Keith Thurman Sells Reach Excuse Ahead Of Brutal Vergil Ortiz Clash

Keith Thurman expects the public to buy a simple story: his knockout loss to Sebastian Fundora was a freak height problem, not the end of the line. His argument for December 5 sounds tidy enough. This time, his opponent is actually within arm’s reach.

Getting inside punching range against Vergil Ortiz Jr. is a terrible prize, though. Reaching Ortiz is easy. Surviving what comes back at you is a completely different nightmare.

During Wednesday’s press conference, Thurman blamed Fundora’s towering frame for killing his counter game. Against Ortiz, he promises fans a real shootout.

“All that matters is that when he hits me, at least I can hit him back, man. That 6’6″ monster. I couldn’t touch that man. I was looking for counter punches and my arms aren’t long enough,” Thurman claimed.

The former champion takes on Ortiz on the David Benavidez vs Michal Cieslak card at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, on DAZN PPV. He desperately needs to convince buyers that his last outing was purely a matchup glitch rather than empty legs and an aging reflex.

There is truth to the size issue. Looking for counters against a giant standing three feet out of range is a useless exercise. Ortiz will stand right in the pocket, handing Thurman all the target practice he missed against Fundora.

Landing clean shots is where Thurman’s real trouble starts. To survive, he has to hit Ortiz hard enough to freeze him. Tapping a ferocious puncher does zero good if the man walks through the fire to unload heavy combinations while you are trapped on the ropes.

Thurman also tried to argue that the stoppage in his last bout came prematurely.

“My last performance just wasn’t my night. I did feel I started to settle into the fight. I ultimately couldn’t show the world how much of a dog Keith Thurman is,” he argued.

Feeling comfortable is a world away from winning rounds. Thurman wants the public to believe a miracle rally was on the way, even if the referee rescued him before it materialized. Against an offensive engine like Ortiz, moral victories mean nothing.

He brought up his past win over an unbeaten Diego Chaves to show he can handle serious firepower. Relying on ancient history will not save him now. Old victories cannot throw punches for you.

Ortiz was polite enough to back Thurman’s claims, pointing to Fundora’s championship belts to protect the credibility of this promotion. Both fighters need you to view that beatdown as a style riddle instead of old age.

Thurman will get his answers soon. If his punches bounce off Ortiz, eliminating Fundora’s height advantage will only lead him into a far more violent trap.