Keith Thurman vs Mario Barrios Prediction: Backing the Favorite
Keith Thurman vs Mario Barrios Prediction: Backing the Favorite
There's really no secret that Keith "One Time" Thurman's career in the last decade has been a chaotic one at best. From instituting a swift WBA dynasty, to promptly undergoing injuries every two and a half years, and then finally losing his spotlight match to none other than Pacman himself, it's truly incredible how much potential Thurman has completely and utterly squandered.
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Every so often that "One Time" really starts to build any sort of traction or steam in his boxing efforts, time and time again the man finds a way to fumble the bag rather hilariously in his quest for welterweight pound for pound legitimacy.
It is for those reasons as well as the general unknowns surrounding his most recent layoff that he sits at a relatively small favorite (-175) over the younger, taller, Mario Barrios. In the span of Thurman's latest departure of almost three years, "El Azteca" has kept active, compiling a record of 3-1. We saw him win the WBA Super Lightweight Crown and then lose the very same championship in his last bout to the prolific Gervonta "Tank" Davis. Barrios now believes a move up to welterweight and a win over an icon in Keith Thurman will not only serve as a quick bounce back from his past contest but catapult him into title contention expeditiously.
So with all these tangible things in mind, who takes home the dub on February 5 in The Michelob Ultra Arena? While Barrios appears to be the fresher fighter with the greater length specifications as well as possessing the element of not having to deal with any sort of potential ring rust like Keith, at the end of the day I am siding with "One Time" to secure the W and my betting units.
All of those size attributes did not help Barrios in outmaneuvering the smaller and stockier Tank Davis, which was on full display at the 140-pound limit to add further insult to injury. Mario has also shown to be susceptible to body shots and damage accumulation whilst duking it out in the pocket, aspects of the game in which Keith Thurman, historically speaking, absolutely thrives and performs well under.
I believe this is somewhat of a layup fight for Mr. Thurman, to be frank, with his victory being imminent largely due to the precedent that he has faced and defeated more credentialed/physically imposing competition in the past.
Although some analysts are seeing this bout as a setup fight to put Barrios over, I see Keith instead reminding everyone of who really is the legitimate darkhorse of welterweight and enacting a staple performance because of it.
Keith Thurman vs Mario Barrios Pick
- Keith Thurman ML -175 (Bet $175 to win $100)