Keith Thurman vs. Josesito Lopez Live Results

For the first time in nearly two years, the WBA “Super” Welterweight Title will be on the line as part of a Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) card from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

In the main event, Keith Thurman steps into a ring for the first time since March 2017, as he defends the title against Josesito Lopez.

The unbeaten Thurman last fought in a WBA-WBC Title unification bout with Danny Garcia, which he won by a split decision. Thurman was then out of action due to elbow surgery, but planned for a return with a tune-up bout in early 2018. That was eventually pushed back to May before being canceled altogether when Thurman was forced to pull out due to a bruise on his left hand.

Thurman surrendered the WBC Championship in April 2018. Now, Thurman looks at this fight with Lopez as the originally planned tune-up before going on to face fellow and former welterweight champions.

The unbeaten Thurman won the interim WBA welterweight title in July 2013 and made three defense between then and 2014 before being elevated to full-time “World” champion by the WBA in January 2015. Thurman defended the title against Robert Guerrero, Luis Collazo and Shawn Porter before being promoted to “Super” champion after a breakdown in negotiations with then-interim champion David Avanesyan.

Thurman’s bout with Garcia is his sole defense of the “Super” title thus far prior to tonight.

Lopez, who comes into this fight with a record of 36-7 with 1 No Contest, is currently on a three-fight win streak. His most recent bout was back in April, when he scored a unanimous decision over Miguel Cruz.

This isn’t Lopez’s first sniff at gold, as he competed for the interim WBA title back in 2015, losing to Andre Berto in a sixth-round TKO. Lopez was also stopped by Canelo Alvarez, then-WBC light middleweight champion, in September 2012. Lopez also has suffered defeats at the hands of Marcos Maidana and Jessie Vargas.

WBA “Super” Welterweight Championship: (c.) Keith Thurman vs. Josesito Lopez

Round 1: Thurman throws a combination to the body to start. Thurman working the left jab. One-two by Thurman. Lopez walking Thurman down and lands a left hook, but Thurman gets his back away from the ropes. A couple of lefts from Lopez. Hook to the body by Thurman. Uppercut by Thurman missed. Weak combination by Thurman missed. Thurman misses a right hook. Lopez throws a right and lands low, getting a brief warning from the referee. Lopez on the attack, coming out aggressive to the bell.

Round 2: Lopez throwing the straight. Thurman working the jab again. A little bit of inaction from both men before Thurman threw a light, but ineffective flurry. Combination from Thurman again. Lopez still looks like the aggressor, however, as he’s the one on the front foot. Lopez lands to the body. A left hook to the body and Lopez goes down! Lopez gets up, and Thurman chases after him with Lopez on unsteady legs until the bell.

Round 3: Lopez still looks a little wobbly, missing big in the opening minute. Thurman still working the left jab successfully. Lopez lands an overhand right. Thurman lands a left. Thurman throws a combination. Lopez throws to the body, and Thurman answers with an overhand. Lopez with a left to the body. Thurman with a one-two. Uppercut missed by Thurman. Thurman with a left.

Round 4: Combination by Thurman, and Lopez gets caught in a big exchange. Thurman pushing Lopez back. Uppercut missed by Thurman. Lopez throws a left hook. One-two by Thurman. Uppercut to the body by Thurman. One-two by Thurman. Lopez aiming for the body. Thurman forces Lopez back with a right. Combination to the body by Thurman. Lopez lands to the body, followed by a right to the head. Lopez now backing Thurman up. Thurman with a right before the bell.

Round 5: Thurman fires a few left jabs to start. Not a lot of action here in the fifth. Left uppercut by Thurman. Short left by Lopez. Thurman still working from a distance. Lopez lands to the body. Big left missed by Lopez. Left hook by Thurman. Right hand countershot by Thurman. Thurman continues to work the jab effectively. Thurman throws to the body, with the men exchanging right before the bell.

Round 6: A couple of lefts by Lopez to start. Thurman with a right to the body. Lopez misses with the right. Thurman throws a right hook. Thurman throws to the body. Lopez comes after Thurman, who is trapped in a corner. But Lopez misses big, and Thurman fires back. Right hand landed on Thurman, and Thurman is covering up against the ropes, eating shots from Lopez. Thurman answers back, while Lopez, off balance, misses a big punch. Lopez throws a couple of lefts.

Round 7: Small exchange to start the seventh. Thurman lands to the body, nailing Lopez on the inside. Lopez misses a couple of rights. Lopez lands to the body. Lopez gets Thurman off-balance with another body shot. Lopez lands to the head and he’s coming after Thurman! Thurman is retreating but he’s not answering back. Thurman clinches. Lopez continues to come after Thurman, throwing combinations. Lopez cutting off the ring, hammering away at Thurman. Lopez throws to the body, and it looks like he may have punched himself out. Lopez misses a couple of big shots at the end.

Round 8: Lopez still looks a little tired. Thurman throwing the right hand now. Thurman still on the back foot, but he lands a couple of shots to the body. Both men miss wide. Thurman with a right to the body. Lopez throws a couple of lefts. Thurman isn’t throwing much right now, he still may be trying to get his feet back under him and mind in the right place. Lopez misses a left. Thurman lands a one-two straight. Thurman with a small uppercut to the body.

Round 9: Thurman working jabs, but he’s not throwing anything strong at this point. Lopez misses big again, off balance when throwing a right. Thurman with a left to the body. Thurman with a one-two. Lopez misses a left. Lopez with a left to the body. Lopez landing in close. Thurman throws a soft combo. Lopez working the left jab. Thurman lands and Lopez responds. Lopez with a left uppercut to the body. Lopez landing on the body. Lopez lands an overhand right, and Thurman answers to the head.

Round 10: Lopez misses with an overhand. Lopez lands a left to the head, and while blocked, the power was still there. Lopez blocks Thurman’s shots. Thurman throws a combination; he’s landed more than double than what Lopez has in this fight. Thurman in retreat, but he manages to land. But Lopez answers back. Thurman works the jab once more. Right to the body by Lopez. Thurman has crossed the 200-punch mark, while Lopez is still looking for 100. The two exchange in a corner to the bell.

Round 11: Thurman working the jab, Lopez blocking the shots. Thurman lands a right to the head of Lopez, and the challenger is being tested. Left hook by Thurman. A couple of more hooks to the head by Thurman. Lopez lands to the body. Lopez lands a short left hook. Lopez coming after Thurman, and he finally crosses the 100-punch mark. Thurman looks a little rocked but he’s doing a decent job avoiding Lopez’s strikes. Lopez clinches and punches. Ref has to separate them. Another clinch. Thurman throws, but Lopez counters with a hook and a combination. The two clinch up again.

Round 12: Thurman throws to start, Lopez is coming after him but Thurman lands a sudden left to the head. Thurman on his back foot, and Lopez is just simply not throwing. The two exchange and end up in a clinch yet again. It appears Lopez doesn’t have much left in the tank. More clinching; Lopez is trying to land on the inside but there’s not a lot there. Overhand right by Lopez, however. He throws more but misses them, with one of them seeing Thurman answer back with a right hand.

Official Decision: Keith Thurman def. Josesito Lopez via majority decision (113-113, 115-111, 117-109)