Tim Tszyu takes on the harmful puncher IBF junior middleweight champion Bakhram Murtazaliev tonight in a must-win for the previous WBO champ on the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida.
There’s an argument to be made that Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs) didn’t must take a dangerous struggle like this, and he ought to have chosen to take a tune-up to regroup after his latest loss to Sebastian Fundora on March thirtieth.
Tszyu could also be too courageous for his personal good. If he loses tonight, he’ll throw his profession within the dumpster. He wants Murtazaliev’s title as a bargaining chip to get the larger cash fights in opposition to the opposite champions, however he selected a troublesome one.
“He understands what he has in entrance of him. This isn’t a simple struggle. I feel Tim Tszyu goes to be ready for something Murtazaliev can dish out and vice versa,” mentioned Chris Algieri to Probox TV about this Saturday night time’s struggle.
“Murtazaliev remains to be actually tall and he can actually punch. So, it’s not a simple struggle. You’ve bought a tall man that may actually punch with the fitting hand. It’s very completely different from Fundora clearly, however it’s a tall man, and you bought to shut the gap. I feel Tim Tszyu is 5’8 1/2″. He’s not very tall at 154. So, he’s going to have a drawback on this struggle as effectively.”
The peak of the 6’0″ Murtazaliev might be an issue for Tszyu, however the attain and the highly effective proper hand might be the true points for him. Murtazaliev can actually punch with each fingers, particularly his proper. If he’s capable of hit Tszyu as usually as he did Jack Culcay, he’s not going to make it out of this struggle together with his hand raised.
“It’s a comeback struggle for Tim Tszyu. Everyone seems to be anticipating him to seem like the Tim Tszyu of previous. I feel we’ll be capable of see that,” mentioned Antonio Tarver to Fighthype about this Saturday’s struggle between Tim Tszyu and Bakhram Murtazaliev.
“That is Tim’s alternative to indicate the world that he’s nonetheless one of many greatest names at 154. After this struggle, we are able to get enthusiastic about who he’s going through subsequent, however Tim after carry out just like the ex-champion that he’s.”
This can be a struggle the place Tszyu wants to indicate that he’s able to nonetheless beating the highest guys within the 154-lb division as a result of he type of bought uncovered a little bit by Sebastian Fundora on March thirtieth. That was actually the primary huge check that Tszyu had been given throughout his profession. Tszyu’s finest wins had come in opposition to these fighters: Brian Mendoza, Tony Harrison, Terrell Gausha, Takeshi Inoue, Carlos Ocampo, Dennis Hogan, Steve Spark, and Jeff Horn. They’re good fighters, however not A-level.
“It’s an enormous struggle due to the chance. Two fights back-to-back, if he loses, can be disastrous,” mentioned Ben Damon of Most important Occasions to Jai McAllister about Tszyu. “It’s a good distance again. The Fundora struggle, there are excuses for positive. His star most likely grew out of that efficiency whatever the outcome. But when he loses one other one, that type of goes away, and he’s simply on the slide to a sure extent.
“So there’s rather a lot on the road for Tim Tszyu, and everybody invested in him and in his journey. There’s most likely a faculty of thought that he may have gone a safer route with a comeback struggle earlier than launching straight right into a world title struggle in opposition to an undefeated man like Bakhram. However he’s taking the dangers like he’s carried out all through. He desires to be busy, and desires to be in huge fights. That is precisely that.
“He’s on the most important stage because the A-side, and it’s a extremely robust struggle in opposition to a man who doesn’t know methods to lose. He’s going to be resilient, and he’s going to try to be relentless,” mentioned Damon about Murtazaliev. “He’s bought a fairly awkward type as effectively. He’s an enormous, tall, tremendous welterweight as effectively. He’s bought a attain benefit and is clearly rather a lot greater than time.
Murtazaliev is a pure slugger, and he doesn’t let up when he’s on the assault. Tszyu has the ability to doubtlessly harm him if he can land sufficient of his huge photographs earlier than he will get to him with salvos.
“the factor about him is he’s solely had two fights at an excellent degree. Jack Culcay and the struggle again in 2019, the place he grew to become necessary for the very first time for this belt. Aside from that, he’s actually been passing the time. Step apart fights and constructing fights, however when he has gone to that high degree, he’s gained.
“Jack Culcay was barely on the decline when he bought him earlier this 12 months, however he nonetheless stopped him in a world title struggle in Germany with all the chances in opposition to him. It was throughout Ramadan. There have been a whole lot of issues that the German operation tried to do to unsettle him, and regardless of that, he gained.”
Culcay nonetheless fought effectively regardless of being 38, and now not in his prime, however Murtazaliev was too highly effective for him and chopped him aside to get a knockout of their struggle for the IBF 154-lb title.
“He’s a man that isn’t coming to lose, and you can inform that this week together with his workforce and his coach. They’re clearly right here to win. Off the again of a victory right here, No Restrict and Most important Occasion desires to do is have an enormous homecoming struggle for Tim later this 12 months. That’s clearly enormously enticing to him and thrilling for everybody concerned.”
After ten years as a professional, Murtazaliev is lastly getting his big-name opponent, who’s keen to struggle him. He’d by no means been capable of entice any of the opposite well-known fighters within the division to face as a result of he was too harmful and didn’t have e something to supply.
“You then begin to have a look at some huge fights. It’s an thrilling division,” mentioned Damon.
Murtazaliev is aware of that is his likelihood to place himself in place for some big-money fights if he can defeat Tszyu tonight. So, he’s going to be combating his coronary heart out on this conflict, trying to knock out Tszyu.
