Keith NO MORE KO'S Thurman

Thurman just now fought a top-10 guy.

His power is evident, but let's face it...MOST fighters with decent power get a high KO ratio on their way up fighting cans. Thurman just got network exposure sooner than most thanks to Haymon.

Thurman will not be knocking many more opponents out unless they happen to be Amir Khan. That's the nature of high level competition. His power will still be a highly useful tool, though.

 

I think you're wrong, I said in the other thread. The three guys he failed to KO are exceptionally durable, this is not true of all fighters.

Thurman is heavy-handed, it will tell on other fighters. He was close to stopping Guerrero tonight, perhaps would have done if he had not been carrying that awful egg on his head.

I think he could potentially stop Marquez, Pacquiao, Brook, Khan, Mayweather and Maidana.

Bradley, and Porter would likely be tougher to stop, in the durable category.

 

You don't always have to win by KO. Look at Kovalev & Wilder, they both showed they can win and dominate a fight against a fighter who isn't easy to knock-out.
Guerrero is no push-over and has never been knocked out. Thurman showed his skilled, scored a flash knockdown and showed he's become a better fighter.

A great win by Thurman.

 

As I've tried to explain...

On the way up, most fighters fight "bums." This means gentlemen of limited skill designed to make the prospect look good. These fights are not usually televised or noted by fans.

However, occasionally we get a Thurman or Berto who is put on TV while fighting bums. People get the impression that the fighter is a destructive machine, when in reality he's doing what prospects do, which is stop bums.

Fighters who succeed against bums usually step up in class to fight "gatekeepers." These are gentlemen who lack world-level skill but possess durability, name recognition, or a fan base. These fights may or may not be televised. In Thurman's case, this would be Zaveck, Chaves, and Bundu.

Finally, the fighter gets a top 10 opponent and/or a title shot. In Thurman's case, this would be Guerrero.

For a parallel, look at one of my favorite fighters, Joe Calzaghe. He was 22(21)-0 going into his first title fight, and was looked at as a bit of a destroyer. He fought Eubank, who he dropped but didn't stop, because Eubank was not a bum. And as his level of opponent increased, he stopped getting so many stoppages because the guys he fought were better and more durable.

I'm a big fan of Thurman and he has a lot of power. He'd KO a few top 10 guys, but a lot of them are really tough AND good, and those are guys he'll have a hard time stopping. This isn't a bad thing, it's the nature of top competition. So what I'm saying is I agree with you.

 

Shoulder surgery can do that.