Australia’s Tim Tszyu has had an eventful fortnight.
Upon learning that his scheduled opponent, Keith Thurman, had sustained an injury during training, Tszyu was faced with the daunting task of preparing for a completely different fighter, Sebastian Fundora, for their bout in Las Vegas on March 30. Fundora proved to be the complete opposite of Thurman in every aspect, making the situation even more challenging for Tszyu. Unfortunately, the consequences of this unexpected change in opponent only became evident once the fight commenced, leaving Tszyu with no option to reconsider, strategize further, or decline the fight.
Tszyu, despite being predicted to win, ultimately succumbed to his own ambition and, to a certain extent, arrogance during his fight against Fundora on March 30. He faced difficulties in figuring out Fundora’s tactics and as a result, lost the match through a split decision after 12 rounds, with scores of 116-112, 112-116, and 115-113.
Tszyu’s defeat marks the first loss in his career, while Fundora’s victory stands as his most significant achievement. This win holds even greater significance as it comes after Fundora’s own initial defeat as a professional boxer last year, when he faced Brian Mendoza.
There are certainly a few factors that contributed to why it happened. Firstly, Tszyu had to fight with a mask of blood after getting accidentally elbowed and heavily cut on the top of his head around the third round. This situation surely didn’t benefit the Australian fighter. Additionally, he probably didn’t comprehend the challenges of facing a 6’5 southpaw until he was face-to-face with him and had to react immediately.
Although Tszyu managed to complete all 12 rounds in his current condition, it can only be considered a partial success. However, Tszyu himself is unlikely to view it in this light or be lenient on himself. Previously holding the title of WBO super-welterweight champion, Tszyu had ambitious goals of also securing the WBC championship and eventually facing Terence Crawford later in the year. This plan was not only strategically sound but also financially rewarding. Unfortunately, everything has now fallen apart due to Tszyu’s inability to decline a fight, fueled by his confidence in his own skills.
Maybe he was too confident in his ability to defeat Fundora, who has a record of 21-1-1 (13) and a style that always posed a challenge for him. It could be that this defeat is a valuable lesson he needed to learn. Instead of focusing on Crawford, Tszyu might now set his sights on a rematch with Fundora later this year. Only time will reveal what the future holds.
