Keith Thurman Beats Up Carlos Quintana

Keith Thurman met spoiler Carlos Quintana in the TV opener on HBO, and probably messed up Quintana’s rep as a spolier, because Thurman laid his heavy hands on the vet, and worked him over, achieving a stoppage in the fourth. Thurman scored a knockdown in the first, and at 2:19, the winner piled up combos upon a buzzed and increasingly discombobulated loser in round four of the junior middleweight tussle.

Thurman went 57-170, to 20-134 for the veteran.

After the fight, Thurman gave himself a B+ to A-. “I’m calling out the world of boxing!” he said. Call Al Haymon, guys at 147 to 154, and get some. Jim Lampley called Thurman a “rising star.” Certainly someone I want to see more of. Who should he fight next, friends?

The 24-0 Floridian Thurman, age 24, last fought in July. He won a TKO6 over Orlando Lora. The 29-3 Puerto Rican won a TKO6 over Deandre Latimore in Vegas in his last scrap. He held the WBO welter title in 2008, with a win over then champ Paul Williams.

?Thurman stalked the 36 year-old lefty hard to start. A body shot put Quintana down at nine in the first. The left to the liver was nasty.

In the second, Thurman kept on stalking but not stupidly. He respected Quintana’s countering ability. In the third, trainer Dan Birmingham, miked in his corner, told Thurman to punch straight. The Q corner told their man to touch Thurman, anywhere. He was hurt in the fourth, bigtime. The ref hopped in, and saved Q from really getting smashed to smithereens. Thurman impressed on this night, and I’m keen on seeing what he’ll do next.

Adrien Broner said in a chat with Max Kellerman since his win last week, he’s had to change his number more than a hood drug dealer. He has a tune out on YouTube, he told Max. He said you can throw him into the jungle with gloves on and he’d come out with a crocodile belt and a mink on. Next? He said he’s so high, the clouds are underneath him. He said he’d like Pacquiao. Max mentioned him and Floyd.

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Check back for David Avila’s ringside report.