Tszyu’s time is now
Tim Tszyu has a right to feel aggrieved, but instead you can believe he’s training harder than ever before in preparation for another world championship defence.
After all, he returns Stateside to box a household name in Keith Thurman – boxed just once since 2019 – but has cache as far as the viewing public are concerned.
This is the same 30-something character attracting attention for making an open challenge to then-undisputed champion Terence Crawford last summer, having watched Bud dismantle unified titlist Errol Spence Jr and coming away from the contest believing he’d do a much better job against the division’s boogeyman.
It’s that irrational sense of confidence which makes his announcement video, complete with a gym backdrop, make some believe this is his last hurrah.
If One-time can somehow turn back the clock and perform as he did before Manny Pacquiao dethroned him, then the 154lb landscape changes once again.
Though while Teofimo Lopez and Tyson Fury exemplify world champions who can thrive in chaos, it’s difficult to ignore the biggest issue here.
Tszyu didn’t just appear from thin air, making a name for himself and gradually stepping up the levels as names like Thurman disappeared from the spotlight. Now, the WBO champion can vanquish him for good and have a career-best showing too.
Elsewhere on the card, though…
As for WBA champion Rolando Romero, the onus is on him to prove he isn’t just a placeholder until the light-welterweight division shakes itself out.
Call it a direct consequence of Josh Taylor’s controversial split decision win over Jack Catterall two years ago next month, the four world titles soon fragmented with new owners across United States and the Americas.
Light-welterweight world champions
WBC: Devin Haney
WBA: Rolando Romero
WBO: Teofimo Lopez
IBF: Subriel Matias
From the quartet above, Romero has the most to prove. Haney had a claim to be considered Fighter of the Year in 2023, retaining undisputed status at 135lbs before testing himself up a division and making a two-time champion look ordinary.
Lopez defends the strap he skilfully seized from Taylor last summer vs. Jamaine Ortiz next month, while Matias’ monstrous punching power and high-pressure style make fantasy fights a fascinating prospect for the Cuban once back from a wrist injury.
Romero’s disputed stoppage win over Ismael Barroso has aged poorly, particularly after the veteran’s remarkable first-round beatdown of Ohara Davies to kick off the new year rightfully demanding another world title opportunity.
First though, Rolly must pass a test against Isaac ‘Pitbull‘ Cruz, which naturally wasn’t the original plan – it never is – but instead sets up a chance at legitimacy against a highly-regarded boxer from the division below. Are you following, so far?
Well, there are a pair of other world championship title fights already tentatively tabbed featuring elsewhere on Prime Video’s maiden PPV to tackle too.
Janibek Alimkhanuly might have unified two titles at 160lbs, but middleweight remains a division in flux and this matchup rather effectively shows why.
Erislandy Lara (29-3-3, 17 KOs) ends a 22-month absence against a similarly inactive foe in Tszyu’s compatriot Michael Zerafa (31-4, 19 KOs) for the WBA world middleweight title while there’s a must-see bout in the weight class directly below.
Former interim titlist Sebastian Fundora returns, a week shy of a year after his unbeaten record was ended via a stunning R7 KO loss by Brian Mendoza, to contest for the vacant WBC world light-welterweight strap against Serhii Bohachuk.
The 26-year-old logged a Fight of the Year contender vs. Erickson Lubin in 2022, before outclassing Carlos Ocampo six months later to again defend his interim champion status. He led on all three scorecards (60-54, 60-54, 59-55) at the time of his KO loss, and would’ve seen Mendoza fall well short in Australia five months later.
The surname Bohachuk might not mean much to most, though the Ukrainian (23-1, 23 KOs) is an all-action fighter and someone who highly-regarded coach Manny Robles earmarked as one to watch this year during our interview last month.
His lone career defeat came via R8 TKO against former world title challenger Brandon Adams in March 2021 and three years on, he’ll face an even sterner test off the back of five stoppage victories and a more refined game at 28. For all the criticism this PPV event quickly garnered, it has all the makings of a sleeper success.
March 30 card, is as follows
Tim Tszyu (c) vs. Keith Thurman for WBO world light-welterweight title
Rolando Romero (c) vs. Isaac Cruz for WBA world light-welterweight strap
Erislandy Lara (c) vs. Michael Zerafa for WBA world middleweight belt
Sebastian Fundora vs. Serhii Bohachuk for vacant WBC world light-middle title
More undercard bouts TBC
Picture source: Getty Images
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