Keith Thurman says the belts were never his focus

“I never cared about the belts. I cared about the fight,” Thurman told Cigar Talk.

It’s hard to take that for granted, given the position he’s in now. The 37-year-old will face WBC junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundor on March 28. Last year, Thurman was scheduled to fight Tim Tsziu for the WBO 154-pound belt before pulling out with a bicep injury. The pattern is clear. When opportunities come, they usually involve titles.

Thurman started fighting for money when it was available. He had it with Manny Pacquiao in 2019 and Danny Garcia in 2017. After those nights, he retired for the long haul. That history led some to question how committed he was to remaining active at the highest level and whether the priority was financial.

He can say that the belts were never the goal, but his path often passed through them. Most of his wins have come against regular contenders, but the biggest moments of his career still come in title fights.

If Thurman beats Fundora, he won’t treat the belt as an afterthought. They will have options. Vergil Ortiz Jr., Conor Benn and Jaron Ennis are all there. The return of Errol Spence would also be in play. In that position the belt becomes useful, whether he says it’s important or not.

He may be downplaying titles now, but if he wins one, he won’t give it up.