Bakhram Murtazaliev insisted that he had no downside becoming his 6’0″ body right into a junior middleweight uniform.
The defending IBF titlist proved it on the scales on Friday, when he checked in at a slender 152.8 kilos. Russia’s Murtazaliev is about for his first title protection versus former WBO titleholder Tim Tszyu, who weighed 153.4 kilos.
Their scheduled 12-round bout will headline a Premier Boxing Champions present this Saturday from Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida. Prime Video will air the occasion dwell, starting at 8:00 p.m. ET.
Murtazaliev (22-0, 16 KOs) landed a high-profile affair for first title protection. He additionally finds himself again on the PBC circuit—this time with a televised viewers.
The unbeaten Russian received the belt on the highway and in spectacular style. Murtazaliev knocked out Jack Culcay within the eleventh spherical of their April 6 vacant title struggle in Falkansee, Germany.
Validation got here from Murtazaliev’s ridiculously lengthy await a title shot. He turned the necessary in Nov. 2019, then accepted a number of step apart gives which included 4 consecutive non-televised bouts. His workforce lastly stood tall final 12 months when the IBF ordered his title shot.
It resulted in then-Ring/undisputed champion Jermell Charlo (35-2-1, 19 KOs) vacating his IBF belt. Charlo has since parted methods with all of his divisional {hardware}.
Saturday marks PBC’s first standalone non-pay-per-view occasion on Prime Video. Its PPV launch on the platform was additionally headlined by Tszyu. (24-1, 17 KOs), who beforehand held the WBO junior middleweight title.
The Ring’s No. 4-rated junior middleweight was upgraded to full from interim titlist final September, additionally a results of an awaited shot versus Charlo which by no means got here to move. He defended the belt in a twelve-round factors win versus Brian Mendoza final Oct. 15 in Broadbeach, Australia.
The reign led to a gory break up determination defeat to Fundora, No. 3 at 154. Tszyu was as a consequence of face former welterweight titleholder Keith Thurman, who withdrew as a consequence of damage. Fundora was scheduled to seem on the undercard and agreed to fill the void atop the invoice.
Tszyu jumped out to a robust opening spherical however suffered a lower alongside the highest of his scalp when he collided with Fundora’s elbow. His face was a masks of blood at some point of the struggle, which he got here up simply quick on two scorecards.
The wound was deep sufficient to the place he wasn’t medically cleared in time to honor an Aug. 3 showdown versus Vergil Ortiz (21-0, 21 KOs). The bout would have landed on the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov undercard at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
Slightly than a return residence, Tszyu will struggle for the second straight within the U.S., this time in his East Coast debut.
Beneath are the weights for the remaining bouts of the PBC on Prime Video tripleheader.
Yoenis Tellez (8-0, 6 KOs), Stafford, Texas through Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, 153.8 kilos
Johan Gonzalez (35-3, 34 KOs), Las Vegas through Valencia, Venezuela, 153 kilos
10 rounds, junior middleweight
Cesar Mateo Tapia (17-0, 10 KOs), Narrabeen, Australia, 160 kilos
Endry Saavedra (16-1, 13 KOs), Tijuana, Mexico, 159.8 kilos
10 rounds, middleweight
