Keith Thurman is confident he will have a fight lined up for him this summer after Errol Spence Jr. decided to go a different direction.

Last week saw the highly anticipated announcement of the undisputed welterweight championship between WBA, WBC, IBF champion Spence and WBO titlist Terence Crawford. That fight is set for July 29 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Showtime Pay-Per-View.

Originally, Thurman was in talks to face Spence in the spring after Spence and Crawford failed to come to terms last year in their negotiations. A Thurman-Spence matchup reportedly would have taken place at the 154-pound limit. Both fighters are represented by Premier Boxing Champions, the outfit founded by influential advisor Al Haymon.

Now with Thurman out of the title picture for the time being, the Clearwater, Florida native is looking to adjust his plans for the summer. Thurman has not fought since February of last year, when he defeated Mario Barrios on points. Prior to that fight, Thurman had been out of the ring for nearly three years due to a series of injuries.

“We don’t have our date announced but I know it’s all in the works,” Thurman told FightHubTV. “We have this big pay-per-view coming up (Spence-Crawford), but I know Al and me will be talking shortly and there’ll be announcements hitting because your boy’s gotta get back this summer.

“We got caught up in a little bit of a political stanza but, you know, I’m still happy to be here because at the end of the day, man, we wish to be at the top, you get at the top, things get a little political, but everything’s a blessing in disguise at the end of the day.”

Asked if there was any chance he might appear on the Spence-Crawford card, Thurman demurred.

“Nah, I’ve been a main event fighter for way too long,” he said, adding rhetorically, “When is the last time they stacked a pay-per-view card like that?”

Sean Nam is the author of .