Keith Thurman looked diminished in return win over Josesito Lopez

Keith Thurman returned to the ring after nearly a two-year layoff, but his performance against Josesito Lopez left more questions than answers.

Keith Thurman (29-0, 22 KOs) was the hottest name in welterweight division back in 2017, but injuries sidelined him for nearly two years. He finally made his return against former title contender Josesito Lopez (36-8, 19 KOs) on Jan. 26 with his WBA welterweight title on the line. Thurman retained his title, but his performance against Lopez was inconsistent, and his standing in the division is tenuous.

In the early stages of the fight, Thurman looked like he had never been away from the sport. He showed some signs of ring-rust in the first round as he allowed Lopez to land several punches, but he quickly heated up with an electric round two.

Thurman’s jab often fired in the second round. He used them to maintain distance, but Lopez followed him around the ring with no attempt to cut him off. Lopez’s lack of footwork made him chase Thurman who was able to make him pay with hooks to the body while he was off balance and pursuing bad angles.

With 21 seconds left in the second, Thurman caught Lopez with a left hook that landed flush on the jaw. Lopez hit the deck hard and was badly hurt. He made it back to his feet but was pummeled with both hands by Thurman. Lopez survived the round but looked to be in serious trouble.

Thurman’s footwork was superb, and his hands were fast and powerful. Lopez appeared to be out of his league and Thurman looked like he was still an elite welterweight. He continued to impress through round four, and then the fairy dust wore off. Something inexplicably changed in Thurman.

In the second round, Thurman was a heartbeat away from knocking  Lopez out, but he stopped fighting in rounds four and five. He floated on the outside of the ring and refused to engage Lopez. The faucet of Thurman’s killer instinct shut off and Lopez sensed weakness. He pounced in the seventh.

In round seven, Thurman pretty much decided that he couldn’t knock Lopez out for some reason. He was content with boxing, but Lopez wasn’t having any of it. Although Lopez lacked grace when trying to attack Thurman, he threw caution to the wind and charged him with no fear hitting him with a left hook that made his legs go limp.

Thurman never hit the canvas in the fight, but there were times in the seventh where Lopez looked like he was on the verge of one of the biggest upsets in the last several years. Lopez connected with several more hooks that had Thurman on the brink of defeat, but Lopez’s stamina gave way, and he didn’t have the skill to sustain his attack.

From the eighth round on, Thurman fought to survive. His boxing skills allowed him to outbox Lopez, but he never looked dangerous again. In 2016 and 2017 Thurman pulled off wins against Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia. In 2019, he almost dropped his first loss to an over the hill contender in the form of Lopez.

When the scores were read after 12 rounds, Thurman won by majority decision on cards of 113-113, 115-111, and 117-109. The score of 115-111 was the most accurate.

Coming into the night, Lopez was as much as a 20-1 underdog, but in the seventh round, he almost ended Thurman’s career. Thurman’s win allows him to continue, but his status as the best welterweight in the world is officially over. He’s nowhere near ready for the likes of Errol Spence Jr., and he may have missed his time to enjoy his prime.

Thurman’s injuries and time away from the ring played a part in his performance against Lopez, but his heart and natural abilities were never on par with Spence’s or Terence Crawford’s. He was a very good welterweight at one point, but he was never the best, and this fight proves it. Now the only question is how much longer can he live off his past reputation? His days are numbered, and the best names in the division are sure to eclipse his legacy.