IBF junior middleweight champion Bakhram Murtazaliev (23-0, 17 KOs) blitzed Tim Tszyu (24-2, 17 KOs), scoring a lightning-quick third-round TKO on Saturday evening in Orlando, Florida.
(Credit score: Joseph Correa/Premier Boxing Champions)
Murtazaliev, 31, made an announcement along with his four-knockdown, third-round stoppage of the previous WBO 154-lb champion Tszyu tonight, who has seen his once-promising profession turned the other way up.
This was Tszyu’s second consecutive defeat, and his profession is now in unhealthy form. Will probably be laborious for him to claw his approach again to the place he was a 12 months in the past earlier than he suffered his first loss towards Sebastian Fundora.
These two defeats have proven that Tszyu can’t afford to proceed being a slugger as a result of he lacks the dimensions, energy, or chin to take that strategy.
After the combat tonight, Murtazaliev mentioned he desires considered one of these fighters subsequent:
– Errol Spence
– Terence Crawford
– Sebastian Fundora
When requested if he’d be excited about preventing former undisputed 154-lb champion Jermell Charlo, Murtazaliev mentioned he desires the above checklist in order that he can combat for world titles. Jermell selected to not combat Murtazaliev in 2023 when he was his IBF necessary, and he was ordered to combat him. As a substitute, Jermell vacated his IBF belt.
“We simply labored on these mixtures on a regular basis, and when the combat got here, it was automated,” mentioned Murtazaliev. “We labored for ten weeks on these punches that damage him. We created alternatives, and we believed that we might win this combat.”
Murtazaliev is a nonstop puncher, and Tszyu’s determination to slug with him on Saturday evening performed into his arms. Tszyu didn’t comply with the identical combat technique that Murtazaliev’s earlier opponent, Jack Culcay, had used towards him earlier this 12 months. Culcay was boxing Murtazaliev, and he made it tough to knock him out. The 38-year-old made it to the eleventh spherical earlier than Murtazaliev lastly stopped him, and that was with him preventing cautiously.
“My priorities are to combat for extra titles towards Spence, Fundora, or Crawford. But when we are able to’t make it occur, then we’ll select the best choice for us that can give us the very best alternatives,” mentioned Murtazaliev to the media when requested if he’d be excited about preventing inactive WBA Champion in Recess Jermell Charlo subsequent.
Spence and Fundora are alleged to combat subsequent. Nevertheless, if Spence wins, he’s doubtless going to push for a rematch with Crawford as a result of he has unfinished enterprise with him from his loss final 12 months, and it’s a much bigger cash combat for him than preventing Murtazaliev.
