Keith Thurman needs to speak up

By goldode1 - 06/30/2014 - Comments

thurman32222WBA interim welterweight champion Keith Thurman (23-0, 21 KO’s) has apparently earned the title as the most avoided fighter in the welterweight division. It takes courage to get into the ring as a professional prize fighter and I find it difficult for any fighter to be classified as scared.

Let me start off by saying that I know Keith Thurman has not fought anyone that will give him real credit as a top level fighter and many fans believe that none of the top ten fighters will give him a shot, but is Thurman really doing everything in his power to get these big fights?

It was the hardcore boxing fans that branded Thurman as the most avoided welterweight. We noticed he was getting avoided and we shed some light on it. First and foremost, boxing is a sport where the majority of the time the casual boxing fan gets what they want. They do not really care about who their fighter’s opponent is and just want to see them win. It is the hardcore fans that are stuck watching fights that are pure entertainment. For example, I went to a sports bar to watch the Mayweather vs Maidana fight and this guy turns around to get my attention when the Mayweather vs Canelo highlights come on before the fight starts and tells me, “This guy (referring to Canelo) was a dangerous, tough, and an undefeated opponent that Mayweather took school.” Funniest part was when asked him who the red hair guy was (acting as if I did not know) he said “I do not know, but he was good.” I sat back and told him to enjoy the Maidana fight… maybe he will remember his name.

The reason I am mentioning this is because boxers these days have a small window of opportunity during their televised events to promote themselves and capture these casual fans. Thurman easily impressed many fans with his power, but when given the opportunity during post-fight interviews to actually call a boxer out, he states he wants to fight anyone in general for the most part. He did not capitalize during his first post-fight interview that Maidana ducked him even when Max Kellerman mentioned Maidana dropped out of the fight. Instead at the time, he called out champions Floyd, Malignaggi, and Bradley which attracted some attention, but no one took him serious. Then comes the Quintana fight, where again he had an opportunity to mention Maidana or even Canelo because Quintana was using Thurman as a stepping stone for a Canelo fight, but instead stated he will fight anybody. Then there was the Karass fight on the Broner vs Maidana’s undercard when he knew casual fans were watching and he still did not call out the winner knowing he was the mandatory. Instead he is telling casual fans he wants to fight the top ten or to do their research on him. These fans are not going to do this let alone know who the top ten are. They are not going to read articles, watch videos, and look up his credentials or ranking. Currently, Robert Guerrero is avoiding him, making fun of him, and he stays quiet. He has social media which is an easy way to create demand for the fight, and he has done nothing.

Regardless of what is said, boxers are in complete control of their careers. They choose who they do or do not want to fight. Thurman is one to boast about how he never says no to any fighter willing to fight him. Maybe Thurman should start saying no to some of these fights because if he keeps saying yes to all of them, he is going to be facing many more Julio Diaz and Jesus Soto Karass type fighters while helping these top ten fighters avoid him. He says he lets his team choose for him which indicates he has made the choice to keep his mouth shut when it matters, then he should expect to be matched up with same level of competition he has been receiving. This is not a knock on his competition, but he needs to take control of his career. He is a free agent with a good relationship with Golden Boy Promotions and Al Haymon as his manager. He has a good amateur background and ranked in the top ten in the welterweight division for over a year. With his connections and credentials one would think he could at least have enough pull to get a title shot, a top ten fighter, or marketable opponent. He has held countless mandatory positions against many marketable opponents, but he keeps getting skipped over. Not only did these fighters skip him, they are making more money than he is now. Keith Thurman needs to SPEAK UP and market himself. Create hype or at least use the hype hardcore fans have created for him. Spark the interest of the casual fan. These fans might have seen him fight before and do not remember him. This is a very easy example for the next post-fight interview assuming it is another low level fighter and that he wins.

Jim Gray: “Keith who would you like to fight next?”

Keith Thurman: “Well Jim, I’ve been a top ten welterweight for over a year now; I was the mandatory challenger for Timothy Bradley, Adrien Broner, Marcus Maidana, and currently Floyd “Money” Mayweather. Since no one seems to want any part of me, the real question is who wants to fight me next? So for now, I am just going to home and catch Keith Urban in concert because I heard there is a little ghost there that keeps ducking me.”

Something simple like this can at least create a demand for a more competitive fight which most of us want to see him in.  Until then, the verdict is still out on Thurman.

 

 



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