Why is Tszyu vs Thurman at a catchweight of 155?

[bigtyivier2k2]

Thurman fought at 147 his career and Tszyu at 154 so why the extra pound at 155?

[Combat Talk Radio]

Because Keef wants to take over Caneloweight and make it Keefweight.

Seriously though, apparently it has something to do with the title and mandatory. Haven't dug deep into it.

[MulaKO]

Cause no one is sanctioning the fight ( ABC )
My question is if no one is sanctioning the fight , why is this contest a 12 round fight since there’s nothing at stake ?

[anonymous2.0]

Cause no one is sanctioning the fight ( ABC )
My question is if no one is sanctioning the fight , why is this contest a 12 round fight since there’s nothing at stake ?

At the very least it's good practice for Tim, going 12 rounds against an ex-champ.

[elfag]

Cause no one is sanctioning the fight ( ABC )
My question is if no one is sanctioning the fight , why is this contest a 12 round fight since there’s nothing at stake ?

bingo. if its at 154, it puts the WBO in the position of having to either count it as a defense or saying outright that thurman doesnt deserve a shot which politically they dont want to get involved in. so it lets them save face, thurman save face and even tszyu save face by not having to admit his opponent isnt challenger material.

theres been a lot of 12 round non title fights. I think even mayweather-mcgreggor was scheduled for 12 rounds. I dont think they even bother trying to justifying it anymore and the commission just agree to it if its a big enough fight. it would be the state commission to enforce their rules that 10 rounds are the max for non title fights but they change their rules as the wind blows. they got no credibility.

[MulaKO]

bingo. if its at 154, it puts the WBO in the position of having to either count it as a defense or saying outright that thurman doesnt deserve a shot which politically they dont want to get involved in. so it lets them save face, thurman save face and even tszyu save face by not having to admit his opponent isnt challenger material.

theres been a lot of 12 round non title fights. I think even mayweather-mcgreggor was scheduled for 12 rounds. I dont think they even bother trying to justifying it anymore and the commission just agree to it if its a big enough fight. it would be the state commission to enforce their rules that 10 rounds are the max for non title fights but they change their rules as the wind blows. they got no credibility.

It’s just pure fughin bullchit
Keef shouldn’t be fighting a Tazoo especially after being out of the ring for two years
I would believe this fight more if at least he had taken a tuneup but not even
And people here thinking that Keef has any credible chance are even more ignorant than than the Fury/AJ fans who think they are that great at boxing

[Eff Pandas]

Cause no one is sanctioning the fight ( ABC )
My question is if no one is sanctioning the fight , why is this contest a 12 round fight since there’s nothing at stake ?

Lotsa fights between top guys without a belt are still 12rds.

The belt issue doesn't really make sense to me for the weight the more I think about it tho. Ok its not for Tszyu's belt. But why 155 instead of 154? The belt group has also said if Tszyu loses they'll strip the belt from him anyway at 155 so idk why they wouldn't just fight at 154. Weird to me, but maybe some logic I'm missing.

[KayDub]

Lotsa fights between top guys without a belt are still 12rds.

The belt issue doesn't really make sense to me for the weight the more I think about it tho. Ok its not for Tszyu's belt. But why 155 instead of 154? The belt group has also said if Tszyu loses they'll strip the belt from him anyway at 155 so idk why they wouldn't just fight at 154. Weird to me, but maybe some logic I'm missing.

At 155lbs Tszyu will only lose the belt if he loses the fight. If he wins he will keep his belt. The belt is not being put up for the fight.

At 154lbs Tszyu would've forfeited the belt to fight Keith. Wouldn't have mattered if he won or lost, he would've been stripped.

[dan-b]

At 155lbs Tszyu will only lose the belt if he loses the fight. If he wins he will keep his belt. The belt is not being put up for the fight.

At 154lbs Tszyu would've forfeited the belt to fight Keith. Wouldn't have mattered if he won or lost, he would've been stripped.

Correct, I actually looked up the rule a while ago in this post.

SECTION 15. NONCHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTS or NON-WBO
CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTS
(a) A WBO champions shall not participate in a non-championship fight that is not a
WBO Championship without the prior authorization of the WBO World Championship
Committee. This authorization shall be subject to such conditions as the WBO World
Championship Committee determines. In addition, this authorization will be granted only
on the condition that the WBO Champion pay a fee to the WBO that is the equivalent of
the amount that he WBO Champion would have paid to the WBO if the non-championship
fight were conducted as a WBO Championship fight.
(b) If a WBO Champion participates in a non-WBO Championship or Non-title fight as
the case may be, the WBO World Championship Committee may order the WBO
Champion fulfillment of his Mandatory title defense immediately thereafter in spite of the
WBO Champion being within his voluntary title defense period.
(c) A WBO Champion who wins a non-WBO Championship in weight class that is
different than the weight class in which he holds his WBO Championship must
decide within ten (10) days of the non-WBO Championship which title in which
weight class he will retain. No WBO Champion may hold a non-WBO
Championship in a weight class that is different from the weight class of his WBO
Championship.
(d) The WBO may vacate the title of any Champion who conducts a contest in the
Champion’s Weight Division which is not a defense of the title.

[Roadblock]

I was under the impression if you hold a WT, say 154, and you fight a guy over 12 rnds at 154 you lose the title, the opponent doesn't get it for sure because then sanctioning comes into it, but the holder is stripped if he loses it, but by having it at 155 all that goes out the window its a non-title fight because it's no longer under the conditions of that title.

Maybe the WBO didn't want all the backlash from genuine contenders more deserving of a title shot getting in their grill if they sanctioned Thurman, the weird part for me is why strip Tim if he loses, this appears to me to be no different if Tim went for a 160 title and lost, he still retains his 154 belt, it seems a bit weird the way they have done it.