Shots Fired: Thurman "Maidana is Ducking Me"

[DoktorSleepless]

He fought Karass instead, who despite what happened lately, at that point was as much a nobody but coming into the fight like 2-6, all against unranked opposition

Exactly, he was guy with only a 45% ko ratio coming off a recent bad loss. THAT's a tuneup fight.

[Russian Crushin]

Exactly, he was guy with only a 45% ko ratio coming off a recent bad loss. THAT's a tuneup fight.

Tune up for what? He fought Lopez next, 9 months later! He ducked Thurman because he perceived him as too dangerous and chose a fighter that he thought would be easier. How is that not a duck? If you're going to talk about tune ups and crap, you better actually getting tuned up for a tough fight. He took what he perceived as an easier opponent, thats the definition of a duck. Who cares the KO ratio. Karass would have a similar KO ratio against the guys Thurman fought anyway

[Castro Jr]

Exactly, he was guy with only a 45% ko ratio coming off a recent bad loss. THAT's a tuneup fight.

Tune up for what? He fought Lopez next, 9 months later! He ducked Thurman because he perceived him as too dangerous and chose a fighter that he thought would be easier. How is that not a duck? If you're going to talk about tune ups and crap, you better actually getting tuned up for a tough fight. He took what he perceived as an easier opponent, thats the definition of a duck. Who cares the KO ratio. Karass would have a similar KO ratio against the guys Thurman fought anyway

doktor pupusas is getting owned

[Kagami Taiga]

maidana has ducked bradley and thurman. i dunno why anyone is arguing otherwise.

[DoktorSleepless]

Tune up for what? He fought Lopez next, 9 months later!

Call it a confidence builder. It's something fighters do coming off lopsided losses. I'm sure he he planned to fight earlier after Karass, but Maidana doesn't have complete control over when he gets a prime time slot next. (hence the other lowkey fight in Argentina inbetween) I'm sure there were plenty of earlier dates that fell through (like the Paulie title fight), as is common in the boxing business.

because he perceived him as too dangerous and chose a fighter that he thought would be easier.

Yes. Thank you for stating the definition of what a tuneup is. Taking lesser fighters over more dangerous fighters.

Who cares the KO ratio. Karass would have a similar KO ratio against the guys Thurman fought anyway

So you're saying he took on a guy who you think was equivalent to a Thurman at the time? What's the problem then?

[Russian Crushin]

Call it a confidence builder. It's something fighters do coming off a lopsided losses. I'm sure he he planned to fight earlier, but Maidana doesn't have complete control over when he gets a prime time slot next. (hence the other lowkey fight in Argentina inbetween) I'm sure there were plenty of earlier dates that fell through (like the Paulie title fight), as is common in the boxing business.

What does that have to do with anything?

Yes. Thank you for stating the definition of what a tuneup is. Taking lesser fighters over more dangerous fighters.

First of all, a tune up to what? Second of all either fighter should have been a tune up. He already agreed to fight Thurman. Avoiding a 40th ranked guy with a good KO ratio to fight a 30th ranked one makes no sense at all. He even dropped an HBO co feature slot just so he wouldnt have to face him!

So you're saying he took on a guy who you think was equivalent to a Thurman at the time? What's the problem then?

There's no problem with that. He ducked Thurman and then fought Karass 2.5 months later, not sure why you're rewriting history. He could have fought both. Thurman was not highly regarded by anyone in any sense. Its just that Thurman has actually been successful that you're saying he was a dangerous fight. At that time nobody was saying that at all

[sicko]

Well they did almost fight and it was Maidana that pulled out...I wouldn't go as far to say that "Maidana Is Ducking Thurman" but I don't think he is in a rush to fight him and not many are at Welterweight. That dude is a Welterweight with Middleweight Power!

[Mayweather41-0]

this fight would be pure fireworks and bombs away

[DoktorSleepless]

What does that have to do with anything?

You asked what the tuneup was for. I'm saying it wasn't necessarily a tuneup to prepare for a next big fight shortly right after. I'm saying it was a confidence builder, which is a tuneup up sorts. Then you said his next fight was 9 month later with the implicit point that it really wasn't a tuneup because too much time passed by. I then explained that the obvious point that shit doesn't always work out.

First of all, a tune up to what?!

See above answer.

Second of all either fighter should have been a tune up. He already agreed to fight Thurman. Avoiding a 40th ranked guy with a good KO ratio to fight a 30th ranked one makes no sense at all. He even dropped an HBO co feature slot just so he wouldnt have to face him

Who give a **** where he was ranked? I'm sure Sergey Kovalev was ranked nowhere before Campillo, but it doesn't mean matchmakers/managers can't see he's a big puncher on tape. Big punchers like Thurman coming up the ranks are unknown risks. It's the type of fight you don't take as a tuneup. Tuneups should never involved guys with high KO ratios. And he was with Al Haymon for a reason. Karass on the other hand has fought enough and lost enough to know what you're getting into. There's no mystery with him. He's a come forward brawler that will make it easy for Maidana to look good. That's the type of tuneup you want.

He even dropped an HBO co feature slot just so he wouldn't have to face him!..He could have fought both.

Maidana is a highly demanded fighter. He's in a position where he could decline dates because he knows premium cable will give him another date. And promoters usually only guarantee two premium dates per year so fighting both Thurman and Karass would have been unlikely.

not sure why you're rewriting history.

Where the did I rewrite history?

[thuggery]

I'm not sure if I like this fight. I don't like Kieth Thurman and I wish him failure in his career.