Lucas Jones
If there wasn’t already an old-school feel to the way undefeated WBO junior middleweight champion Tim Tszyu carries himself, Hall of Fame son Kostya Tszyu’s recent words and actions certainly screamed throwback vibes.
Tszyu (24-0, 17 KOs) will headline Saturday’s Premier Boxing Champions pay-per-view card, the first since powerful adviser Al Haymon’s company switched from Showtime to Prime Video in what also amounts to 29-year-old Australian Las Vegas debut inside the T-Mobile Arena.
The event was expected to be a groundbreaking night for Tszyu, who is on the verge of stardom. So when it became clear that primary opponent Keith Thurman, the former unified welterweight champion and A-side of the promotion, had been forced to withdraw due to a biceps injury just two weeks earlier, Tszyu never hesitated to accept a new opponent. .
Thurman’s bad luck turned out to be PBC’s gain, as late replacement Sebastian Fundora, the 6-foot-2 southpaw with all-action tendencies, presents a much tougher fight on paper for Tszyu considering his age ( 35) and Thurman’s injury history.
“This fight is a different feeling. I wouldn’t say it’s an angry feeling, but it’s just been built and it’s time to prove it,” Tszyu told the media during Monday’s open training session. “I’m literally quitting now and I feel different. I think that came from the news that Thurman left.
“Before I was very relaxed. Now I’m not. I haven’t felt like this in a long time.”
Tszyu’s willingness to accept a completely different style of opponent on such short notice also improved the stakes this weekend, as Tszyu’s WBO title was initially not sanctioned for the fight given Thurman’s extreme inactivity in the last years. Now, Tszyu will not only be defending the title, the fight has become a unification fight due to the vacant WBC title, which Fundora was initially going to fight for on the undercard against Serhii Bohachuk.
And to top it off, Tszyu’s camp also revealed rumors that undisputed welterweight king and pound-for-pound stalwart Terence Crawford (40-1, 31 KOs) is already in talks to fight the winner this summer.
Tszyu’s decision to accept even more risk before such a big fight has become a trend.
After previously gaining mandatory contender status for the undisputed crown previously worn by Jermell Charlo, Tszyu has now suffered two late withdrawals from Charlo, which has forced him to fight and keep busy against late-breaking opponents. Not only did he pass each test with flying colors thanks to back-to-back knockouts of Tony Harrison and Carlos Ocampo, Tszyu continued to build his star while continually improving with each fight.
Tszyu never got to fight Charlo, as the Houston native chose last fall to move up two divisions and unsuccessfully challenge Canelo Alvarez. Since that one-sided defeat, Charlo has lost all four titles – including the WBO, which elevated Tszyu to full titleholder status – and ceded his designation as the division’s best fighter to Tszyu.
“There’s a lot of growth happening. I go from training camp to training camp,” Tszyu said. “Four fights in 12 months and that’s worth it. I’m getting better and better. I’m learning new things in the game. I am willing to test myself every time.
“I think it’s pretty obvious – [Fundora] It’s tall. But he uses the hooks to his advantage and they are quite long. A lot of people have the same game plan to get in because it’s so high. But they also underestimate my abilities.”
Tszyu’s busy campaign led to his homecoming in October last year when he overcame Brian Mendoza, who had just knocked out Fundora. Now, in a twist of fate, Mendoza will replace Fundora in the tie against Bohachuk, even though the world title is not at stake.
Even though Tszyu is a 6-to-1 betting favorite, he will be forced to adapt from Thurman’s pure boxing style to the brawling and high-octane offense presented by Fundora, who will enjoy 9.5-inch leads on both heights. and reach.
“Compared to Thurman, of course, it’s a completely different game plan,” Tszyu said. “I know what to do with southpaws and I know how to fight tall guys. It’s all about adjustments and even though we didn’t have much time, they were made.
“I’m going to hurt him really bad. That’s the plan. Someone in the crowd is going to catch a flying head. That’s the plan.”
Tszyu may not be displaying his interest in fighting Crawford next out of respect for the challenge at hand against Fundora. But he’s not shy about the idea of accepting the opportunity, as Tszyu continues to dare to be great at every step, climbing the ladder to stardom the old-fashioned way – earning it in the ring.
“[Crawford] It’s an opportunity to become great, for sure,” Tszyu said. “This is the first opportunity to do things no one else does and save the show [and] to still start this historical card. Once the opportunity arises for Crawford, it will be war.
“I guess you could say it feels like home [fighting in Las Vegas for the first time]. This is business, I can relax later.”
