Notebook: Tszyu rolls with the punches of switch to Fundora
Boxing Social appearance; Santillan returns; injured Cuadras out, new Moloney foe; Roberto Duran update; Quick hits; Show and tell
A note to Fight Freaks Unite readers: I created Fight Freaks Unite in January 2021 and eight months later it also became available for paid subscriptions for additional content — and as a way to help keep this newsletter going and for readers to support independent journalism. If you haven’t upgraded to a paid subscription please consider it. If you have already, I truly appreciate it! Also, consider a gift subscription for the Fight Freak in your life.
When Tim Tszyu found out that Keith Thurman likely would drop out of their fight due to a biceps injury, the WBO junior middleweight titleholder took it in stride and immediately accepted Sebastian Fundora when he was offered as a replacement opponent.
“Of course, it was a shock at first. It’s happened a couple of time for me so it’s something I wouldn’t say I’m used to, but it’s happened a couple of times,” Tszyu told Fight Freaks Unite and a few other reporters during a Monday night Zoom call to discuss the situation from his Las Vegas training camp. “Obviously, disappointed at first because your whole preparation you’re focusing on this one bloke, this one style, and then it’s a switch. My focus has changed. Thurman’s out of the picture. I’m on to Fundora now.”
Tszyu was set to face Thurman in a 155-pound nontitle fight but now he will fight Fundora in his second WBO title defense as well as for the vacant WBC belt in the new main event of the of the first Premier Boxing Champions card of its new deal with Prime Video on March 30 (Prime Video PPV and PPV.com, 8 p.m.) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Tszyu said he found out that Thurman likely would be out of the fight on Sunday night, which was confirmed on Monday after Thurman had an MRI on the biceps he injured in sparring over the weekend.
So, on 12 days’ notice Tszyu will make a radical change in opponent, from the 5-foot-9 right-handed Thurman to the 6-6 southpaw Fundora, who was already on the card and set to fight Serhii Bohachuk for the vacant WBC title in the pay-per-view opener.
Tszyu, the son of Hall of Fame former undisputed junior welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu, said he did not need any time to think about whether he would agree to the opponent switch.
Please upgrade to a paid subscription for full access to the rest of this post and all posts and comments — and also help support independent journalism