Thurman On Injured Hand: I Still Have Yet To Hit The Bag 100 Percent
By
Keith Idec
Published On Fri Jun 12, 2020, 08:39 AM EDT
Of all the various injuries Keith Thurman has suffered during his career, his healing left hand has become the most troublesome.
Nine months after Thurman underwent surgery to fuse metacarpal bones in his jab hand, the former WBA/WBC welterweight champion still cannot fully use it in the gym. There’s no timetable for Thurman’s first fight since suffering his lone loss to Manny Pacquiao because he still cannot train at full strength.
Thurman (29-1, 22 KOs, 1 NC) discussed his recovery from surgery during the newest episode of Impact Network’s “Stars And Champions,” which will premiere Friday night at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT.
“I still have yet to hit the bag 100 percent,” Thurman informed host Dan Rafael, a BoxingScene.com contributor and former ESPN.com writer. “So, I did some exercises yesterday. I played golf this morning. I noticed that – I did do some heavy-duty exercises. So, I did notice that there was a little achiness here today. And I was like, ‘There’s no way that was from the golf swing. Last week, you played golf three times.’ I was like no way from the golf swing. I was like, ‘Oh, yeah. There was some other work you did yesterday.’ I started doing some heavier weights. I really wanted to get into the strong, the heavier movement, the heavier impact. You know, light impact, touch, touch, touch all day.
“But I need to get back into the heavier hitting. And that’s gonna take probably another two to three weeks of working on that before I know that it’s gonna be 100. But I feel confident. I think I’m gonna be stronger than I’ve been in a long time. I think I’m gonna be healthier than I’ve been in a long time. And I’m hoping that all of it’s gonna show in my performance. You know, you’re gonna know when Keith Thurman’s back because he’s gonna look like a monster. He’s gonna look unbeatable.”
The 31-year-old Thurman’s left hand bothered him before the Philippines’ Pacquiao knocked him down in the first round and beat him by split decision in their 12-round welterweight title fight July 20 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The Clearwater, Florida, native decided to have surgery September 4 once doctors determined that rest alone wouldn’t heal Thurman’s damaged hand.