Keith Thurman said he was content to listen to the boo boys who lost interest in his 12-round victory over Leonard Bundu at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Thurman knocked Bundu down in the opening round, but chose to box the rest of the way.
“We came to fight our fight,” said Thurman. “We came to box. Maybe after that first droppage [knockdown] we could have gone a little harder but then again I trained very long for this fight and I’m looking forward to growing and getting the experience and we got that tonight and I’m proud.
“I learned [tonight] that boxing is make them miss and make them pay. I could have taken advantage of small moments and done a little more damage. There were little things I saw that I didn’t do in the moment. I love knockouts just as much as you but this is the sport of boxing and I’m always going to box. Some people think I’m just a puncher but through the years we have grown into a boxer-puncher.”
Bundu was satisfied that he had showed he could hang with one of the best fighters in the division.
“People thought I was going to last two or three rounds,” he said. “I’m hard to fight, I have a difficult style of fighting. It was a good shot [in the first round], he got me, I wanted to test him straight away. He didn’t actually hurt me, even though he has tremendous punching power. I think his name One Time is right. He has that one-punch power. Even though as the rounds passed by he started fading with power.
“He thought, like most people, he’d take me out soon but I could have done another 10 rounds. I should learn to cut down the ring but he surprised me, I didn’t think he was that good.”
