On July 27th Keith “One Time” Thurman (21-0 19KOs) entered the ring against Diego Chavez. Not much was known about Chavez at the time and even-though he was tougher than we thought, he still didn’t have enough as in the tenth round he was stopped by Thurman. The main event of that card in San Antonio was between Jesus Soto Karass against Andre Berto. After his win Thurman, went back to his dressing room and watched the fight knowing that he could be lined up next with the winner. Now on December 14th, at the Alamo dome in San Antonio, Keith Thurman will fight Jesus Soto Karass (28-8 16KOs) for the interim WBA Welterweight title in San Antonio.
Thurman describes what he saw in Karass in his fight with Berto, Thurman stated, “I saw his fire and I saw his passion and the warrior mentality within him, and he just wasn’t backing down from anybody. He didn’t care that he was the underdog going into the fight, and he just stuck to his game plan and he kept showing the heart of a warrior, and he pulled up the victory. I saw a very tough fighter in Soto Karass, and I’m expecting the same thing on December 14th.”
Keith Thurman’s stock has been on the rise since his knockout wins over, Orlando Lara, Carlos Quintana and a Unanimous Decision win over Jan Zaveck. Although Karass is coming into the fight with eight losses, Thurman knows that Karass is tougher and is better than what his record indicates and feels that he is the challenge he needs to prove himself against the top fighters in the division “This fight right here is what we call the icing on the cake. This will get the job done, because after this year no one can say that Keith Thurman has not been tested, that they haven’t put him in with anybody. As much as you want to say that, there’s nobody besides champion. So I’ve been doing my thing, I’ve been passing every test, and I’ve got one more test to pass this year come the 14th being Soto and, after that, hopefully the door will be wide open for that world title shot.”
Thurman has one of the highest KO percentages at 90% in boxing and Karass is a fighter that in the past has been knocked out and he loves to come forward. Even though Thurman’s nickname is “One Time” he thinks it’s is overall boxing ability that will be the difference in the fight, not just his power. “I can box, I can punch, and a lot of times, sometimes I’ll have a game plan on do I want to be on the inside or the outside before I even step in the ring. So far, I’m just ready for this fight. I’m ready to plant my feet, I’m ready to throw the big punches” he continued “I love ending fights early, I love going home early, and giving fans the knockout that they came to see. So I’m going to bring my best, I’m going to box sharp, I’m going to stay sharp, but I’m also going to be looking for those big punches.”
