Notebook: Tszyu to challenge Murtazaliev for 154 world title
Will be first PBC on Prime non-PPV card; Matchroom Boxing shockingly loses Ennis purse bid; Alimkhanuly-Mikhailovich auction decided by $1,000; Espinoza-Ramirez II update; Quick hits; Show and tell
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Tim Tszyu will get the opportunity to win a second world title when he challenges IBF junior middleweight titlist Bakhram Murtazaliev on Oct. 19 in the main event of a PBC on Prime card at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida, PBC and TGB Promotions announced, confirming a previous Fight Freaks Unite report.
The fight, a mandatory, will headline the first non-pay-per-view event (8 p.m. ET) since PBC and Prime Video announced their multi-year deal in December and kicked it off with a March 30 pay-per-view in Las Vegas, where Tszyu lost the WBO 154-pound title and a chance to claim the vacant WBC belt by split decision in a bloody battle with Sebastian Fundora.
“The division is absolutely loaded with talent and the winner of this fight will be in excellent position to face the other big names at 154 pounds,” Tom Brown of TGB Promotions said. “It’s the perfect fight to headline action on Prime Video.”
Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs), 29, of Australia, was initially slated for an IBF title eliminator and in talks with Erikson Lubin before he dropped out due to a hand injury. His promoter, No Limit Boxing, hoped to put on a Tszyu eliminator on Sept. 22 in his hometown of Sydney, Australia, but with Murtazaliev’s mandatory period beginning and Tszyu being the top available IBF contender, he gets the title shot without having to have an elimination bout.
But it also means he will return to fight in the United States for the third time rather than box once again in Australia.
“At this level, you have to take everyone out and Bakhram is the next guy standing in my way,” Tszyu said. “The world knows me and they know what I’m about. I’m thankful to my team for putting me in this position to prove why I’m still the man at 154 pounds. Bakhram has what I want and I plan on taking it from him in spectacular fashion. It’s time to become a two-time world champion.”
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It has been a whirlwind of late for Tszyu because before the plans were made for the September eliminator he was scheduled to face Vergil Ortiz Jr. for the vacant WBA interim junior middleweight title on Aug.3 on the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov card in Los Angeles. However, Tszyu was forced to withdraw because he was not medically cleared to resume training. That is because a horrendous cut on his scalp suffered late in the second round of the loss to Fundora had not yet healed enough to satisfy his doctor.
Now Tszyu, who is cleared to train and been doing so in Las Vegas, will face Murtazaliev (22-0, 16 KOs), 31, a Russian fighting out of Oxnard, California, who was the longtime mandatory challenger for Jermell Charlo. But after Main Events, Murtazaliev’s promoter, and PBC/TGB Promotions worked out multiple step-aside deals that included Murtazaliev boxing on various PBC undercards while waiting for his title opportunity, Charlo vacated the IBF belt on the day of the purse bid.
Murtazaliev went on to knock out Jack Culcay in the 11th round to win the vacant belt on April 6 on Culcay’s turf in Germany and will make his first defense against Tszyu.
“I’m extremely happy and excited to defend my world title on Prime Video against a strong opponent like Tim Tszyu,” Murtazaliev said. “I just want Tim to be in the best shape possible and not get any injuries so we can give this fight to the fans.”
It is a fight Murtazaliev has wanted for the past few years.
“Even before his spectacular win against Jack Culcay, Bakhram made it clear that he wanted Tim Tszyu next,” said Main Events CEO Kathy Duva. “He also said he wanted the matchup to happen in the U.S. so that everyone could see him fight, so I’m really happy that this deal came together to take place in front of a wide audience on Prime Video. Both of these fighters tend to come forward and engage and I would not be surprised if this turns out to be the fight of the year.”
Matchroom loses Ennis purse bid
There were two IBF purse bids conducted on Tuesday, one for a fight between welterweight titlist Jaron “Boots” Ennis and mandatory challenger Karen Chukhadzhian and the other for IBF/WBO middleweight titlist Janibek Alimkhanuly and mandatory challenger Andrei Mikhailovich, and both yielded surprising results.
In the true stunner, German outfit P2M-Box Promotion, Chukhadzhian's promoter, bid $2,000,991.88 to gain promotional rights to the fight it plans to put on in Germany — if Ennis goes through with the bout. It would surprise few if he vacated and moved up in weight given that he would have to travel and fight on another promoter’s card and broadcaster, especially since he already shut out Chukhadzhian (24-2, 13 KOs), 28, of Ukraine, for the vacant interim belt in January 2023.
Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing, Ennis’ promoter, was the only other bidder and offered only $1,566,666, a surprising turn of events since the split is 65-35 in Ennis’ favor.
Under the winning bid, Ennis is entitled to $1,300,644.72 and Chukhadzhian $700,347.16. P2M-Box Promotion has 90 days to put on the bout.
Ennis (32-0, 29 KOs), 27, was hoping that Hearn could finalize a deal for him to unify with WBO titlist Brian Norman Jr. on a card Matchroom was planning for Nov. 9 in Ennis’ hometown of Philadelphia, where he made his first defense by knocking out David Avanesyan in the fifth round in July.
However, the talks for the Norman fight fell apart over money. Carl Moretti of Top Rank, Norman’s promoter, told Fight Freaks Unite they were about $500,000 apart. The only way Ennis could bypass the mandatory for his next fight was in a unification bout.
The other purse bid was decided by a mere $1,000, a shockingly small amount given how much was bid. No Limit Boxing, Mikhailovich’s promoter, beat Top Rank, Alimkhanuly’s promoter, with an offer of $351,000. Top Rank bid $350,000.
Upon losing the purse bid, Moretti found the silver lining. “The day isn’t a total loss. At least I now get to play at 18 at Baltusrol Golf Club,” Moretti told Fight Freaks Unite about the golf course that is located in Springfield, New Jersey, which is also where the IBF offices are.
Alimkhanuly is entitled to $263,250 (75 percent of the winning bid) and Mikhailovich gets $87,750 (25 percent).
Alimkhanuly (15-0, 10 KOs), 31, a 2016 Olympian from Kazakhstan, who fights out of Oxnard, California, was originally set to make his fourth defense against Mikhailovich on July 13 in an ESPN+ main event at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. However, two nights before the fight Alimkhanuly fainted as a result of dehydration trying to make weight. He was hospitalized and the fight was canceled the next day.
Alimkhanuly vowed he would remain at middleweight and the fight was ordered once again by the IBF.
Mikhailovich (21-0, 13 KOs), 26, a Russia native who has lived most of his life in New Zealand, traveled some 7,000 miles and did not get to fight in July, but Top Rank said it would pay him at least a portion of his purse for his trouble and now his promoter has the rights to the fight, meaning Alimkhanuly likely will have to travel to Australia.
Espinoza-Ramirez II update
Although Top Rank and Zanfer Promotions have been planning for WBO featherweight titlist Rafael Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs), 30, of Mexico, and former titlist Robeisy Ramirez (14-2, 9 KOs), 30, the two-time Cuban Olympic gold medalist, to meet later this year in a rematch of Espinoza’s monumental upset of Ramirez to win the title in December in their 2023 fight of the year contender, they have not been able to finalize a deal yet.
Top Rank had hoped they would have met in a rematch in June, but Espinoza wanted an interim defense first. Top Rank gave him one and he knocked out Sergio Chirino in the fourth round on June 21 in Las Vegas. On June 29, Ramirez knocked out Brandon Benitez in the seventh round in Miami to do his part with the plans for the rematch to be later this year.
But with no deal done the WBO on Wednesday ordered the fight as a mandatory and gave the sides 15 days to make a deal or a purse bid will be scheduled, although either side can ask for an immediate purse bid if they don’t want to negotiate.
Minimum bid is $150,000 if it goes to a bid, which would be surprising since Top Rank, which promotes Ramirez, co-promotes Espinoza with Zanfer.
Top Rank has been looking to place the fight on a Dec. 7 card it is planning and expected to feature the mandatory rematch between WBO junior lightweight titlist Emanuel Navarrete and Oscar Valdez, sources with knowledge of the plans told Fight Freaks Unite.
Edgar Berlanga interview
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Quick hits
Weights from Montreal for the Eye of the Tiger card on Thursday (ESPN+, 6:30 p.m. ET): Arthur Biyarslanov 139.6 pounds, Tamas Kiliti 139.1; Imam Khataev 175, Ezequiel Maderna 174.5; Mary Spencer 153.4, Naomi Mannes 153.3 (for vacant WBA women’s interim junior middleweight title); Christopher Guerrero 146.7, Courtney Pennington 145.7; Jhon Orobio 138.7, Joel Manriquez 139.3; Avery Martin Duval 134.8, Jesus Daneff 133.3; Wilkens Mathieu 171.5, Rolando Mansilla 171; Moreno Fendero 167.6, Carlos Ronner 167.5.
Junior welterweight Harlem Eubank (19-0, 8 KOs), 30, of England, who is the nephew of British legend Chris Eubank Sr., has signed a multi-fight promotional deal with Wasserman Boxing. “This is a pivotal point in my career, with major fights and titles ahead, and I’m confident that the plan (promoters) Kalle and Nisse (Sauerland) have set out for me is exactly what I need. There are some huge domestic fights in and around my division, and I’m coming for all of them.” Eubank was supposed to face countryman and top prospect Adam Azim (11-0, 8 KOs), 22, in June. But in May Azim suffered an injury and the fight was postponed but was not rescheduled and does not appear to be happening, so Eubank is moving on. “There are so many sensational fights out there for him; the Azim fight has been talked about but there’s also blockbusters with Dalton Smith and Conor Benn,” Kalle Sauerland said.
Cruiserweight David Nyika (9-0, 8 KOs), 28, a 2020 Olympic bronze medalist from New Zealand, will face former light heavyweight title challenger Tommy Karpency (31-8-1, 19 KOs), 38, a southpaw from Adah, Pennsylvania, in the Duco Events main event on Sept. 14 (DAZN worldwide except PPV in New Zealand) at Viaduct Events Centre in Auckland, New Zealand. Karpency is a replacement for Australian southpaw Blake Caparello (32-4-1, 15 KOs), 37, a former light heavyweight title challenger, who was dropped from the fight in recent days after testing positive for elevated levels of testosterone in a Voluntary Anti-Doping Association random drug test. In a statement, Caparello “firmly refuted allegations” made by VADA. “I have had independent doctors test me, both blood and urine, and all of my results show that I am completely clean. I have never taken performance-enhancing drugs, and I never will,” Caparello said, adding that he requested the testing in the contract negotiations.
Show and tell
After Lamon Brewster scored a major upset by stopping Wladimir Klitschko to win the vacant WBO heavyweight title, promoter Don King lined him for his first defense against New Zealand contender Kali Meehan and they met at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas in the main event of a Showtime card. It was a hard-hitting fight and a highly entertaining battle. In the eighth round, Meehan hurt Brewster, broke his jaw and had him out on his feet, but Brewster, always with a big heart, rallied. He finished strong, including winning the 12th round on two of the scorecards, to pull out a split decision to retain the title.
In the co-feature, Cory Spinks, the son of former heavyweight champion Leon Spinks, retained the undisputed welterweight title via lopsided decision as he easily outboxed former longtime WBC lightweight titlist Miguel Angel Gonzalez to win 118-109 on all three scorecards. The card took place on Sept. 4, 2004 — 20 years ago on Wednesday. Here is a program in my collection.
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Photos: Ennis-Chukhadzhian: Amanda Westcott/Showtime; Alimkhanuly-Mikhailovich and Espinoza-Ramirez: Mikey Williams/Top Rank; Eubank: Lawrence Lustig/Boxxer
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Got my RINGSIDE TIX!! Orlando could be emerging as a decent fight town, ima do my part to support it!! 🥊🥊🥊
Tszyu Murtazaliev should be a good fight with tszyu winning