LOS ANGELES – If there’s one thing a 37-year-old former unified welterweight champion understands, it’s that the business of boxing can be fickle at best.

So when WBC junior-middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora suffered a hand injury to postpone his scheduled October title defense against former champion Keith Thurman, several alternatives were at hand that could’ve left Thurman out in the cold.

In the sport’s deepest division, Fundora, 23-1-1 (15 KOs), and promoter Premier Boxing Champions could’ve turned to the unbeaten WBC interim champion Vergil Ortiz Jnr, to a younger former unified welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis or another veteran like Jermell Charlo or Errol Spence Jnr. 

Yet, an attribute often fleeting in the sport won out: loyalty.

Thus, there was Thurman, 31-1 (23KOs), standing on the Avalon Theater stage Wednesday afternoon, selling his March 28 Prime Video/PPV.COM pay-per-view main event at a favored venue – Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Winning that fight would likely clinch a Hall of Fame spot for Thurman, who has defeated Danny Garcia, Shawn Porter and current WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios in a career marked only by a narrow loss to record eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao.

“I was advised from the beginning, ‘We want this fight,’” Thurman said in reference to PBC leadership of Al Haymon and TGB Promotions head Tom Brown. “Yes, anything can happen. It’s hard not to have a little bit of doubt – ‘What’s happening? What’s happening?’ – but Al’s done right for me for so much.

“I’ve been with PBC for so long. I opened PBC. So, luckily for me, when they told me, ‘We want this this fight,’ it means, ‘We want this fight.’”

Thurman indeed christened PBC’s debut bout, a 2015 main event on NBC in which he knocked down and defeated former two-division champion Robert Guerrero by unanimous decision at MGM Grand.

Nevertheless, Thurman was left to twist without a net (or a signed postponement-bout contract) through the holidays into early 2026 before confirmation arrived.

“It was hard to know when exactly they were re-establishing it,” Thurman said. “I allowed myself to take a breather, be with my family [in Florida] as we had our new child in December. And look where we are today – under eight weeks out to make this beautiful fight happen.”

The 5’9” ½ Thurman has a daunting challenge ahead of him, trying to defeat an ever-improving Californian who might’ve had a 2025 fighter-of-the-year campaign to lobby for after stopping Chordale Booker and former champion Tim Tszyu in bouts before Thurman’s was scrapped.

Because Fundora, 28, stands 6’6”, Thurman has brought in three sparring partners taller than 6’4” and lifted his heavy bag closer to the ceiling to ensure his practice uppercuts are being aimed at the correct height.

He printed up a bunch of T-shirts with a cartoon of an axe going through a tree, headlined, “Timber!,” and tossed one of the souvenirs to Fundora, who smiled and said, “We’ll see.”

Thurman on Wednesday took account of the depth of his PBC allegiance, reminding that it was his own 2024 injury that allowed Fundora to emerge as a replacement opponent for Tszyu and win a bloody battle to capture the WBC and WBO belts in the first Prime Video PBC pay-per-view.

“I’ve been a part of this for so long. It’s not the way I talk to the people, or the way I sell a fight … Keith Thurman delivers. The entertainment has always been there,” he said. “The skills I bring to the ring are what people want to see.”

Perhaps most importantly, the veteran has earned this shot to gain a victory that can stamp his ticket to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York.

“Not just that, Sebastian Fundora is a terrific fighter, but is [he] the people’s champion?” Thurman asked. “If we’re to make boxing great again, it’s my time to shine.”

Thurman nodded in delight at the suggestion that he could finally go after a showdown with former three-belt champion Spence after being accused of ducking him during the height of their careers.

And former undisputed 154lbs champion Charlo is in training for a comeback bout after fighting Canelo Alvarez in 2024.

“This is a pinnacle moment where Keith Thurman becomes champion of the world again – a champion that did so much,” Thurman said. “And even as he grows older, he can re-establish his name, which is beautiful.

“As long as there’s a great [March 28] performance, with a win, loss or draw … this is boxing. You have to know there’s risk every time you step in the ring.”

And every time you’re waiting on someone else to finalize your next career step.

“It’s tough. Boxing is not a team sport,” Thurman said. “We are attempting to be the best fighters of the world. The world! That’s a lot to be asking. For some reason, we love it and I’m trying to make it happen. 

“History in the making. Tune in March 28.”  

Haymon’s care for Thurman occurs just as the greatest fighter Haymon ever managed, Floyd Mayweather Jnr, sued Showtime in California, alleging more than $300 million sent to Haymon was misappropriated from Mayweather’s seven purses between 2013 and 2017.

Thurman said he hasn’t dissected all the details of the lawsuit, but called the claim “sad.”

“You’ve made probably over $800 million, and you need money for whatever reason … it’s tough to live that lifestyle. To have that many cars, that many houses, the entourage, constantly traveling the world, buying $1.5 million watches. Jet fuel is not cheap … ,” Thurman said of Mayweather’s lavish living.

“All I’ve got to say is … when you hear that stuff … rich people problems.”