Tim Tszyu says he honestly feels he is the “king at 154 pounds,” this despite the fact that he is coming off a loss – a quite bloody loss – to Sebastian Fundora. Australia’s Tszyu, who suffered a horrific cut in the points loss he suffered against Fundora in their March fight, spoke with Fox Sports Australia; this is his first interview since his planned return fight with Vergil Ortiz Jr was pulled.
Tszyu, who was advised by the doctors not to fight again so soon after being so badly cut, said in the interview that had the fight gone ahead, he would have had just two-and-a-half weeks of sparring, this because he will not be able to return to sparring until later this month. Tszyu said for him to have fought Ortiz Jr, on August 3, this with so little sparring prep, would have been “complete stupidity.”
Tszyu says he still wants to fight Ortiz Jr one day, while he also listed numerous other big names he hopes to fight when he returns. Tszyu, a genuine old-school warrior as far as wanting to fight the best, says he can go into a big fight upon his return this year – and he listed names like Terence Crawford, Errol Spence, Jermell Charlo, Erickson Lubin, Fundora in a return, and Bakhram Murtaliev.
Tszyu, who suffered a savage wound to his forehead in the Fundora fight, advised us fans to look at Fundora’s face after the fight.
“I can definitely go straight back into a world title fight because I didn’t come out of the Fundora fight as a loser,” Tszyu said, although he did drop a split decision back in the March fight. “The whole world knows that. I didn’t get bashed. Even though Fundora won, I was hurting him. Did you see his face after the fight? See his nose? Other than a few bruises, I was fresh. I just had that cut. So, of course, I can still go straight back into a big fight. I think Spence beats Fundora, and I think Crawford wins as well (in his fight with Israil Madrimov), but it won’t be an easy fight. But I honestly believe I’m the king at 154.”
Tszyu needs to prove he is the king at 154, which is what he seems almost desperate to do. Waiting around is not Tszyu’s thing – “it’s frustrating,” he said – and he wants a big name in his first fight back, while the 29 year old with the 24-1(17) record wants to fight twice, even three times this year when he does return. You cannot help but admire Tszyu.
So, can the former WBO champ bounce back and prove he is the top dog at 154 pounds? Who should Tszyu’s comeback foe be? Tszyu was to have fought Charlo almost an age ago, and that fight is still interesting. At the same time, Tszyu against Lubin, who was also beaten by Fundora (and, according to a statement Lubin put out on his Facebook page, the beaten fighter suggests Fundora fought him whilst using tampered gloves), would be a decent fight.
But Tszyu wants revenge over Fundora, he wants Crawford, he wants Spence, he wants all the belts. Hopefully, that vicious cut will heal and never be reopened in future fights, and Tszyu can get the big fights he craves. Who doesn’t like watching this guy fight? And who doesn’t like Tszyu’s attitude?
