Keith Thurman is ready to stage his return after a crushing defeat against Manny Pacquiao in his last fight in July 2019.

It was the maiden defeat of his professional career. While Thurman lasted the entire 12 rounds with Pac-Man, he was clearly on the receiving end of a one-sided beatdown. That said, ‘One Time’ Thurman fired back a couple of times, but it was not plenty to retain the welterweight title around his waist.

After more than a year from the fight, Thurman has finally revealed the reason that led to his only defeat in pro boxing.

Keith Thurman was not at his best against Manny Pacquiao

Speaking with Brian Custer, the former welterweight champion disclosed that an injury balked his performance against Pacquiao. However, Thurman believes that it was more of a mental barrier than a physical injury. As per ‘One Time’, he couldn’t dictate the pace of the fight.

While Pac-Man was a considerable threat inside the ring, it was Thurman’s injury and focus that also impacted the outcome. Despite going the distance, Pacquiao cleanly outpointed the American.

Speaking about it, Thurman said, “The hand is the only real issue right now. As far as mentally, it was a big mental barrier in the Pacquiao fight. You yourself should be able to point out ‘Where’s the left hook, Keith?’… We didn’t see it that day”.

“I felt way too much consequence of letting go punches on my end, how I was gonna feel due to what happened to me in sparring leading up to that competition.”

Moreover, Thurman predicted an early return. Right now he doesn’t have an official opponent, but he is on the verge of bagging a matchup soon.

Keith Thurman was rumored to go against Errol Spence Jr. or Terence Crawford. A rematch against Pac-Man was also on the charts. As of now, the 31-year-old US sensation has a lot of options to consider. But he seems interested in Crawford.  It is just a matter of time until we see him return in a blockbuster PPV.

Read More: Manny Pacquiao Reveals the Truth Behind His Home Robbery