Thurman vs Spence..

[Spicoli]

The mental make up between the two is pretty far apart to me. Thurman has shown he has no problem coasting and trying to box for preservation, but he has this massive rigidity about him, It almost looks over rehearsed and bit uncertain. The guy is so tightly wound. And I'm fully convinced he has a glass gut, if that's a thing. Spence is just a methodical destroyer and has a genuine self confidence about him. Now I've said it before and again last night.....he really has yet to show a great ability or willingness to move side to side and can be somewhat straight forward and straight back but it's very deceiving. He shifts gears very quickly and changes that when he gets a guy hurt. Brook was literally lifting his leg at one point in the 7th or 8th off the body shots and once the 9th came Spence came out very fluid and looking to end it. Spence positions you with punches and knows how to invest very early, I don't see Thurman taking what he dishes out and think Spence stops him as well.

[Ron Swanson]

The mental make up between the two is pretty far apart to me. Thurman has shown he has no problem coasting and trying to box for preservation, but he has this massive rigidity about him, It almost looks over rehearsed and bit uncertain. The guy is so tightly wound. And I'm fully convinced he has a glass gut, if that's a thing. Spence is just a methodical destroyer and has a genuine self confidence about him. Now I've said it before and again last night.....he really has yet to show a great ability or willingness to move side to side and can be somewhat straight forward and straight back but it's very deceiving. He shifts gears very quickly and changes that when he gets a guy hurt. Brook was literally lifting his leg at one point in the 7th or 8th off the body shots and once the 9th came Spence came out very fluid and looking to end it. Spence positions you with punches and knows how to invest very early, I don't see Thurman taking what he dishes out and think Spence stops him as well.

I think the same about Thurman. His bluster comes off very fake to me like he thinks he should say things but doesn't believe it. And his fights back it up. He says he decides to box the guys but he always makes that "decision" after he gets hit. I didn't expect him to get hit as much as he did vs Garcia and Porter. I find them both to be very limited. And if I did think he would get hit so much I wouldn't have expected him to hold up as well as he did. So I admit I underestimated him in some ways and overestimated him in others. So I've been wrong about him. But I'm still completely convinced he isn't about that action when Spence starts to dig into his midsection. And I'm convinced he knows he isn't about that action. Now that he is sidelined with his little elbow debridement surgery and claiming far more recovery time than is necessary for such a common minor surgery, now he speaks up? Comes off just as fake as the rest.

I think eventually he will take the fight so not to break the facade. But he'll hope to catch Spence early and avoid that work. And when he gets that work the true Thurman will show, and he doesn't have what Brook had inside him.

[greynotsoold]

The mental make up between the two is pretty far apart to me. Thurman has shown he has no problem coasting and trying to box for preservation, but he has this massive rigidity about him, It almost looks over rehearsed and bit uncertain. The guy is so tightly wound. And I'm fully convinced he has a glass gut, if that's a thing. Spence is just a methodical destroyer and has a genuine self confidence about him. Now I've said it before and again last night.....he really has yet to show a great ability or willingness to move side to side and can be somewhat straight forward and straight back but it's very deceiving. He shifts gears very quickly and changes that when he gets a guy hurt. Brook was literally lifting his leg at one point in the 7th or 8th off the body shots and once the 9th came Spence came out very fluid and looking to end it. Spence positions you with punches and knows how to invest very early, I don't see Thurman taking what he dishes out and think Spence stops him as well.

Very good post. If they fight....Derrick James has done a great job of making Spencer's into a professional fighter. Thurman sucks, can't fight much at all.

[Fenster]

Like almost everyone else I don't give Thurman much chance.

Gonna take some fighter to deal with the superb, non-stop Duran-esqe body bashing combined with the excellent, consistent southpaw jab. Thurman will quickly be reduced to swinging for a home run when he can trade, he can clump but is hardly Julian Jackson and susceptible to body and head.

Gonna need more than a "lucky" punch to get rid of Spence any time soon.

[Kirkland Laing]

Collazo hurt Thurman to the body but maybe it was just a weird one off that a non puncher managed to catch somebody who had trained for an easy fight. Porter and Garcia didn't make a dent compared to Collazo. I have a feeling Spence will though. I can't see Thurman either outboxing or outworking Spence and I would guess another late stoppage for Spence.

[johnsebastianmiran]

Collazo hurt Thurman to the body but maybe it was just a weird one off that a non puncher managed to catch somebody who had trained for an easy fight. Porter and Garcia didn't make a dent compared to Collazo. I have a feeling Spence will though. I can't see Thurman either outboxing or outworking Spence and I would guess another late stoppage for Spence.

Many old time trainers I was told in Gleason's gym long ago used to take guys with brittle hands or a lack of power making them body punchers and a bit more effective with the lesser incidence of hurting their hands.

[Sleepwalker]

Spence is a master at hitting guys on the move and cutting off the ring. 2 factors that will completely neutralize Thurman in the mid to late rounds once he gets on his bicycle.

[johnsebastianmiran]

Spence is a master at hitting guys on the move and cutting off the ring. 2 factors that will completely neutralize Thurman in the mid to late rounds once he gets on his bicycle.

Sounds solid to me.

[mikeeod]

It's a great match up, but as others have stated, I think Spence's body work and aggression win him the fight. Thurman will be tricky and difficult throughout (especially the first half), but Spence is faster than Garcia and applies just as much pressure. Think Spence gets the decision but wouldn't be shocked with a late stoppage either.

[Master]

It's a great match up, but as others have stated, I think Spence's body work and aggression win him the fight. Thurman will be tricky and difficult throughout (especially the first half), but Spence is faster than Garcia and applies just as much pressure. Think Spence gets the decision but wouldn't be shocked with a late stoppage either.

If I was Thurman I would be 100% focussed and have to be on my A game. I would start fast and throw a lot of right hands and counter left hooks to put Spence off his jab. I would tie up Spence inside almost immediately so he can not work to the body.

The second half of the fight I would become more unorthodox and use more movement and punches from unusual angles as Spence becomes more frustrated.

Thurman will have to use his physical strength throughout the fight and win a close, even split decision. Thurman would then be the man of the division and Floyd will have to come out of retirement to face his obvious successor.

[ez396979@yahoo.com]

I think Spence takes this in a close fight.. Maybe split, majority decision. Spence will make thurman fight more than he wants to and will end up edging him out most rounds. Thurman will catch him with some hard punches upstairs, but the body shots he'll end up taking in alot of these exchanges will catch up to him. Just my 2 cents.

[armin]

Ugh after kov fell i need spence to win whom ive been high on since the olympics n not sure anyone around the weight beats him