Tim Tszyu’s path through boxing to become an undisputed champion continues this weekend against Sebastian Fundora.
Fight night looks a little bit different for Tim Tszyu and his camp than what they had planned. For boxing fans, it looks better.
Initially scheduled to fight Keith Thurman, the 35-year-old has succumb to injury with Sebastian Fundora stepping into his spot. Fundora already had a spot on the card against his former sparring partner in Serhii Bohachuk. Now he is fighting for Tszyu’s WBO super welterweight title while putting his WBC belt on the line.
While the winner will be halfway to becoming the undisputed champion in the division with two belts, Terence Crawford’s claim of fighting the winner will set boxing fans up with another banger.
‼️ Terence Crawford vs Tim Tszyu is already in talks to potentially happen next, Tszyu’s manager Glen Jennings has revealed. Fight would be for Tszyu's WBC & WBO super-welterweight world titles, if he beats Sebastian Fundora on Saturday night. [@FOXSportsAUS] pic.twitter.com/INpTyfVitX
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) March 25, 2024
Tim Tszyu
Age: 29
Height: 1.74cm
Reach: 179cm
Record: 24-0-0
Tszyu continues on his path to glory and comes into this title fight as a heavy $1.18 favourite.
While he has been somewhat careful on his rise through the ranks, Tszyu will bounce into the ring on the back of a convincing unanimous decision win over the well-respected Brian Mendoza.
https://twitter.com/NewMediaSports_/status/1713438637138853925
Tszyu couldn’t finish Mendoza inside the bell, but he landed 38% of his power punches in a powerful performance. More patient and methodical than we’re accustomed to seeing following so many devastating knockout victories, Tszyu impressed in finding different ways to win. He remains underfeated at 24-0 without ever really being tested over an extended period.
But Fundora offers a totally different challenge to Tszyu given his height and reach. Tszyu is a whopping 23cm shorter than his opponent in this one. Still, it could become somewhat of an advantage. Tszyu may have offered a glimpse into his approach in this fight when asked about the prospect of fighting Fundora back in 2022. He mentioned needing to “start from the bottom up.”
A ferocious body puncher with a sky-high boxing IQ, he will know how to get to his spot and land telling blows without getting tagged himself. He’s more than capable of “cutting him down like a tree”, as he also mentioned in his 2022 interview.
Sebastian Fundora
Age: 26
Height: 1.97cm
Reach: 203cm
Record: 20-1-0
Fundora is a different beast in this division. ‘The Towering Inferno’ is listed at 197cm tall with a 203cm reach and constantly dwarfs his opponents. This fight is no different.
However, that didn’t help him in his last fight and he’s a significant underdog at $5. Fundora fought Mendoza before Tszyu earlier in 2023 but only made it to the 7th round before being counted out. He couldn’t get his right hand home, and as he looked to throw one of his dangerous uppercuts, Mendoza came over the top to end the fight in devastating fashion.
Big upset as Brian Mendoza knocks out Sebastian Fundora in round 7 to become the new interim WBC super welterweight champion! #FundoraMendoza
pic.twitter.com/W82fCbfrfm— ᴋᴀʏᴏ ✘ (@KOJournals) April 9, 2023
Fundora is generally a busy fighter. He doesn’t simply sit back on his jab and one might expect when looking at him. His power demands respect, too.
The 26-year-old could make better use of his height and fight at distance, but he has a tendency to reduce his own advantage by walking into oppontnents. He’s not out of place on the inside. His uppercut is dangerous and something Tszyu will have in his mind when the pair engage in close quarters.
He’s sucptable to a left hook, though. Mendoza ended his last fight with a left hook and others have stunned him. While Fundora’s chin isn’t a major concern overall, Tszyu will back himself to land one or two punches throughout the fight to really test it.
Tim Tszyu v Sebastian Fundora Boxing Tips
The height mismatch will occupy much of the prefight talk. It’s not uncommon in boxing to see a giant tower over a smaller fighter, but it’s not so common in this division. It’s something different, and something each of Fundora’s opponents have to plot a unique plan for.
But Tszyu is a shark. If he smells blood, this fight is over. While he might struggle to land the knockout blow up top early, he’s busy in the ring and the expected peppering of body shots to start will put Fundora in uncomfortable positions. Tszyu to win by knockout is the overwhelming favourite method of victory at $1.45, but there’s value in the defining shot coming later in the fight.
Fundora will look to land a wide hook or an uppercut throughout the fight. It will need to come early, though. Tszyu has shown he can build into a fight while Fundora has been forced inside and opened himself up more recently. He does well to make body shots difficult by dropping his hands lower than most. However, Fundora does get stung with lead left hooks and overhand rights. Mendoza’s knockout is the latest and greatest example.
It’s a difficult test for Tszyu, but he’s a $1.18 favourite for a reason. When he inevitbly lands one of those power shots up top, he will quickly land another and finish this fight in the blink of an eye.
Best Bet Exact Round Finish - Tim Tszyu Rounds 7-12 @ $3.10*