Undefeated Keith Thurman headlines final boxing card for Tampa Bay in 2009

November 5, 11:25 PMTampa Bay Sports ExaminerTed Fleming

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Keith Thurman puts his unblemished record on the line Friday night in Tampa.
Ted Fleming / TBSN Sports Media

TAMPA – Friday night at the Downtown Hilton Hotel, two boxers will step into the ring with something to prove.

For welterweight Keith Thurman, he is facing his stiffest opposition as a pro while cruiserweight Nick Iannuzzi is out to show his first round TKO loss to an unheralded Harvey Jolley in September was just a hiccup in his journey to a championship.

Thurman (10-0, all victories coming by way of knockout) returns to Tampa Bay for the first time in a year and tipped the scales at 144.2 pounds for his bout with Edvan Dos Santos Barros (10-7, 7 KO – 147.2 lbs.) in his first career main event.

“Honestly, I’m surprised I’m back so soon,” Thurman said after Thursday’s weigh-in. “It feels great to fight in my home town, something that I love, something that I cherish to have all my fans come out and support me. I’m grateful to be on this card, especially being the main event and I’m just happy for this opportunity.”

The St. Petersburg resident has the nickname “One Time” and he has lived up to it by ending his first eight bouts in the first round. His last two wins were stopped in the third and second rounds, respectively. Barros, however, presents a whole new set of challenges for the up-and-coming 20-year old.

The Brazilian who fights out of Boca Raton has gone six rounds or more in seven of his last eight contests, going eight four times and ten twice. Thurman says he prepared by staying in the gym like never before.

“I’ve done a little more bag work, run more, sparring eight rounds all the time and just keep stepping it up,” said Thurman. “When we get to ten rounds we’ll step it up again. In order to be the champ you have to go twelve rounds. We’ll keep stepping it up until we get to the top.

“This opponent is the most experienced I have ever been in against although I did get into the ring with a guy who had over 50 professional fights (65 at the time) but they brought him in at the last minute because the other guy fell out. From what I’ve heard about [Barros] he works hard and I’m hoping he can give me some rounds.”

No one can doubt the power in Thurman’s hands and if there are any questions it will be directed at the number of rounds per fight which comes out to just under 1.3.

“People say that all the time but in reality that’s just what happens on the night you perform. I do countless numbers of rounds in the gym so I’m always prepared for my fights.”

While Thurman presses on to keep his record unblemished, Iannuzzi saw that go up in smoke when he was knocked to the canvas three times in the opening round against Jolley and went from the headliner then to being the fourth fight on a seven bout card.

Iannuzzi (12-1, 7 KO) came in at 196.2 pounds for his six-rounder with Michael Alexander (12-3, 8 KO – 199.2 lbs.). Like falling off a bicycle, the Tampa native is getting right back into action although some would question taking on an opponent with a much better record than Jolley his first time back.

“At first I thought about possibly starting with a tune-up but I thought (the Jolley fight) was a fluke. I know where I messed up at and I don’t think it will happen again if I focus the way I have the last five weeks. I’m not scared at anyone and I want to fight good fighters. I didn’t want fans to say I fought a chump to get another win. I wanted to get someone better to prove the last fight was a wake-up call. Tomorrow night I’ll be able to show Tampa how “The Showstopper” does things.”

To get in a little deeper with Iannuzzi’s first loss you have to go back three weeks before it happened. The 33-year old said he hurt his ribs and if that wasn’t enough there were some personal issues that scrambled his focus on what he had to do. Now that he wants to use that as an excuse, he gives Jolley all the credit for preparing and carrying out a game plan.

“I slacked off on my training, got a swelled head thinking you’re great and no one can beat you,” said Iannuzzi. “I didn’t prepare the way I usually do. The best man won the fight, plain and simple. I rolled a punch with my head down and he caught me behind the ear and knocked my equilibrium out.”

Because Iannuzzi did not do hit normal running he had no legs under him to escape the awkward Jolley and was tagged twice more before the referee called an end at 2:11. To prepare for this fight he went back to the basics, like jumping rope, something he admits he hasn’t done for a year. The Monday after the defeat he went out and bought a jump rope. And he is more in tune with perfecting his “art.”

Despite his age and relative lack of experience in the ring, Iannuzzi is looking down the road to where he believes the money is at although he won’t be going in the direction most cruiserweights go – to play with the big boys.

“I started in the heavyweight division and had five knockouts in seven decisions. If I can conquer where I’m at I’ll go to 175 and shock everyone. I can get down to the weight. I’ve changed a lot of things with trainers and got down to 192 and I said if I can do that I can get to 175. I just don’t think I have enough height to do damage in the heavyweights. It’s a fake dream.”

You can catch Thurman and Iannuzzi Friday night at the Downtown Hilton in Tampa with the first bout starting at 7:30 pm. It is the last boxing card in Tampa Bay for 2009. Tickets are available at the door.