Keith Thurman posted his MRI results as proof of injury following his withdrawal from a Pay Per View fight with Tim Tszyu.
The former world champion was devastated to lose his spot on the card, eventually replaced by Sebastian Fundora in the main event. Thurman says he’ll undergo surgery soon to fix the problem and intends to return to boxing once healed.
“Tomorrow, I see an orthopedic doctor to talk about surgery. To all my fans, I am sending love and support. Thank you. Hold the faith. My coming back will be a historic event. Best of luck to Tszyu vs Fundora,” said Thurman.
Leonard Ellerbe responded to Thurman: “Wishing you a speedy recovery, champ,” as the one-time WBA welterweight titleholder contemplates another lengthy absence.
Thurman has only fought twice in five years since losing to Manny Pacquiao in 2019. He now faces further frustration after doctor Michael O’Neill of Pearl Harbour MRI Associates outlined the problem.
“Evaluate [Keith Thurman] for distal bicipital tendon rupture. The company stated, “Multiplanar, multisequence MRI of the left elbow is performed without administering intravenous contrast.”
On their findings, they added: “There is a full-thickness tear identified involving the distal biceps tendon, best appreciated on sagittal T2-weighted image # 18/27 and also on axial T2 image #8/36.
“There is approximately 5 cm of proximal retraction noted. The brachialis muscles and tendons and triceps tendons appear intact. A small elbow joint effusion was identified. The lateral collateral ligaments appear intact. The common flexor and extensor tendons appear normal.”
The letter was sent to Thurman on March 20 after the injury occurred two days earlier.
Premier Boxing Champions undertook a commendable shuffle to the card to save the show. Their first Primer Video PPV still has a stacked card topped by Tszyu vs Fundora.
WBA champion Rolando “Rolly” Romero and Mexican star Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz meet in the co-main event. The doubleheader occurs on Saturday, March 30, from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The pay-per-view will also see Cuban star and reigning WBA Middleweight World Champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara defend his belt against No. 1 rated mandatory challenger Michael Zerafa.
Also on the PPV portion, WBC Flyweight World Champion Julio César Martínez defends his world title against unbeaten contender Angelino Cordova.
The pay-per-view opener starts at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
The card marks the debut event for PBC Pay-Per-View available through Prime Video since the parties announced a landmark, multiyear rights agreement in December.
In addition to the PPV being available for purchase on Prime Video, regardless of Prime membership, fans can continue to access the telecast through traditional cable and satellite outlets as well as PPV.com.
Read all articles by WBN and learn more about an experienced and trusted source in the sport.
Follow World Boxing on X.com, Facebook, Instagram, Blue Sky, and Threads.
