When is a tune up acceptable for a champion?

[SalimShady1212]

After a close win? After a war? After a mandatory? Never? Thoughts?

[FrankieClutch]

I'm all for tune ups after a bad loss and/or a long layoff, but if you're a champ you should always be fighting a ranked opponent at the very least

[El-blanco]

Most divisions are pretty slim, I don't see why a champ can't fight a top ten guy.

[DannYankee]

A tuneup for a champion ? Close to never. Maybe if he gets injured, and I cant even say if he has been inactive for long because then he would just be stripped and not be champion anymore.

[atom-ictortilla]

I think after a long layoff or injury. If Ward was to comeback tomorrow I wouldn't expect him to fight a top guy in his first fight back.

[ИATAS]

A tuneup for a champion ? Close to never. Maybe if he gets injured, and I cant even say if he has been inactive for long because then he would just be stripped and not be champion anymore.

Lineal champs aren't stripped for long layoffs. Still lineal regardless if you got a belt or not, like Ward. I'm fine with tune ups after a long layoff or injury. Another case would be if a guy had a grueling stretch of fights and then had a soft touch before something bigger again. But regardless the tune up should always be a ranked guy, someone in the top 15 at least.

Sometimes it's the sanctioning bodies though where mandatories are so bad they are essentially tune ups. Hopkins vs Mario Kart for example, or the upcoming Kovalev vs Muhammadi.

[Easy Work.]

Before a title fight or after not fighting for a long time

[aldo5408]

When your ggg

[Bushbaby]

Only when your name is Floyd or Pacman and you're doing it on ppv repeatedly.

[SlySlickSmooth]

they should be allowed to fight salka-esque opponents 1-2 months after a title defense while still getting a title defense done within another 1-2 months.