12 Rounds With … Jarrett Hurd

Unified 154-pound champion Jarrett Hurd has returned to training after having arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder in June. He is keeping his eye on the winner of Julian Williams vs Takeshi Inoue fight, and unifications against other 154-pound champions Jermell Charlo and Jaime Munguia.

The 27-year-old Hurd (22-0, 15 KOs) envisions an ultimate rise into the 160-pound division, but for now he still has business at 154 pounds.

Despite the rotator cuff injury prior to his last fight in April, Hurd scored a final-round knockdown during a split-decision win over Erislandy Lara in a title unification fight.

By defeating Lara, Hurd, of Accokeek, Maryland, won the sixth unification fight in the division’s history, joining Alvarez and Hall of Famers Felix Trinidad, Oscar De La Hoya, Terry Norris and Winky Wright as the only boxers to unify 154-pound titles.

Hurd was 15 when he first entered a boxing gym at the urging of his father, Fred Sr. He earned his nickname “Swift” by quickly rising to the championship ranks in his brief career. He has evolved into a sharpshooter and brawler with a powerfully proficient inside game. 

How has your rehabilitation been going?

We have about four more weeks of physical therapy, but I’m back in the gym, ready to rock and roll. During the Lara camp, with the pain in my shoulder, I couldn’t do pushups or dips.

But now, I’m able to do pushups without any pain, and my power and strength have improved. All together there was six weeks of inactivity where I picked up a little weight.

Do you feel that the time off has been beneficial?

Definitely, I do, because it also gave me some time to heal and take some time off for some much-deserved fun, going to New Orleans, Atlanta, Los Angeles. Overall, I feel like the break was helpful.

Can you discuss the substance of your career opponents, your aggressive pace and growth toward becoming a champion?

I’ve already had some great matchups, but I was the underdog in most of my televised fights. I was the underdog against Galarza, for sure, but maybe it was more 50-50 against Harrison and Molina.

Then again, Molina might have been favored being that he was an Olympian.

I was probably the underdog taking the optional defense against Trout, but I rose to the occasion and stopped him for the first time just as I said I would. Then I unified against Lara in an epic fight against a guy many people avoided and who later could be a Hall of Famer.

Do you feel as if you are peaking right now, or is the best still yet to come?

I’m still young so this is just the beginning. I have a ton of fight left in me. There are some really great potential matches up at 160 once I move up.

I definitely plan on continuing to fight the best because that’s the only way that someone like me truly feels as if I’m challenged, so my future looks bright.

“ I definitely wanna fight Jermell Charlo. I know Jermell Charlo is going to fight with emotion, and that’s going to make him an easier fight than Trout or Lara, both southpaws. ” Unified Super Welterweight Champion Jarrett Hurd

Is it your understanding that you’re in line for a mandatory defense against the winner between Williams and Inoue?

I haven’t seen much on Inoue, but from what I do know, I think Williams is the better fighter and wins that fight. Whoever the winner is, though, I plan on beating him in dramatic fashion.

Williams is a good boxer, and if he comes with a good game plan against me, I can see myself still winning a unanimous decision. But if he comes in and brings the fight to me, I can see myself stopping him.

Would your next target after the mandatory be Jermell Charlo?

I definitely wanna fight Jermell Charlo. I know Jermell Charlo is going to fight with emotion, and that’s going to make him an easier fight than Trout or Lara, both southpaws. Before Jermell fought Austin Trout and beat him by decision, all you heard from him is that he wanted to fight me.

But after he beat Trout, and the way I beat Trout, I haven’t heard too much from him about wanting to fight me. I’ve said things to try to hype up the fight, but lately, he hasn’t responded. Hopefully the Jermell Charlo fight’s one that can be made sometime during 2019, because I know I can definitely stop him.

How does it feel to have unified at 154, joining Alvarez, Trinidad, De La Hoya, Norris and Wright as the only boxers to do so?

That’s definitely a great accomplishment, but I’m far from done yet and I haven’t reached my full potential. That’s down the road for me, and I’m still learning on the job.

Right now, I’m trying to become the undisputed champion at 154 pounds by somewhere in the summer of 2019. If I’m not undisputed by then, I think it’ll be time to move up to 160.

Have you envisioned fighting Alvarez, Jacobs, Charlo or Golovkin?

I’ve been focused mostly on 154, but I do see myself beating all of those guys. Canelo was once at 154, and I’ve watched some of his film and envisioned fighting him because he fought Trout and Lara like I did. 

I felt like he would have been my toughest competition at 154 outside of Lara. But now that I’ve beaten Lara, and Canelo’s at 160, I feel like I’m the best at 154.

I believe that out of Jacobs, Charlo, Alvarez and Golovkin, the easiest one for my style would be Danny Jacobs. Second would be Jermall Charlo. The toughest out of all of them would be Golovkin.

Finally, have you made any progress toward moving out of your parents’ house?

I’m still living with my parents despite saying I would move out after becoming champion, but I’ve been taking care of some other things, business-wise, like getting my clothing line ready.

I know it’s about that time to start looking for a house, but my parents and I get along so well that I’m not in a rush. So, for now, the house is on the back burner. 

I’m feeling like maybe after my next fight it’ll be time it might be time to move out, but I’m not even going to say that. It’s sort of like, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

For a closer look at Jarrett Hurd, check out his fighter page.