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Clearwater's Thurman no one-hit wonder

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By EDDIE DANIELS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 13, 2009

ST. PETERSBURG Keith Thurman is learning it's not all about the first round any more.

After Thurman turned pro in November 2007, his first eight fights ended via a first-round knockout. Then came something you just don't shake off in a round's time - the unexpected death of his trainer, Ben Getty, May 31.

Getty started training Thurman when he walked into the gym as a 7-year-old. The pair traveled the nation as Thurman, now 20, collected two national Silver Gloves championships, a 2006 Police Athletic League championship and a 2008 Olympic Boxing Trials silver medal.

For all intents and purposes, that qualifies you as a surrogate father.

"In the beginning it wasn't easy. He was a big part of my life," the Clearwater native said. "He was a great part of my life and for him to be gone, it just doesn't make my life any easier. But I am grateful his passing happened at the time that it did and not while I was a younger teen.

"I'm just going to take all the knowledge I've gained from him and continue to do what we were doing."

Thurman, whose knockout power earned him the moniker "One Time," recently found out he can go more than a round with an opponent.

In June against Marteze Logan, Thurman swam in unfamiliar waters: the third round.

Thurman is so used to first-round stoppages, even his April fight against Francisco Garcia was halted after one round when the two banged heads, opening a gash on Garcia's face. That fight was deemed a no contest.

Against Marteze, Thurman eventually collected a third round technical knockout.

"He messed up my first-round knockout streak, but I got him out of there with a third-round TKO," Thursday said laughing. "I was slightly disappointed, but not really. I just felt like during that performance, I could have done a little bit better overall."

The impressive part is the fact Marteze went eight rounds with Paul Williams, 10 rounds with Steve Forbes and 10 rounds with Vivian Harris.

Tonight at the Desert Diamond Casino in Tucson, Ariz., Thurman (9-0, 9 KOs) will attempt to re-establish that streak when he faces Travis Hartman (10-13-1, 7 KOs) on ESPN2's Friday Night Fights. Thurman will be on the Vivian Harris-Noe Bolanos undercard.

The fight will air live starting at 10 p.m.

Thurman isn't exactly well-versed on his Hartman history. But what he does know is Hartman lost to locally trained Derrick Samuels via a sixth-round decision.

"I just get the name, look it up, approve and go to work," Thurman said. "I have to uphold my part of the job."

As for his fist venture beyond the first round as a professional, he's taken plenty from that experience.

"It kind of helped me break away from the first round knockouts. Not to expect it," said Thurman, now trained by Dan Birmingham. "To take your time and wait for the proper openings. Because of that last fight, I feel more confident than all of my fight s before because of what I am able to take out of it. Getting those rounds out of it, I'm definitely prepared for all the rounds that are to come."

Reporter Eddie Daniels can be reached at (813) 259-7066

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