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Keith Thurman holds a lot of respect for Danny Garcia, even if his frequent trashtalking does not necessarily reflect that.
The Clearwater, Florida, native recently offered a pithy retort to Garcia after Garcia expressed interest in a rematch of their encounter in 2017 that saw Thurman pick up a split decision win. Garcia made his feelings clear last Saturday night upon making a successful debut at the 154-pound mark against Jose Benavidez Jr. at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Thurman warned Garcia to reconsider the idea of a return bout, saying he was able to defeat Garcia while injured.
“I’m too pretty, I’m too blessed,” Thurman posted on his social media. “Danny Garcia can never pass the Keith Thurman test! I beat that boy with bone spurs, you see, I wasn’t even at my best. Look man, my IQ is even higher, his feet are slow like a flat tire. Be careful what you wish for. You silly Philly boy. This is not a game, it’s not Street Fighter — but I will still hit you with that yoga fire!”
In an interview with FightHubTV after his initial statement, Thurman indicated that he would be willing to face Garcia in a rematch at some point down the line. He also expressed his admiration for Garcia’s achievements, especially his campaign at 140, where he picked up notable wins over Lucas Matthysse and Amir Khan. Indeed, Thurman believes both he and Garcia will see their names enshrined in Canastota some day.
“I love Danny, man, he accomplished so many great things in his career,” Thurman said. “Obviously he ran into some hurdles that couldn’t leap over at 147, me being the first one. But at ’54, you know, to me, there’s not a lot in it for Danny to be at 154 besides the continuation of the legacy.
“If he was to truly get an opportunity to become a three divisional world champion—what he did at 140 already puts him in the Hall of Fame. What I did at 147 already puts me in the Hall of Fame. So we’re Hall of Fame fighters. So if I talk that ish it’s with all due respect.”
As for a rematch with Garcia, Thurman said he would consider it even at 154, where Thurman has not yet fought but has previously expressed interest in doing so. Thurman has stated he expects to be back in the ring by the end of the year, possibly in October. Both fighters are handled by Al Haymon of Premier Boxing Champions.
“I can play jump rope,” Thurman, 33, said. “We can do whatever is good for the fans. I can compromise to make a good fight happen. But right now I’m ready to go. I been ready to go. I don’t know when he’s going to get back into the ring.
“At the end of the day I think it’s a good fight. I’m surprised it took him this long to really bark at the rematch. It was a tremendous fight when it happened, man. I had a great rivalry with him.”
Of course, should they ever fight again, Thurman, whose last fight was a solid decision over Mario Barrios in February, believes he will produce the same outcome.
“I don’t think they have a real strategy and the capacity to override what I bring to the table, man,” Thurman said of Garcia and his team. “It’s a chess match and I’m a grandmaster.”