Keith Thurman (30-1) says Brock Jarvis’ (22-1) stubbornness has led to the Aussie going into the biggest fight of his career without his long-time trainer Jeff Fenech.
The pair will meet in the ring at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion on Wednesday night, with Thurman out to prove that, at 36 and coming off a three-year layoff, he’s ready to again mix it with the best in the world.
For Jarvis, it’s a chance to claim the scalp of a former unified world champion and launch himself into even bigger fights.
MORE: The Sporting News’ pound-for-pound rankings
The 27-year-old Sydneysider, though, will be going into the bout without Fenech by his side after the pair’s recent split, with Jarvis’ decision to take the fight without consulting the three-division world champion believed to be central to the drama.
At Monday’s press conference, the fighters traded insults, with the American reminding Jarvis that Fenech, “f***in’ left you because you can’t listen.”
Speaking to the media later, Florida’s Thurman questioned whether his opponent was surrounding himself with the right people.
“I’ve heard that he kinda is a good kid but depending on his surroundings and his teams and some of his family people, there’s a persona that ends up making him be a certain way,” Thurman said.
“That’s life sometimes.
“He’s going to be in the ring with a two-time world champion, something that he’s never been in the ring with.
“The closest he ever was to witnessing was his coach and he’s calling me an old man.
“His trainer, the old man, left him because he didn’t want to listen.
“He was being a little too stubborn, a little too hard-headed.
“Obviously he must have a tremendous gameplan by himself, he must know exactly what to do, he must be ready to take over the whole world of boxing come 2025 and if any of that’s true, he’s got one opportunity to do it and it comes Wednesday night.”
No Limit Boxing
Jarvis, who has been far more vocal throughout the promotion of this fight than in the past, played a straight bat when asked for his response.
“I pay no attention to anything he says,” Jarvis said.
“It is what it is, at the end of the day, it’s only going to be Keith and myself in the ring. Nothing on the outside really matters.”
Also fighting on Wednesday night, Michael Zerafa takes on Germany’s Besir Ay in the chief support.
While Jarvis has been uncharacteristically combative in the lead up, the typically brash and antagonistic Zerafa has been more reserved.
“I’ve never seen that side of Brock and people are saying that’s what I sound like,” Zerafa told reporters after the press conference.
“I want to apologise because that was hard to listen to. I was getting a little bit offended, he was saying that 36 is old.
“I’m only three years off that and my opponent’s 35.
“I was going to say something up there but I thought I’d just keep my mouth shut for once and just swallow the pride.”
On the matter of Jarvis’ corner, which at this stage is expected to feature his father Dominic and former rugby league player-turned-boxer Curtis Scott, Zerafa believes the Hall of Fame absence it is a significant blow.
“How can you critique someone who’s been there and done that?” Zerafa added.
“Jeff Fenech’s the face of boxing in Australia. I don’t know what happened, it’s not my business… but I feel like it’s a big loss. I think it’s a big asset out of Brock’s corner.”
Central to Jarvis’ trash talk of Thurman has been the age and injury history of his opponent, with “One Time” set to fight for the first time since a torn right biceps ruled him out of a scheduled fight with Tim Tszyu last March.
That was the latest in a long list of injuries which have included Thurman’s neck, left elbow and left hand, however, if the man who holds wins over Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia and Mario Barrios is worried about his durability come fight night, he didn’t show it on Monday.
“Brock is right, I am coming off an injury,” Thurman said, pointing to a surgery scar on his left arm.
“Maybe this injury right here, this big old scar, maybe it’s not 100 per cent but at 45 per cent, I’m still whooping his ass.”
