Keith Fitzgerald Thurman vs. Brock Jarvis & Michael Zerafa vs. Besir Ay RBR.

The right opponent can make anyone look good, and Thurman had one .

 

What a finish from Thurman

 

Very good performance and finish from Thurman. Will be expecting to see him again in 3 years.

 

Then he smacks around Paul Hogan cementing his heel run down under and becomes "Crocodile" Keith Thurman (which actually has a nice ring to it)

 

Jarvis is exceptionally bad though he only had about 10 amateur fights he is not skilled at all.

 

It was a good night last night good to see Thurman live in the flesh he did what he was supposed to do with a limited opponent. Seeing him up close he is still very explosive and I think Thurman v Tszyu is a good match up at this stage of their careers.
It was good to see Tapia in action that was a good win for him also that was the best Zerafa has looked in a while.

 

I don't think his skills are the problem. He seems to have pretty solid fundamentals and he can obviously punch. His high KO ratio is evidence of that. But what is apparent now is that he burns a lot of energy early in fights and he gassed pretty hard by the 3rd round. He needs to work on stamina, and knowing when to cover up. I would say his power and punching technique are very good, as evidenced in that first round catching Keith was some good shots. Clearly his conditioning and stamina is an issue, and I'm not sure it's as much physical as it is mental. He clearly is in good shape, but I think he just works himself up in the locker room and does not know how to pace himself to go rounds. Also not enough head movement particularly when under pressure. He was very motivated to hurt Thurman, but when he started to tire he became a sitting duck for a devastating KO. He needs to work on his conditioing and learning how to pick his shots so to not deplete his gas tank. A kid like that can get very nervous in big moments and that's what happened against Thurman. But from what I see, the building blocks are there. The punching technique and overall skill set look good, but controlling his emotions and becoming a technician in there requires guidance and patience. The kid just hyped himself up too much and gassed quickly. It can happen. Better pre-fight preparation would be key. Also splitting with his trainer seemed to be a big mistake. I could see him becoming frustrated in training and not being patient enough on keeping his mental game in check.

 

He's so old, he's balding. Fecking hell, even your prime for prime fight opponent, Porter was retired.

I miss the days of 1-time. He was genuinely a good fighter and it shows even with time out of the ring. That porter fight was really entertaining. And that says a lot about Porter - always game, tip top shape and wants to win it.

 

He has a high KO ratio because he used to fight down at featherweight at 154 his power is average at best and he just doesn't have the chin to stand up to bigger guys. Nikita Tszyu would blast him out.

 

I also liked the matchup between Tongotongo and Ruston. Two fighters with 100% KO %s turned out to be a cagey tactical battle for 5+ rounds before the powerful and patient Ruston caught Tonga in the corner and unloaded with a devastating series of punches.

I really liked Tongotongo's style, cagey and with a lot of head and upper body movement, fighting off the backfoot with plenty of power himself which he often used to counter-punch Ruston when he did unload. It was a very back and forth matchup before the knockdown in the 6th. Tonga bravely got to his feet and finished the round but the eye started to swell and his corner stopped it at the end of the 6th.

This Ruston fellow could be a problem, at least at the Australian Level. He has very good power and seemed to be very crafty in there. I would also like to see Tongotongo fight again. A very smooth and skilled fighter, well built and seemingly with a good chin and the ability to roll with shots and come back with bombs. But the kind of shots that Ruston landed on him were particularly damaging. If I was Tongotongo I would stay away from Ruston but he has the skills and power to beat plenty of top contenders.

 

I think you hit on an important point. He's perhaps put on too much weight which has affected his stamina. That would explain partly why he gassed so hard. Maybe moving back down a weight class or two would be a benefit to him without carrying around extra weight. But I suspect that is only part of the problem. He clearly has good punching technique and is somewhat physically imposing, but he needs to learn how to pace himself better and go rounds. As it stands, he's dangerous as an early round brawler but he's not a 10 round fighter.

 

I don't know, need to see how Tim deals with Spencer. If he impresses, then well it'll still be hard to say. I think a lot more people will fancy Keith's chances after Tim's recent struggles. Before Tim lost, and certainly before he was stopped, I don't think many forum members here would have given Keith much of a chance against Tim. Remember before Tim lost there were forum members here who were sure that Tim Tszyu would eventually go on to KO Canelo , that's how delusional much of this forum was about Tim before he was humbled and brought back to earth.

But if Tim can bounce back against a tricky opponent in Spencer, then this fight needs to happen and I think it would be a great measuring stick for both fighters. Tim is obviously much more durable than Jarvis, but he did get stopped, so Keith has gotta think that his explosiveness could be a problem for Tim. On the other hand, could Tim apply sustained pressure and take Thurman into deep waters?

This is a pretty intriguing situation with Tim coming off of two losses but trying to rebound and secure a Thurman fight. Both men have a lot to prove, Keith wanting to prove that he still has it and can beat a quality opponent in Tszyu while Tszyu trying to show that he still has it and deserves an opportunity to fight Thurman. And I like the Dynamic of Thurman fighting again in Australia. I don't know just something about it works. I was super hyped for this Jarvis fight even though Jarvis wasn't a great opponent, just to see Thurman back and taking the show on the road. Thurman looked great and I can't wait to see what happens in Tim's next fight and possibly these two meeting in Australia later this year in which would be a massive fight for Australia. It was also cool to see Thurman embraced by the Australian crowd after the win. Thurman is not only a great boxer but he is a hugely entertaining character and a showman that boxing desperately needs in times like these.

 

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Thurman looked quick and powerful but they put him in with a guy who wouldn’t give much resistance.