman.

In one round, 28 of them were power shots. Thurman took 12 consecutive challenging punches in the sixth period before the referee stopped the punch at 1:17.

The finishing punch stats told the story: Fundora landed 64 of 129 power punches (50%), while Thurman landed only 25 of 97 (26%),” CompuBox reports.

Thurman’s protest, however passionate, interferes with the fight itself. It’s one thing to question a close stop; it’s another to defy it while seeing the unrelenting punishment on your face.

A flush right hand in round five was Thurman’s only moment of clarity, but even that didn’t snail-paced down Fundora. An upper right uppercut in the sixth round that prompted the referee’s intervention highlighted a gap in preparation, timing and reflexes.

Thurman may have had the heart of a champion, but on Saturday night he simply didn’t have the legs, sharpness or timing.

Unlike many controversial stoppages in which fighters are visibly injured or strapped, Thurman was not knocked down, was not pinned by the ropes, and remained mobile throughout.

His protest is louder than the threat he actually faces. This isn’t about Morales-Barrera or the orbital gap controversy – it’s Fundora’s dominant performance against a non-top-tier competitor, and the reality is unmistakable.

Don’t take from Fundora

“It’s unfortunate,” Thurman admitted, “but I’m grateful. I’m fine. I can talk to you. I don’t have to be in the hospital. Everything is as it is.”

The words are admirable, but they do not change what happened in the ring, they only worsen the champion’s performance.

Fundora’s dominance – from reach to volume to tactical execution – was absolute, and Thurman’s protest, while entertaining, may make him seem touchy-feely rather than principled.

Thurman’s tirade serves as a warning: protesting a detention when you’re completely outclassed can overshadow the performance ahead of you. Fundora’s control, precision and relentless pressure left no doubt who was in charge.

Thurman’s words may make headlines for a day, but the fight leaves no doubt – Sebastian Fundora is a force on the rise at 154 pounds.

Keith Thurman’s post-fight theatrics are a reminder that sometimes reality speaks louder than nonsensical tirade.


About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.

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Boxing

Shakur Wants to ‘Get Eight Pounds’

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Image: J Prince Says Shakur Stevenson Willing To “Take Eight Pounds” For Devin Haney

“Well, you never know. You know what I mean? I think he can make that weight if he wants to,” Prince told Fighthype about the fight between Shakur and Haney.

“But like I told him, Shakur weighs 135 pounds. They weigh 147. So out of 12 pounds, we’re willing to take eight. We’re not even saying we’ll meet halfway.”

“So you never know. I don’t count them because certain numbers often change a person’s mind, right? You never know.”

Prince also said there are ongoing discussions about Stevenson fighting next after recently winning the WBO 140-pound welterweight title.

“It’s up in the air. We’re regrouping. We’re planning again and people will know about it very soon,” Prince said.

Shakur moved up earlier this year and defeated Teofimo Lopez to win the WBO 140-pound title. Stevenson already held titles in three weight classes before moving up to 140.

Haney continued competing at welterweight after moving up from 140 pounds following fights against Ryan Garcia, Brian Norman Jr. and Mario Barrios.

Prince also mentioned undefeated lightweight title challenger Abdullah Mason, who returns to his hometown of Cleveland this month.

“I’m excited, first of all, that Abdullah Mason is fighting at home,” Prince said.

“I have a long history with Cleveland, Chicago, Detroit, the entire Midwest was one of the first to embrace my Rap-A-Lot movement.

“They should be really proud of their child.”

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Boxing

Tony Bellew explains why Fabio Wardley was right not to throw in the towel against Dubois

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Tony Bellew explains why Fabio Wardley’s corner were right not to throw in the towel against Dubois

After Saturday’s heavyweight classic, one of the key topics of conversation was whether Fabio Wardley’s corner should have pulled his man out earlier, and former cruiserweight world champion Tony Bellew shared his view on the matter.

Wardley defended his WBO heavyweight title against Daniel Dubois, but despite two early knockdowns starting in the seventh round, it quickly became clear that the champion was fading.

With Dubois attacking and attacking, the once even fight slowly became one-sided, and after two doctor checks and continued attacking, referee Howard Foster finally intervened in round 11.

While many viewers questioned whether manager Ben Davison should have saved Wardley from an unnecessary penalty, Bellew defended the coach during a TV interview Fight Your Corner Podcast.

“I’m not like many others. I don’t think it should have been stopped earlier. I think the referee did a great job. I don’t think the towel should have been thrown in earlier for the straightforward reason that Fabio Wardley has already shown on many occasions, that he never takes him out of a fight.

“Even if he’s miles behind, even if he’s been injured in a fight, he can pull his hand out of the bag at any time, and for that reason alone, that’s why he should have been allowed to continue playing.

“This is the reason why players like Arturo Gatti were able to continue playing against players like Micky Ward. With his neck up against the ropes and getting punched in the face regularly and Frank Cappuccino [referee] let’s leave it alone, it’s because of the history it has. So they allowed this fight to continue and in my opinion they were right.

“You’ll never make fights truly magical unless you allow the carnage to unfold.”

After a precautionary check-up at a nearby hospital, it was confirmed that Wardley was not seriously injured in the fight. The Ipswich fan favorite could now act his rematch clause and will try to take revenge for the first defeat in his professional career, becoming a two-time heavyweight ruler.

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Boxing

Bobby Has escaped disaster time and time again – then cancer changed his face

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Former world champion Bobby Czyz pictured during his boxing career alongside recent photos taken during his cancer recovery.

Former two-division world champion Bobby Czyz has spent most of his life somehow coping with situations that could easily have killed him.

Now, at the age of 63, Czyz faces another brutal battle after being diagnosed with aggressive squamous cell cancer of his right nostril and neck.

The surgeries necessary to remove the cancer left the former boxing star with a severe facial disfigurement and extensive scarring on his face and nose.

Photos shared publicly by Czyż during his recovery surprised many boxing fans, who remembered him as one of the toughest champions of the sport in the 1980s and 1990s.

But even now, the Novel Jersey striker still sounds like a fighter.

“It’s not as bad as it looks,” Czyż wrote under one of the restoration photos. “We can all rise up.”

This mentality accompanied him through almost every stage of his life.

Bobby Czyz has avoided disaster time and time again

Long before winning the world title, Czyz narrowly avoided one of boxing’s darkest tragedies.

In 1980, members of the United States amateur boxing team died on board Polish Airlines LOT 007 in a crash near Warsaw.

Was it supposed to be part of the trip? He only avoided boarding the plane because he was recovering from injuries suffered in a car accident.

Escape has become one of the defining “what if?” moments of his life.

Czyz eventually turned professional and became a two-weight world champion, winning the IBF delicate heavyweight title and later winning the WBA cruiserweight crown.

Known as “The Matinee Idol,” Czyż (44-8, 28 KO) fought in the ring with names such as Evander Holyfield, Virgil Hill, Charles Williams and Corrie Sanders in an era full of threatening fighters.

But the punishment in the ropes wasn’t the only trauma he experienced.

In 2007, Czyz was rescued from a burning vehicle after another terrible car accident, which left him with sedate facial injuries.

Now, almost two decades later, cancer has forced him to fight again.

thewhatsnextkid | IG

The boxing world is rooting for Bobby Czyż

Friends and figures from the boxing world have already begun to rally around the former champion as he continues his rehabilitation.

Nick Furris wrote: “Good friend, boxing icon and three-time champion Bobby Czyż will fight the biggest fight of his life.

“Out of nowhere, Bobby was diagnosed with nose and neck cancer.

“I spoke to him today and he is in good spirits after the surgery, but he has a long road ahead of him.

“For those who have seen him fight or know him, please take a moment and say a prayer. Knowing Bobby, if there is one SOB who can beat ‘C’, it will be him.”

In 2026, Czyz explained her cancer discovery in an interview with The What’s Next Kid (thewhatsnextkid) on Instagram.

He said: “One morning I woke up with a lump in my nose. The doctors said it was a polyp with cancer.

“Now I have to go through all these surgeries to try and look even remotely cute again.”

For many boxing fans, images of Czyz barely resemble the fighter they watched during his championship years.

But the mindset still is.

After surviving boxing, a plane crash, devastating crashes and now cancer surgery, Bobby Czyz is still trying to rise again.


About the Author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.

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