WATCH: The David vs. Goliath matchup between 5’9 feet Tim Tszyu and 6’6 feet Sebastian Fundora turns into a blood bath
The Tim Tszyu vs. Sebastian Fundora welterweight title fight became the bloodiest slugfest in recent years.
Follow Us
Tim Tszyu and Sebastian Fundora (image credit- Boxing Scene)
The Australian boxer, who had been expected to take home a record-setting purse, fell short after 12 hard-fought rounds. As such, Tim Tszyu’s pursuit to become an undisputed champion came to an end with a split decision loss against Sebastian Fundora. Originally scheduled to take on Keith Thurman, Tszyu was forced to change his plans when Thurman was sidelined with an injury. The American, who stepped in as a late replacement, was 6’6 feet and towered over Tszyu, who was 5’9.
At the beginning of the fight, Tszyu was able to close the distance to land his punches. This was impressive since Fundora had the advantage in terms of reach. Initially, Fundora appeared to be helpless as the smaller fighter appeared dominant. However, the Australian boxer’s luck ran out in the second round after he sustained a serious cut in his head. This was an unintentional elbow hit that happened when Fundora retracted his hand after a jab that Tszyu tried to slip.
The cut was massive, and blood gushed out of the wound at an alarming rate. The fight was not stopped, but the injury significantly hindered Tszyu’s performance. Fundora also took advantage of the situation in the third round and doubled down his attacks compared to the first two rounds.
The fight ended with Fundora acquiring Tszyu’s WBO super welterweight title and the vacant WBA title. Furthermore, this was one of the bloodiest fights that fans have witnessed in recent years. After suffering his first loss, Tszyu did not use any excuses but stated how the cut hindered his vision and he could not see.
Sebastian Fundora’s promoter talks about the Tim Tszyu rematch
Both fighters delivered an exciting fight, and Tszyu persevered until the very end, even after sustaining a massive cut. Many people feel that the fight should have been a no-contest because of the cut. However, this did not happen because the cut was caused by an unintentional elbow strike. Undeniably, it did still affect Tszyu’s performance, but he still fought hard until the 12th round.
Even though the fight ended in these circumstances, it doesn’t appear that Tszyu will get his redemption anytime soon. Fundora’s promoter, Sampson Lewkowicz, stated that Tszyu will have to earn a rematch fight. In addition, he mentioned that the Australian boxer will have to secure a victory to be a challenger for the title.
This is strange since this was Tszyu’s first loss, and he arguably lost because of the horrible cut that he sustained. However, Lewkowicz’s announcement reflects on his business plans for his fighter. During the post-fight interview, Errol Spence Jr. entered the ring to announce that he wanted to fight Fundora. Hence, Lewkowicz might be securing a bigger fight for Fundora before doing the rematch against Tszyu.
In case you missed it!
Stay Updated!
Abhijay Roy
(551 Articles Published)