Tim Tszyu vs Sebastian Fundora fight preview

Tim Tszyu vs Sebastian Fundora

Despite Keith Thurman’s injury just days before Premier Boxing Champions’ debut on  Amazon Prime Video, the show will roll on in a match-up even more intriguing than the original. WBO super welterweight champion Tim Tszyu (24-0, 17 KO’s) will face Sebastian Fundora (20-1-1, 13 KO’s) on March 30 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Amazon Prime will broadcast Tszyu vs Fundora in the US via pay-per-view, and UK fans can watch this showdown on Fire TV.

The vacant WBC belt will be up for grabs alongside Tszyu’s WBO title. Tszyu was initially scheduled to fight former unified welterweight champion, Thurman, in a non-title affair. Fundora was set to fight Serhii Bohachuk for the vacant WBC strap before he received the call to replace Thurman, who last fought in February 2022 and withdrew from this fight due to a bicep injury sustained in training.

The organisers could not have chosen a more contrasting replacement opponent if they tried, not to mention on 12 days’ notice. Late replacements in boxing usually present pushovers. That is far from the case here for Tszyu as he now faces the dangerous Fundora.

Thurman is a 5ft 9½ins orthodox fighter who likes to move a lot, while Fundora is a southpaw, stands at a massive 6ft 5½ins, and likes to apply constant pressure and have a brawl.

Tszyu, by no means a small super welterweight at 5ft 8½ins, will have just under a 10 inch reach disadvantage, and a 9 inch height disadvantage.

This change in opponent undoubtedly favours Fundora. Although overcoming the largest height differential in a non-heavyweight bout will be a challenge Tszyu has never had to face, Fundora is no stranger to facing fighters with Tszyu’s dimensions, and does not feel Tszyu presents a challenge too different from the one he was preparing for against Bohachuk.

Speaking with Premier Boxing Champions’ Ray Flores at the Grand Arrivals and Fighter Media Workout, when asked about his size advantage and the change in opponent, Fundora said: “That’s just an everyday thing for me, I’m always taller than everybody. This is just another day at work… they’re both (Tszyu and Bohachuk) similar, Bohachuk being a little bit taller, of course, but other than that we have a pressure, hard-hitter orthodox fighter in Tim Tszyu, the same with Bohachuk.”

As well as the two belts on offer come fight night, the winner looks set to land a potential money-spinner against two-weight undisputed pound-for-pound star, Terence Crawford.

Crawford recently activated his WBO “super champion” status at welterweight to become the mandatory challenger at super welterweight, with the winner of Tszyu vs Fundora required to start negotiations with Crawford within five days of the fight.

This status is reserved for champions of the highest status, and was activated by Oleksandr Usyk to enforce his eventual mandatory shot at Anthony Joshua in 2021.

Tszyu’s manager, Glen Jennings, has also floated the idea of vacating the WBO belt after this fight, providing Tszyu comes through, to fight Errol Spence Jr.

Fundora’s most recent win is a unanimous decision against Carlos Ocampo in October 2022.

Fundora has not fought since April 2023, when he suffered a seventh-round KO loss to Brian Mendoza in one of the biggest upsets of 2023. Now, he is in the fortunate position of having an immediate chance at redemption with two world titles on the line.

Aside from his recent knockout loss, Fundora had produced a number of strong performances prior to his setback, including a ninth-round stoppage of Erickson Lubin in April 2022.

Tszyu shares the same two recent opponents as Fundora, with more success. “The Soul Taker” knocked out Ocampo in the first round in June 2023, then beat Mendoza via unanimous decision last October.

Tszyu will be making the second defence of his world title in just his second fight outside of his native Australia. He has established himself as an elite fighter and a legitimate world champion, and is well on his way to carving his own legacy as more than just the son of Australian legend Kosta Tszyu, with a series of impressive performances in victories against Terrell Gausha, Tony Harrison, Ocampo and Mendoza in his last four fights.

Tszyu was expected to face then-undisputed champion Jermell Charlo last year, but Charlo withdrew with an injury, then faced 168-pounds undisputed champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, and Charlo’s WBO title was stripped at the opening bell. As a result, Tszyu was elevated from ‘Interim’ champion to full WBO champion prior to the Mendoza fight.

Ahead of his March 2023 showdown with Harrison, many believed that may be the fight in which Tszyu comes unstuck. He had not faced anyone up to that point who presented the American’s style at world level. Tszyu emphatically broke Harrison down and stopped him in the ninth round. Early last year, he was apparently on the verge of being exposed as Kosta Tszyu’s son, and nothing more. Now, he is on the verge of becoming a unified champion and potentially facing boxing’s pound-for-pound king, Crawford, with victory on Saturday. With three fights in the last twelve months, Tszyu is the perfect example of what staying active and winning can do for a fighter. Now, it is starting to become easier to forget he is Kosta’s son.

Tszyu’s manager, Jennings, did recently confirm that negotiations between Tszyu and Crawford are in advanced stages, providing Tszyu comes through victorious on Saturday. Although a fight against Crawford would be the more lucrative option, a showdown with either Crawford or Spence would both be intriguing match-ups which would garner plenty of interest.

Tszyu appears ready to make his own mark on the sport. Speaking at the Grand Arrivals and Fighter Media Workout about his first main event headliner in Las Vegas, Tszyu said: “It’s time to become a global star now. Take over another continent. I feel at home. I feel this is where I belong. Looking at all these posters, this is where I’ve always been dreaming about.”

Tszyu is climbing the ladder to stardom by shunning no challenge and going about his business the old-school way, in the ring, and during a media huddle at the Grand Arrivals, he was asked about the prospect of facing the likes of Crawford, Spence and Jaron Ennis, to which Tszyu responded: “Everyone, honestly. I don’t want to be this fighter that picks and chooses. I’ll fight everyone. Throwback.”

Fundora’s braveness must be commended too. He is not looking for an easy route. Tszyu is not typically your comeback bout after getting dropped and stopped in your most recent fight. Of course, a high profile fight with the increased pay and a slot in the main event, as opposed to the undercard, explains Fundora’s unsurprising willingness to make the step up.

How much will the last minute change in opponent have a bearing on the result? Coming off a loss, this may be the best opportunity for Fundora to bounce back in glory.

For a super welterweight who stands at 6ft 5½ ins, with an 80inch reach, Fundora won’t be looking to use his natural advantages and poke his way to a win. It’s just not how he typically fights. It would be the wise way to fight, which makes more sense, but the likelihood is that Fundora will engage in a war of attrition. That will undoubtedly favour Tszyu, who will have opportunities to go to work with his counterpunching and brutal two-fisted body punching.

Will Fundora be able to hold off the inevitable onslaught and use the advantages that logic dictates would be a nightmare proposition for any super welterweight?

Not long to find out.