Boxing Rumors: Thurman Settling For Crawford If Pacquiao Rematch Out Of Reach

Keith Thurman is aching to get back into the ring and his preferred target is Manny Pacquiao. But since there is no reason for the Filipino boxing icon to face him, "One Time" may best look for another opponent to clash with. Terrence Crawford could be a plausible choice.

Crawford wants a piece of the former WBA welterweight champion and Thurman is willing to take him on. The 31-year-old mentioned this during an Instagram Live interview Monday with Premier Boxing Champions’ Ray Flores.

“Crawford knows he can get it,” Thurman said. “I’m a very simple man, when it comes to the fight world and doing business. You know what I mean? Be real. Be real, send the contract, watch me sign it. You know what I’m saying?”

Thurman has been out of action for seven months now after undergoing surgery to fuse some bones in his left hand. He has yet to start trying out that repaired hand of his, adding even more apprehension about whether it would be wise for him to start thinking about fighting again.

However, he admits that Crawford is not his first choice. Pacquiao remains on his radar even if the chances of that happening are low to none. President of MP Promotions Sean Gibbons sees no reason for Pacquiao and Thurman to have a rematch, believing the split decision of the boxer-senator had no loose ends. Much of this was discussed in a previous post.

If not Crawford, Errol Spence could make sense although it appears the 30-year-old is no longer interested. Spence wanted to fight Thurman when he held the WBA welterweight title but nothing went down. Regardless, he remains an option for "One Time".

For Crawford, a fight with Thurman could be a good way to audition as Pacquiao's next opponent. Both have long been wooed to potentially face each other but nothing has come to fruition. Assuming Crawford does face Thurman, a convincing win could catapult him among the next possible opponents of the Pac-Man moving forward.

With the coronavirus paralyzing sports, there is no telling when boxing matches will resume. Pacquiao is fighting father time, yet another reason why some aspiring opponents are slowly seeing their chances of facing the future boxing Hall of Famer dwindling.