Australian boxing superstar Tim Tszyu is ready to become a world superstar, starting this weekend, but he faces a very tall order to achieve that goal.
WBO world super-welterweight king Tsyzu (24-0 with 17 KOs) defends his title and bids to claim the vacant WBC strap when he faces the athletic freak that is American danger man Sebastian Fundora (20-1-1 with 13 wins inside distance).
It’s an enormous opportunity for Tsyzu to announce himself in the vitally important US market, the bout tops the bill on PBC’s first PPV show as part of their much-hyped partnership with Amazon Prime Video. But he has an enormous man to take care of in the process.
Despite fighting at only 154lbs, Fundora – aptly named ‘The Towering Inferno’ – stands in excess of 6ft 5ins tall. The much smaller Tzyu will give up a massive nine inches in height on fight night, and 10 inches in terms of reach. The 29-year-old ‘Soul Taker’ – son of former super-lightweight great Kostya Tszyu – is not at all concerned though.
Tszyu reading for ‘Towering Inferno’
“It’s time to become a global star now and take another continent. I feel at home,” he explained during fight week in Nevada.
“This is where I belong. Looking at all these posters, this is where I’ve always dreamed of being. I feel at peace.
“I live by that word. Never retreat. I fear no one. I will go into any fight, it doesn’t matter. Two weeks notice, 12 days, tall guy, whoever they put in front of me, I just have to adapt, change and take over.”
The comment about short notice is very pertinent here – Tszyu had been slated to meet Keith Thurman in this show topper, until Thurman recently injured a bicep. So in comes Fundora, but Tim believes he is more than ready for his new and unexpected task.
“With another world title on the line, it’s another opportunity for greatness. In the record books, we’d be the second unified family in the world to ever be in this position, so for me there’s so much on the line. There’s so much at stake. It’s just a wonderful time to be alive.
“The only way to win is in convincing fashion. It’s what I’ve always done. It’s going down one way, KO.
“This will be a classic. When we’re talking about classics, I’m hoping it’s going to be one of those fights that’s replayed forever.”
While Tszyu is on the brink of a breakthrough into true boxing superstardom, the 26-year-old Fundora has much to prove as he bids to atone for the first loss of his career – a shocking KO by Brian Mendoza last April. Instead of featuring on the undercard here, he now gets an unexpected opportunity to reshape his reputation immediately.
Fundora’s big chance
“This is where I stamp the start of my legacy.It took us a millisecond to accept this fight. We were ready for the opportunity. We were already fighting for the WBC, now they threw in the WBO. It was an opportunity we couldn’t pass over.
“The height difference is just an everyday thing for me. I’m always taller than everybody, so this is just another day at work.
“My last fight was more than a learning experience; it was a reminder. In this sport you cannot make mistakes, and if you do, you pay for it.
“My father got his first world champions with my sister six months ago. We’re going to do it again this Saturday. He’s going to be Trainer Of The Year in my eyes.
“March 30, tune in. It’s going to be a great fight. We’re going to have another Fundora crowned as champion.”
When is Tszyu vs Fundora?
The big fight takes placed on Saturday March 30 (or Sunday March 31 in Australia).
Ring walks for the main event are expected to start not before 8pm local Pacific Standard Time on Saturday, which is 11pm on the East Coast.
If you’re in the UK, set your alarm clocks for 4am Sunday, while in Australia (Sydney and Melbourne for example) the key time to remember is 3pm on Sunday afternoon.
How to watch the fight on live TV
So like we said, this is the first big show of that partnership between Amazon Prime Video and Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions (PBC).
But the important thing to note is that PPV alliance only covers the US market. So if you are watching outside of the US, check local listings.
Aussie fight fans can catch the bout on Kayo (no subscription needed, just one-off PPV cost).
