Keith Thurman Beats Josesito Lopez Via Decision to Retain Welterweight Title

After nearly two years out of the ring, Keith "One Time" Thurman (29-0, 22 KOs) made a winning return to boxing Saturday night, defeating an impressive Josesito Lopez (36-8-0, 19 KOs) via majority decision at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Dan Rafael of ESPN showed the cards as 113-113, 115-111, 117-109 in Thurman's favor.

Thurman had plenty of opportunities to show off the skill that has made him the WBA super world welterweight champion, but he also showed several moments of weakness in what was supposed to be a tuneup fight. A disastrous seventh round nearly saw him hit the canvas, and he had trouble dealing with the constant pressure from the 34-year-old Lopez, who proved he is still a tough, dangerous boxer. 

At the start, Thurman hardly looked like a fighter who had been out of the ring that long. He mixed punches well, pawing with the jab to set up power punches to the head and body. Lopez was game, staying on the front foot, but he lacked creativity. A right hand to the abdomen was another constant source of success for Thurman.

NYFights.com's Michael Woods felt Thurman was making a point of using a variety of punches:

It didn't take long for Thurman's power to shine. A counter left hook late in the second round landed flush on Lopez's chin and sent the challenger to the canvas. Thurman pressed him as soon as he got up, but the bell saved Lopez from a second-frame exit. 

Here's the knockdown, via Fox Sports PBC:

To Lopez's credit, he didn't shy away after getting knocked down. A flurry in the fourth got Thurman off balance, but the champion responded with a couple of textbook uppercuts that blunted the attack and gave him time to steady his legs.

RingTV.com's Douglass Fischer praised Lopez's toughness:

Thurman's entire arsenal was on display, and for the most part, it worked. He doubled and tripled up on the jab to take Lopez's attention away and then dug into the body with slicing uppercuts. By the middle rounds, Lopez's face was a red, mottled mess. And yet, the underdog kept biting. 

Lopez's relentless pursuit paid off in the seventh frame. A left hook early on wobbled Thurman, putting the favorite in survival mode for nearly two full minutes. Lopez's lancing shots kept landing, and it took everything Thurman had to dance out of the way and reach the bell.

Take a look, via Fox Sports PBC:

Welterweight champion Terence Crawford knew those punches were hurting Thurman:

That round ended what had been a glorified exhibition up to that point. Lopez never quite got as close to stopping Thurman as he did in the seventh, but he stayed on him like a magnet and landed his fair share of combinations. Thurman looked less and less comfortable fighting off his back foot, but his legs were alive enough to keep him at the edge of his opponent's range while still allowing him to pop off the jab. 

Thurman has his sights set on superstardom, but he is going to face some challenges. Lopez showed that fighters, at least ones with solid chins, can attack Thurman.

A little more stamina and variety in attack, and Lopez might've stolen this fight. Thurman survived, but his next opponent will know that he is not invincible.