When Keith Thurman enters a ring he is always gunning for the knockout. He usually gets them too, which is way he has earned the nickname "One Time," he only needs one power shot to end his opponents night early. But that one time never came against the tough, but outclassed Jan Zaveck.
But for his part Thurman didn't get discouraged as Zaveck stood up to all his power shots. He stayed composed, never strayed from his gameplan, and pitched a shutout with all three judges scoring all 12 rounds in his favor. It was only the third time in his career that he has gone past six rounds. The fact that he didn't wear down in the championship rounds shows that Thurman is more versatile then first thought. This is a fighter who needs more rounds to build his skill, so this fight was a great help. As impressive as Thurman was, he also shows some vulnerability.
On one or two occassion Zaveck seemed to hurt Thurman, albeit temporarily. And towards the end of the fight some of Thurman's punches came in wide and looping, something a more skilled fighter could have taken advantage of. But Thurman also hurt Zaveck many times, although he never forced him to taste canvass. Zaveck's chin was too good, but Thurman was too skilled.
With this victory, Thurman will finally start to be viewed as a legit welterweight title conteder, something that in the past seemed like more of a pipe dream. He is a powerhouse puncher, well spoken, and charismatic, all things that will help him build a succesful career. What comes next for Thurman is still a question, will he promoters pitch him a softball to keep his undefeated record intact, or will he once again step up and face a legit welterweight? For big time boxing fans a fight between Thurman and the always exciting Andre Berto would be a dream. Hopefully that dream becomes reality.
But for his part Thurman didn't get discouraged as Zaveck stood up to all his power shots. He stayed composed, never strayed from his gameplan, and pitched a shutout with all three judges scoring all 12 rounds in his favor. It was only the third time in his career that he has gone past six rounds. The fact that he didn't wear down in the championship rounds shows that Thurman is more versatile then first thought. This is a fighter who needs more rounds to build his skill, so this fight was a great help. As impressive as Thurman was, he also shows some vulnerability.
On one or two occassion Zaveck seemed to hurt Thurman, albeit temporarily. And towards the end of the fight some of Thurman's punches came in wide and looping, something a more skilled fighter could have taken advantage of. But Thurman also hurt Zaveck many times, although he never forced him to taste canvass. Zaveck's chin was too good, but Thurman was too skilled.
With this victory, Thurman will finally start to be viewed as a legit welterweight title conteder, something that in the past seemed like more of a pipe dream. He is a powerhouse puncher, well spoken, and charismatic, all things that will help him build a succesful career. What comes next for Thurman is still a question, will he promoters pitch him a softball to keep his undefeated record intact, or will he once again step up and face a legit welterweight? For big time boxing fans a fight between Thurman and the always exciting Andre Berto would be a dream. Hopefully that dream becomes reality.
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