Don't expect Keith Thurman to remain fighting a decade from now, according to the WBA welterweight champion.
During a recent media conference call that Fightful participated in, Thurman was asked about whether or not he would still be fighting at 40 years old like Manny Pacquiao, his opponent for July 20 in Las Vegas. After emphatically stating, "Hell no," Thurman further elaborated on his reasoning and why he's not looking to fight for another decade. Thanks to the advice given to him by his grandfather, the 30-year-old Thurman doesn't want to hang around too long and potentially risk serious damage by fighting at an older age.
"My grandfather never liked that I was going to be a boxer. My grandfather on my father's side never liked that I was going to be a boxer. My family's all from Ohio outside of Cleveland. My grandfather said, 'If you're going to do it boy, get in and get out.' He meant it in a two-fold way. He meant if you can stop them, stop them and get out of the ring early and make your money and get out of boxing while you've got sense and you can talk straight. Because the big thing about fighters back in the day is the punch drunk syndrome which even Ben Getty used to talk to me about it," Thurman said.
As far as what his immediate future has in store, Thurman hinted that he may call it quits within a few years should he get major paydays like the one he will undoubtedly receive at the end of his fight against Pacquiao.
"I'm going to do my best to not take too many shots come July 20th. A few more of these paychecks and we won't be here when we're 40 years old. I don't need $100 million in life. I just need a little bit of moolah," Thurman said.
Fightful will have live coverage of Pacquiao vs. Thurman for the WBA welterweight title on July 20. The event will be shown on FOX pay-per-view live from Las Vegas with a prelim card being televised on FOX.
