Why a nontitle bout against Thurman might be what Tszyu needed most،
Tim Tszyu is a rising star, and he will look to continue that rise by fighting his highest-profile opponent to date. The son of Hall of Fame boxer Kostya Tszyu will meet former welterweight champion Keith Thurman in a 155-pound bout March 30 in Las Vegas. The fight will kick off PBC's partnership with Amazon Prime Video.
Tszyu, a 29-year-old Australian, plans to campaign in the United States in the future, looking for the biggest fights. He broke out in 2023 with three victories, including two against fighters then ranked in ESPN's top 10 at junior middleweight (Tony Harrison and Brian Mendoza).
Now, Tszyu will look to build on that success with his first PPV main event in the United States and his first fight in Las Vegas.
The WBO refused to sanction Tszyu's junior middleweight title fight, likely because Thurman has never competed at the 154-pound limit and hasn't had a victory in two years. Tszyu and Thurman will meet 1 pound above at 155 since Tszyu would have to fight a WBO ranked opponent if he were to fight at junior middleweight.
With the proliferation of titles and the ease with which fighters are stripped, the fact that the fight isn't a title fight doesn't affect the viability of the match, in my opinion. This is still a fight between a must-see boxer in Tszyu and a recognizable name in Thurman.
In the co-feature, Rolly Romero defends his WBA junior welterweight title against Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz. There are also two other title fights on the undercard: Erislandy Lara will defend his WBA middleweight title against Michael Zerafa, and Sebastian Fundora will face Serhii Bohachuk for the vacant WBC junior middleweight title.
What's at stake as Tszyu takes it to the next level against Thurman? How do Romero and Cruz compare? Let's break it all down:
Thurman has only competed twice in the last four and a half years. What chance does he have of pulling off the surprise?
It's hard to imagine Thurman causing Tszyu too much trouble, given their wide disparity in activity levels. Thurman hasn't been in the ring since February 2022, when he outpointed Mario Barrios. And even that was his first action since July 2019, when he dropped a split decision in favor of Manny Pacquiao.
Tszyu, meanwhile, has fought 10 times during the same period. There is no substitute for fighting; the fight is different, and ring rust still rears its ugly head.
Deontay Wilder looked listless after a long layoff, as did Errol Spence and Stephen Fulton last year. This inactivity will surely be a major obstacle for Thurman to overcome, but perhaps more so, he will have to shake off some rust against a fighter who seems to be hitting his stride.
Tszyu is a dangerous puncher who is defensively responsible and likes to show up. And this pressure is applied wisely. Tszyu is always on guard and moves his head when pursuing his enemy.
Tszyu opened as a -800 favorite, and the line has already moved to -1000 by ESPN BET – and for good reason. This reflects Tszyu's talent, but also Thurman's level of inactivity. What this doesn't reflect is Thurman's ability to box.
At his best, Thurman is an elite fighter capable of defeating almost anyone. He fought evenly with Pacquiao – even though Pacquiao was past his prime – and has quality wins over Danny Garcia and Shawn Porter. Thurman must now prove he can compete at the elite level at a new weight and after another long absence.
What would a victory mean for Tszyu?
Tszyu has improved greatly over the past year, between his punch selection, variety, and ability to string together combinations. When Jermell Charlo withdrew from his scheduled undisputed championship fight a year ago, Tszyu could have waited for his twin brother to heal from his hand injury.
If Tszyu had done so, he would have regretted this decision; Charlo then fought Canelo Alvarez at 168 pounds in his return fight. Instead, Tszyu wisely stayed busy and risked his mandatory position. Harrison was considered a tough fight for Tszyu, but the Australian picked the former champion apart and stopped him in nine rounds.
Over the summer, Tszyu only needed one round to knock out the little-known Carlos Ocampo. Ocampo wasn't a tough fight, but Tszyu defeated him exactly as you would expect from a top boxer.
His October victory over Mendoza was perhaps Tszyu's most impressive. Mendoza was coming off back-to-back knockout victories over Jeison Rosario and Sebastian Fundora, one of the biggest upsets of 2023. Tszyu didn't stop Mendoza, but he hurt him repeatedly and dominated the fight throughout. along the sequence.
Now, Tszyu can add a big name to his resume in Thurman, a fighter who has often competed in high-profile fights on American television over the years. And with Tszyu eyeing a future fight with Terence Crawford, he will surely look to make a statement against Thurman.
How do “Rolly” and “Pitbull” match?
Cruz will move up from 135 to 140 pounds for his first full-fledged title fight. In his only fight at the elite level, Cruz pushed Gervonta Davis to the brink in a surprisingly tough fight for the star boxer. (Tank's secondary title was on the line.)
Cruz is a relentless pressure fighter who packs a punch, but he's undersized for the lightweight division, and that should be more glaring at 140 pounds.
Romero is the weak link among the junior welterweight titleholders, and he is coming off a lackluster performance in the title fight. In May 2023, Romero was knocked out by Ismael Barroso in the third round. In the ninth round, the referee stopped the fight even though Barroso did not appear to be in serious danger.
But make no mistake: Romero can punch, and while Cruz is the favorite, he's only a slight favorite for good reason. This is a quality co-main event that should entertain, a worthy appetizer for Tszyu's quest to become an American star.
What happened to the planned fight between Lara and Danny Garcia?
The WBA announced last year that Lara would defend her middleweight title against Garcia on August 5, but the fight never happened. The catchweight bout was then scheduled for later in 2023, but again, the fight was never officially announced.
At the WBA convention in December, there was an effort to have mandatory challenger Zerafa fight for the interim title so Lara and Garcia could meet, but those plans were rejected and the WBA ordered Lara-Zerafa last month. Zerafa, a 31-year-old Australian, agreed last summer to step aside to allow Lara to fight Garcia with a guaranteed spot on the undercard.
Today, middleweight contender Zerafa gets his first world title shot nearly nine years after being knocked out by Peter Quillin in five rounds. Zerafa and Lara were both ranked in ESPN's top 10 at 160 pounds before being cut for inactivity.
Lara, a 40-year-old Cuban, has four wins against low-level opponents since a draw against Brian Castaño in March 2019 in one of the best fights of that year. Lara's split decision loss to Jarrett Hurd was ESPN's 2018 Fight of the Year. He has not competed since May 2022, when he scored an eighth-round TKO over journeyman Gary “Spike” O'Sullivan.
Fundora fights for top title in comeback fight. Can it still live up to the hype?
Fundora is nicknamed “The Towering Inferno” with good reason. At 6-foot-5 ½, with an 80-inch reach, the 154-pounder keeps throwing punches from odd angles.
His brutal move to Erickson Lubin in April 2022 showed his mettle after being dropped in the seventh round, only to rally to victory by stoppage two rounds later. However, that vulnerability with his chin and defense was on display again last April, in a seventh-round knockout loss to Mendoza.
Fundora is a reliable action fighter, and until this shocking defeat, he was destined for big things. He may still be, but he will have to win his first world title against the powerful Serhii Bohachuk. The Ukrainian has five victories – all within distance – since a surprise TKO loss to Brandon Adams in March 2021.
Fundora is ranked No. 4 by ESPN at 154 pounds and will fight for the title formerly held by Jermell Charlo after being named recess champion by the WBC last week.
With an impressive win over Bohachuk and a title around his waist, Fundora will once again be positioned for a big fight, whether it's a rematch with Lubin or a shot at Tszyu in the near future.
