Tim Tszyu faces what is very likely his biggest challenge on Saturday. Quite literally. As fans know, the unbeaten 154 pound star in the making will face late sub, the almost freakishly tall for the weight Sebastian Fundora, who also happens to be a southpaw. Tszyu was to have fought Keith Thurman and he hasn’t had too much time to change up his game for the much taller, left handed warrior he will now face.
However, as Tszyu said when speaking with reporters ahead of Saturday’s fight in Las Vegas, he feels he has been able to make the necessary adjustments. Added to the pressure of facing a late replacement foe who is so tall and is a lefty, is the fact that a massive, massive fight with Terence Crawford looms for Tszyu should he get the win. Tszyu, however, really does seem to be taking all aspects of Saturday’s fight in his stride.
Tszyu, 24-0(17) told CBS Sports that he plans to “hurt him [Fundora] bad” in the fight, and that he will then look for a “war” with Crawford.
“I’m literally firing right now and I feel different,” Tszyu told members of the media. “I think it just came from the news that Thurman is out. Before, I was too relaxed. Now, I’m not. I haven’t felt this way in a long time. I’m learning news things in the game. I’m just willing to test myself out every time. I think it’s quite obvious [Fundora] is tall. But he uses his uppercuts to his advantage and they are quite long. A lot of people have the same plan to get inside because he is so tall. But they also underestimate my skills. I know what to do with southpaws and I know how to fight tall guys. I’m going to hurt him bad. Someone in the crowd is going to catch a flying head. That’s the plan.”
And if Tszyu is able to pull off his decapitation job, this on a proven warrior who has lost just once before, it could be that huge fight with pound-for-pound king Crawford next. Tszyu says that fight would be a “war.” And an opportunity for him to become a great.
“[Crawford] is an opportunity to become great, for sure,” Tszyu said. “Once the opportunity arises for Crawford, that’s going to be a war.”
We could see a war on Saturday, as Fundora, AKA “The Towering Inferno” has made it more than clear that he is coming to win, not to make up the numbers and pick up a payday. So many fighters have over the years made the mistake of looking past a fight to a bigger fight. Tszyu seems to be fully focused of Fundora as opposed to him looking ahead at Crawford, but who knows for sure?
Whatever happens on Saturday – and Tszyu is the pick to win here – it will be lively. And Terence Crawford will be watching to see if potential next ring rival Tszyu can indeed send Fundora’s head flying.
