Travis Kauffman Wins by Second Round KO!

I don't have a problem with them bringing him along slow. He's only 23, is fighting regularly enough and seems to be keeping his weight under control. Looks like he's at least 4 years from being on the world stage though, at this pace. If he's good enough, which is way to early to tell. Yeah, not everyone is Mike Tyson, who was 20 and built like a tank. Heavyweights reach maturity around 26 or so. How many top heavyweights are in their 20s? None, really. Kauffman has a long future in front of him and if he can stay busy, by the end of this year he will be 21-0. He'll be 24 by that time and still not at his physical peak.

True, but the Klitschkos had money behind them when they turned pro, Kauffman still doesn't have a promotional deal. It costs money to buy these opponents, money that smaller promoters don't have. Why would a promoter pay $5000 to get a good opponent for a prospect when they don't have him under contract? That's how they look at it. I don't have a problem with them bringing him along slow. He's only 23, is fighting regularly enough and seems to be keeping his weight under control. Looks like he's at least 4 years from being on the world stage though, at this pace. If he's good enough, which is way to early to tell.

In fairness, Wlad faced 10 guys with winning records till that point. And Vitali's 15th fight was a guy 5-0, his 13th opponent with a winning record till that point. Kauffman, only 5 with winning records, and that includes two 2-1s and one 10-9. Slight difference. True, but the Klitschkos had money behind them when they turned pro, Kauffman still doesn't have a promotional deal. It costs money to buy these opponents, money that smaller promoters don't have. Why would a promoter pay $5000 to get a good opponent for a prospect when they don't have him under contract? That's how they look at it.

He's 23 in his 15th fight. In Vitali's 15th fight, he fought a 7-11-2 Louis Monaco and Wladimir fought Ladislav Husarik who was 4-13-1 in his 15th fight. They turned out alright. Kauffman's fight was off TV on a ShoBox card, why would someone fight an undefeated guy off TV when they can wait a little while and get a TV date? It was a stay-busy fight to make up for lost time. Next fight, it'll be against someone better. In fairness, Wlad faced 10 guys with winning records till that point. And Vitali's 15th fight was a guy 5-0, his 13th opponent with a winning record till that point. Kauffman, only 5 with winning records, and that includes two 2-1s and one 10-9. Slight difference.

Vitali fought Belinski 5-0 in his 15th fight. Wlad did fight a bum in his 15th fight, but the guy had at least won his past two. Murphy shouldn't even have been licensed to fight at nearly age 46 after 12 losses in a row. But yes, lets hope Kauffmann fights a respectable journeyman like Cisse Salif or Zuri Lawrence next time out. He will, remember, he just fought a 16-1 Malachy Farrell who had never been down or KO'ed, and he stopped him in three. Granted, Farrell was woefully out of shape, but that's his problem, isn't it? People won't fight a 14-0 guy for cheap, they want a lot of money to fight an undefeated guy, especially one with a lot of knockouts. If the fight isn't on TV, you just can't afford those big name fighters, even the opponents like Lawrence or Salif. At this stage, the opponents make a lot more money than the prospects. It's just how boxing works. Bottom line is this, the fight was on the undercard of bigger fights, those bigger fights cost a lot of money. There just wasn't enough capital to make Kauffman vs. Lawrence. But chances are there will be next time.

People shouldn't get their hopes too high on Kauffmann. He does have the potential to become a decent journeyman like Robert Hawkins, Friday Ahunyana or Timor Ibragimov. He's growing into a man, he's only 23 years old. By 26 he'll be a beast. He has a strong amateur background, unlike most heavyweights today who are really basketball players. He won the gold at the 2004 PAL Nationals, also took home gold at a few other tournaments internationally and at home. I don't know why someone would say he'll be a journeyman when he's only been on TV once.

The opponent was an age 45 former cruiserweight. He'd lost 12 in a row, and won only ONE of his previous 25 fights!! http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=7969&cat=boxer :lame: He's 23 in his 15th fight. In Vitali's 15th fight, he fought a 7-11-2 Louis Monaco and Wladimir fought Ladislav Husarik who was 4-13-1 in his 15th fight. They turned out alright. Kauffman's fight was off TV on a ShoBox card, why would someone fight an undefeated guy off TV when they can wait a little while and get a TV date? It was a stay-busy fight to make up for lost time. Next fight, it'll be against someone better.