Even with that damaged shoulder that wouldn’t be surgically repaired for another six weeks, Hurd confidently stepped into the ring April 7 in Las Vegas to face seasoned veteran Erislandy Lara. He elected not to disclose his compromised physical state to anyone outside of his camp until after the fight.

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Then with one mighty left hook, Hurd (22-0, 15 knockouts) dropped Lara in the closing stages of the 12th and final round, scoring the decisive points to unify championship belts at 154 pounds.

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“It shows I have the will to dig deep no matter what,” Hurd, 28, said recently during a workout at the Hillcrest Heights boxing club just outside Washington. “It’s just something inside of me that just allows me, if I have any slight chance at an opportunity, I don’t care what it is, I’m going to take full advantage of it and make it work for me.

“If it’s the last round where I need it, I can pull it out.”

In his first fight since that victory via split decision, Hurd is set to put his three belts on the line against British contender Jason Welborn (24-6, seven KOs) on Saturday night in Los Angeles on the undercard to Showtime’s televised heavyweight title bout between American Deontay Wilder and England’s Tyson Fury.

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Hurd holds the International Boxing Federation, International Boxing Organization and World Boxing Association junior middleweight belts, making him the seventh fighter in the division to unify titles alongside such greats as Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Hall of Famers Oscar De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad.

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The bout against Welborn marks the third title defense for Hurd, who won his first championship by beating Tony Harrison Feb. 25, 2017, for the vacant IBF belt. Lara had owned the WBA title and was the longest-reigning champion at 154 pounds when Hurd connected with a left hook.

“That shows his tenacity as a fighter with commitment,” said Hurd’s trainer, Ernesto Rodriguez. “He knew that he needed to finish strong, and it showed that he was aware of what was going on the ring, his boxing IQ. Lara was more of a technician, but Jarrett knew that he had to be the stronger fighter.”

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Hurd had been receiving cortisone injections before the fight to help numb the pain from the injury. When and how exactly he hurt his shoulder remain unclear, according to Hurd and members of his camp.

Regardless, because Hurd is an orthodox fighter, his power throughout his career most often has come via his right hand, so his team determined even in his diminished capacity it was well worth the risk to fight given the national recognition a victory would provide, not to mention the financial windfall.

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Hurd reportedly received $500,000 in prize money for the fight.

He had surgery June 18, posting images to his Twitter page of his heavily bandaged left shoulder and arm in a sling. Doctors advised Hurd to undergo at least a month and a half of rehabilitation after surgery before resuming boxing activities.

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The discomfort during that time, according to Hurd, was akin to the most demanding fights in which he’s participated.

“Rehab, I hated it, man,” Hurd said. “Listen, rehab, I had to go three times a week for about six weeks, and, man, just working on my left arm, it was painful because I usually don’t work on my rotator cuff muscle that much anyway. And then to strengthen it back up, man, it was so painful.”

But under the watchful eyes of Rodriguez and his medical team, Hurd has reached a point in his recovery at which the injury no longer gives him pause during workouts. His left jab connects with plenty of snap these days, and Hurd indicated he’ll deploy it frequently against Welborn.

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Hurd and his camp said they are using the Welborn fight as a tuneup for a high-profile opponent early next year, perhaps Jermell Charlo, the World Boxing Council belt holder at 154 pounds.

Charlo has been friends with Lara for years and was sitting ringside during Hurd’s most recent triumph, indicating that he would welcome a unification bout against Hurd.

Kell Brook, a former welterweight champion who moved up to 154 pounds this year, also has been mentioned as potential challenger for Hurd, who had won seven straight fights via either knockout or stoppage before narrowly outpointing Lara.