Keith Thurman returned to the ring after almost three years against Mario Barrios in an impressive performance. After 12 rounds of action, judges scored the bout 117-111, 118-110, 118-110 for the winner via unanimous decision by Keith Thurman. In what was a great 12 round of action, Thurman looked just too good for Barrios. The former champion mixed his shots well and completely dominated Barrios in his boxing return.
In the first round, Thurman started quick, with Barrios doing a good job of pressuring Thurman. However, things started changing for Barrios from the second round, as Thurman opened up a wide range of attacks to dominate Barrios. He connected a lethal left, followed by a straight right that wobbled Barrios.
In the third round, Thurman was able to stun him with a left, and he did the same in the fourth round with a vicious right uppercut. Thurman followed it up with brutal shots to the body, as a resilient Barrios continued to walk forward. A vicious left hook in the closing moments of the fourth round sent Barrios on wobbly feet. However, it wasn’t enough to finish Barrios who absorbed all the shots that Thurman had to throw at him.
Mario Barrios found some success with the jab, but Thurman looked too good tonight
In the fifth round, Thurman came out strong once again with an intention to finish the fight. Both men exchanged in the closing moments of the round, with Barrios having some success. However, still quite behind on the scorecard. In round six, Thurman once again made great use of his stiff jab on an advancing Barrios. The former welterweight champion looked for counters but missed them on several occasions. He finished the round with a flurry of shots including a left hook, and a vicious uppercut. The bell rang as Thurman snapped Barrios’ head back with a brutal straight right hand.
Keith Thurman almost knocks Barrios out #ThurmanBarrios pic.twitter.com/0bxkuYKSRE
— Mr B. (@HoeAssMrB) February 6, 2022
Thurman nearly doubled the number of punches landed and looked incredibly confident despite an almost three-year hiatus following the split decision loss against Manny Pacquiao. Barrios had some success with the jab in the seventh round, but once again it was Thurman who ended the round with a beautiful uppercut. Thurman connected a big left hook in the eighth round, digging the body.
However, once again Barrios had some success with the jab and a looping right hand. Be that as it may, Thurman stunned Barrios with a big right hand, unloading a couple of uppercuts. The crowd rose to its feet as a bloodied Barrios showboated after pushing Thurman to the ropes. The former welterweight champion closed the round with a good right hand.
Keith Thurman picks up the unanimous decision victory. His first win in over three years ???? #ThurmanBarrios pic.twitter.com/Dii0KhmgeZ
— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) February 6, 2022
Good exchange in the ninth round got the crowd going, as Thurman dug the body with a left hook. Barrios had some success with the jabs. A comparatively better round for Barrios. In the championship round, Barrios connect an over-right hand and had some success with the jabs. Thurman connected a left hook, followed by a right hand that stunned Barrios.
In the eleventh round, once again Thurman looked incredible. Barrios had some good moments in the 12th and final round. Thurman once again dug onto the body and had huge success. Barrios also had some success with the jabs, as the crowd rose to their feet trying to encourage both the fighters to get into a wild fight.
Barrios showed the heart of a warrior, displaying his toughness and resilience against an aggressive and recharged Keith Thurman. The former Welterweight champion finished the fight strong as he pressured Barrios to the ropes, connecting a beautiful over-right hand at the closing moments.
What did Keith Thurman say after the Mario Barrios fight?
Keith Thurman had nothing but respect for Mario Barrios, as he congratulated him for his performance and showed confidence in a bright future. Thurman also expressed that he felt a “bit of ring-rust.” Needless to say, 2.5 years is a long time, but looking at the performance, as boxing fans, Keith Thurman looked better than ever.
“It’s all good. I still felt a little bit of ring rust in there. But it was amazing, he was a great opponent. He had more poise. He learned from his last outing, I learned from my last outing, I am just happy to be back. in the ring. Thank you all the fans man, thank you, everybody, for coming out and supporting this event.”
With the performance, Keith Thurman is back on the winning column and will look to retain his championship gold. Who do you think is next for the former WBC (super) welterweight champion.
