Thurman on Broner fight: Dumbest rumor that's popped up all week

WBA welterweight champion Keith Thurman has rejected the rumor that he is considering giving a world title shot to Adrien Broner.

Prior to his majority decision victory against Josesito Lopez last month in what was his first bout in nearly two years, Thurman dubbed Broner "About Bullshit" for his poor showing against WBA "regular" welterweight titleholder Manny Pacquiao.

The eight-division world champion Pacquiao (61-7-3, 39 KO's), of the Philippines, outpointed Broner (33-4-1, 24 KO's) in a lopsided contest on Jan. 19 that saw the Cincinnati native land just 50 punches.

“That’s the dumbest rumor that’s popped up all week,” Thurman told Premier Boxing Champions on the possibility of fighting Broner. “Personally, I don’t believe Broner deserves a world title shot. I think he’s more in a situation where he should have a title eliminator. You need to fight, and you need to win before you just keep getting world title shots.

“The day Manny Pacquiao fought Adrien Broner was like a catch-22 for me. Pre-fight, I was in Broner’s corner. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity. One of the hardest things to live with is not living up to your full potential. All I wanted to see was Broner live up to his full potential. But I had an interest in seeing Pacquiao win too.”

Thurman also admitted that ring rust was a factor in his less than stellar performance against Lopez.

“It felt so good to get back in there, to get back in shape,” Thurman added. “Usually, I don’t like coming down to 147. One, it’s stressful on the body and two, I don’t want to eat like a rabbit every day. But it really did feel good to lose the weight, get in shape and feel like a champion again. I’m inspired now that I’ve turned 30. I’ve created a level of success, and I don’t want to let it go away.

“I have the ability to do many things that I did not show that night. I wish I did more bodywork. I was comfortable moving around, I know I can rely on my athleticism. I wish I put him on his backfoot a little more. I told everybody that you’re not going to see the best Keith Thurman you’ve ever seen. But you will see a world class performance. I have a lot more to show, so I am fired up."