Tim Tszyu feels that the perfect means for him to defeat IBF junior middleweight champion Bakhram Murtazaliev (22-0, 16 KOs) is to KO him within the first 30 seconds of their struggle this Saturday, October nineteenth, on the Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida. The previous WBO 154-lb champion Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs) needs the match to finish as shortly as potential to indicate that he’s again after his loss to Sebastian Fundora on March thirtieth.
(Credit score: Joseph Correa/Premier Boxing Champions)
“Proper now, it might in all probability be [Jermell] Charlo, Errol Spence, and Crawford,” mentioned Tim Tszyu to Struggle Hub TV about who he want to struggle in 2025 if he had the selection. “I’m simply getting ready for one of the best model of myself and staying current in each single second of the struggle,” mentioned Tszyu, describing what he’s getting ready for in his struggle in opposition to Bakhram Murtazaliev on Saturday.
It’s questionable whether or not Tszyu will get any of the three fighters on his wishlist for 2025, particularly Crawford and Charlo. These two are out of attain for him. If Crawford will get formidable and desires to go for the undisputed championship, he’ll struggle Tszyu sooner or later if he can seize the IBF title from Murtazaliev.
“I haven’t thought a lot about him in any respect, in all honesty. I do know he’s powerful and harmful and stuff like that. It’s me who’s within the ring. Precisely,” mentioned Tszyu when requested if it’s extra about what he does and fewer about what his opponent, Murtazaliev, is doing within the struggle.
“Perhaps in a single given time within the struggle in opposition to Fundora, I misplaced a little bit of focus. Feelings performed a component and distractions. It made me lose a few rounds, which value me the struggle. It was a cut up choice by just one level. If you calculate all of it out, each spherical issues and each second issues.
“Yeah, I’d say it was a part of the reduce, particularly within the early rounds within the mid-rounds,” mentioned Tszyu about why he misplaced focus throughout his struggle in opposition to Fundora. “For me, it was a lesson realized. It doesn’t matter what circumstances you’re given, there are not any excuses it doesn’t matter what. That’s how I method it now.”
Speaking in regards to the reduce now as the rationale for his defeat makes Tszyu sound like he’s making excuses to the followers. It might have been higher for Tszyu to confess that Fundora’s peak was the true drawback as a result of he had a variety of hassle with the fighter’s size and peak. Fundora was stabbing Tszyu with jabs all evening and making him pay for the photographs he landed.
“No, I nonetheless had the assumption that was comfy with him at a sure time,” mentioned Tszyu when requested if there was ever a time throughout the Fundora struggle the place there was a dialogue about presumably stopping the competition because of his dangerous reduce. “So, I felt like I might flip the tide round and land my photographs, those that I used to be touchdown within the earlier [rounds].”
Tszyu was in search of a one-punch knockout of Fundora, attempting to imitate what Brian Mendoza had achieved to him, however that wasn’t going to occur. He couldn’t catch him with the right shot to harm him the best way Mendoza did. That was the distinction. Tszyu’s wildness created a variety of openings for Fundora to land his jabs, left hooks, and proper fingers, which made his face look much more bloody.
“I noticed that he was damage within the early rounds. So, I felt like I might have gotten the job achieved. From the highlights, I assumed he regarded fairly good,” mentioned Tszyu about Murtazaliev’s struggle in opposition to Jack Culcay. “No, I didn’t watch. I don’t actually watch fights. I actually don’t watch my fights, in all honesty,” mentioned Tszyu when requested if he needed a replay of his match in opposition to Fundora from March thirtieth.
Fundora regarded like he was there to be knocked out within the first two rounds in opposition to Tszyu earlier than the reduce occurred. As soon as the reduce opened in spherical two, Tszyu’s face was pooled with blood, and he couldn’t see something. He was swinging wildly, lacking and getting countered by the 6’6″ Fundora. The struggle ought to have been stopped when it was clear that Tszyu’s reduce man wasn’t capable of cease the bleeding.
“30 seconds, however I’m not in search of the knockout,” mentioned Tszyu about what the right struggle can be for him in opposition to Murtazaliev on Saturday evening. “I’m simply trying to present the canine in me, and I’m able to have that feeling again.”
Tszyu should put himself prone to getting clipped by the 6’0″ Murtazaliev, who’s tall and may punch with both hand. He places his photographs collectively and isn’t afraid to get hit. This isn’t the perfect comeback opponent for Tszyu to be preventing, coming off a punishing 12-round cut up choice defeat in opposition to Sebastian Fundora. If issues don’t go proper for Tszyu on this struggle, he can blame himself for selecting such a tricky opponent as a substitute of a confidence-booster-level fighter.
