Tim Tszyu believes that his opponent, IBF junior middleweight champion Bakhram Murtazaliev, could possibly be overwhelmed by the second of being within the highlight for the primary time of their struggle this Saturday, October nineteenth, on the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida. Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs) is attempting to make Murtazaliev (22-0, 16 KOs) query himself so he gained’t be at his greatest on Saturday as a result of he wants him to not be.
(Credit score: Joseph Correa/Premier Boxing Champions)
Tszyu misplaced his final struggle towards Sebastian Fundora on March thirtieth, and he’s going into this match with loads of doubt about his profession. He’s in a must-win scenario towards Murtazaliev as a result of if he loses this, these cash fights that he’d dreamed about getting could possibly be gone for good.
“I feel he’s not used to this highlight,” stated Tim Tszyu to Jai McAllister, about his perception that Bakhram Murtazaliev has by no means been in a strain scenario like this. “I really feel like a lion. A lion goes via loads of battles of their life, and it doesn’t matter what, they arrive up.
“If it pays, why not, and we do have unfinished enterprise?” stated Tszyu when requested about whether or not he’d be serious about preventing inactive former WBA and WBC welterweight champion Keith Thurman, who hasn’t fought in nearly three years, and can flip 36-years-old on November 23.
Thurman may have been inactive for 3 years in February, and no matter reputation he as soon as had a few years in the past, it’s diminished. He’s fought solely 4 instances within the final seven years since 2017. Whereas a few of that’s injury-related, a lot of it has to do with only a lack of ambition to maintain his profession afloat. It could be dangerous for Tszyu to conform to a struggle towards Thurman as a result of he won’t make it via coaching camp with out struggling an damage associated to his age and bodily decline.
“Xander? I haven’t had my eyes on him in any respect. I’ve been kind of chasing the massive canine proper now,” stated Tszyu when instructed that unbeaten #3 WBC Xander Zayas stated that he needs to struggle him.
The Prime Rank-promoted Zayas seemed poor in his current struggle towards Damian Sosa on September twenty eighth. Zayas isn’t well-known sufficient amongst followers and has no punching energy to make a struggle between him and Tszyu worthwhile for followers to look at. Prime Rank goes to wish to determine what they’re going to do with him as a result of he and a few different of their notable guys are going nowhere.
“Catch him when he’s unexpecting,” stated Tszyu about what his prediction is for his struggle towards Murtazaliev on Saturday evening. “I feel he understood a very long time in the past. I feel he’s been dreaming about this struggle and fascinated with it. I feel he’s been overthinking it. In all honesty, I haven’t been considering a lot in regards to the struggle. In relation to struggle evening, I do know when to place it on. I bought different issues.”
Tszyu frequently denying that he’s been fascinated with his struggle towards Murtazaliev is an indication that if he had been to confess that he’s thought bout the matchup, it might be perceived as a weak point on his half. So, he’s attempting to undertaking power by appearing nonchalant in regards to the struggle, because it’s simply a straightforward stroll within the park.
“This struggle is tremendous essential for each guys. Ought to Murtazaliev win this struggle, I feel he goes to a excessive stage. He takes a giant leap as much as preventing the highest canine on the market,” stated Shawn Porter to Jai McAllister about Saturday’s struggle between IBF junior middleweight champion Bakhram Murtazaliev and Tim Tszyu.
If Murtazaliev seems to be like 24k gold beating Tszyu, he nonetheless might not get “the highest canine” within the 154-lb division to struggle him as a result of it might be a scenario of him being excessive threat, low reward. That’s the rationale why Murtazaliev has been invisible his total 10-year skilled profession. He was too harmful for his personal good and never promoted by one of many main U.S. or British promoters that might get him fights.
“For Tim, it’s reclaiming the place he was earlier than. He was high three. Now he goes to high one or two within the division [if he’s victorious against Murtazaliev]. He has the loss to Fundora, so we now have to take that under consideration and present respect for that,” stated Porter.
Shawn doesn’t say who his high three are at 154, but it surely sounds foolish for him to probably place Tszyu within the high one or two within the division if he’s victorious towards Murtazaliev. If Tszyu wins on Saturday, he’d nonetheless need to beat these fighters to take the #1 spot within the 154-lb division:
- Terence Crawford
- Sebastian Fundora
- Vergil Ortiz Jr.
- Serhii Bohachuk
- Israil Madrimov
- Charles Conwell
- Errol Spence
No matter how good he seems to be on Saturday towards Murtazaliev, I might see Tszyu dropping to 4 or 5 of these fighters. Even one of many backside ones, Madrimov, Conwell, and Spence, might beat Tszyu.
“For Tim, his projection continues to remain regular. For Murtazaliev, it goes up actually rapidly. So, for him, he’s simply bought to remain regular. Regular wins the race for Tim. So, I feel he’s going to do this,” stated Porter.
Shawn Porter has been incorrect repeatedly along with his predictions these days. So, it’s need to tune him out, and think about the Tszyu vs. Murtazaliev contest as a toss up. Given Tszyu’s current loss to Sebastian Fundora, I’d give the sting to Murtazaliev on this struggle.
He’s the higher puncher, extra proficient mixture puncher, and nonetheless unbeaten. He’s catching Tszyu on the proper second in his profession, and he’s nonetheless licking his psychological wounds from his loss final March.
