By Keith Idec

NEW YORK – Errol Spence Jr. has no choice but to take Keith Thurman seriously.

That’s how Spence is approaching what he heard Thurman state last week about it being “more realistic” for their fight to take place in 2019 than next year. Spence wants to fight Thurman much sooner than that, but the unbeaten IBF welterweight champion can’t force the undefeated WBA/WBC champion into the ring.

“He said it,” Spence said Wednesday, “so I guess so.”

Spence spoke about the Thurman fight following a press conference at Barclays Center to officially announce his upcoming title defense against Lamont Peterson. The Spence-Peterson fight will headline a Showtime telecast January 20 from Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.

“I don’t know, man,” Spence said. “Keith Thurman just be talking. I don’t understand what he says. [First] he said I have to make myself relevant. He said I haven’t done anything. I have a title now and it’s another excuse. Man, I can’t worry about that. I’ve got Lamont Peterson to worry about.”

The 27-year-old Spence (22-0, 19 KOs), of DeSoto, Texas, is favored to beat Peterson (35-3-1, 17 KOs), a 33-year-old former junior welterweight and welterweight champion from Washington, D.C. Spence still hopes Thurman will be an opponent for one of the three fights he intends to schedule for 2018, but he is less optimistic than ever after what Thurman told FightHype.com during a boxing show November 21 in St. Petersburg, Florida.

“I know you guys wanna keep talking about it, but it’s definitely on hold,” Thurman said of facing Spence. “It’s not on my to-do list. To be honest, it’s not on my immediate to-do list. My immediate to-do list is to get back, get moving and then, I don’t know per se, but Shawn Porter is a mandatory through the WBC. The first time we fought, we fought representing my WBA [title] on the line. Now he’s mandated through the WBC, so this is a different situation, and he worked hard. He wanted the rematch since the loss [in June 2016]. We all know that. And he put himself in position for the rematch.

“So I feel like I have to get back. I feel like I’m gonna have some obligations before we can actually even open up that discussion [to fight Spence]. So yes, technically, it’s on hold. It’s not even in the near future. It’s not discussable. It’s not what’s on the plate right now. When I was in New York, he said he’s ready to fight me when I’m ready. Well, guess what? Honestly, I’m not ready.”

Thurman (28-0, 22 KOs, 1 NC) is still recovering from elbow surgery performed seven months ago. The Clearwater, Florida, native hasn’t fought since defeating Philadelphia’s Danny Garcia (33-1, 19 KOs) by split decision in their 12-round, 147-pound title unification fight March 4 at Barclays Center.

Thurman intends to start training in early January for what he recently called a “welcome back” fight sometime in March. The 29-year-old Thurman caused a stir, however, when he said he thinks he’ll face Spence in 2019.

“That’s what he said,” Spence said. “You can’t make somebody fight you. So, I mean, I’m not just gonna be hollering his name every time I see him on the big screen, like he’s Floyd Mayweather or something, like he’s just the cash cow, because that’s not the case at all. So I’m gonna keep doing me. I’m gonna have the legacy that I wanna fulfill. And everybody knows that I wanna fight the best and I’m willing to fight the best. You know, so it’s on him.”

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.