Tim Tszyu's ascent toward boxing superstardom was slowed in his last outing when he dropped a split decision to Sebastian Fundora in a bloody war, losing the WBO junior middleweight title in the process. Tszyu looks to get back on track on Saturday when he faces IBF champion Bakhram Murtazaliev.
Tszyu's 2024 has been rocky. The fight with Fundora came about on short notice when Tszyu's original opponent for the March 30 date, Keith Thurman, pulled out of the fight due to injury. The towering Fundora presented a far different set of challenges than Thurman and a badly bloodied Tszyu came up short on the final scorecards after suffering a cut in his hairline early in the fight.
Tszyu was then set to face Vergil Ortiz Jr. in an exciting matchup in August but was forced to withdraw from the fight while still recovering from the injuries suffered against Fundora. It was then announced that Tszyu's return would come in September against Erickson Lubin in an IBF-ordered eliminator. Lubin suffered a hand injury and looked to postpone the fight to December, but the IBF ordered a fight between Murtazaliev and Tszyu.
The plan appears to be for Lubin to face the winner in early 2025, but it's far from a guarantee that Tszyu emerges as the new IBF champion.
"Murtazaliev is a dog. That always presents a tremendous task. He's strong and he's got a competitive edge. I'm looking forward to fighting someone like that," Tszyu said during his media workout. "Could've, would've, should've, my last fight is all in the past. I just have to move on and look for answers another way. The biggest lesson I learned from the Fundora fight was to focus on the present."
Murtazaliev is undefeated as a professional, having won all of his 22 fights with 16 stoppage victories. Murtazaliev was made the IBF No. 1 contender in November 2019 and named mandatory challenger in 2020 but had to wait until April to finally get his shot at world championship glory.
After Jermell Charlo was finally stripped of his four world titles, Murtazaliev was given the chance to face Jack Culcay for the vacant title but had to do so physically compromised as the fight was scheduled to take place at the end of Ramadan, meaning Murtazaliev -- a devout Muslim -- was fasting for much of his camp and through the fight itself.
Murtazaliev did seem to run out of steam midway through the fight with Culcay and the fight seemed to be slipping out of his grasp when he connected with a big 11th round flurry to score the stoppage and the IBF championship.
The undercard features a pair of fights with prospects looking to make a splash. Middleweights Cesar Mateo Tapia and Ednry Saavedra are set to battle it out. Plus, junior middleweight prospect Yoenis Tellez gets his chance at a showcase opportunity when he takes on Johan Gonzalez. Tellez, 24, is 10-0 with eight knockouts in his burgeoning career.
Let's take a closer look at the rest of the undercard with the latest odds before getting to a prediction and expert pick on the main event.
Murtazaliev vs. Tszyu fight card, odds
- Tim Tszyu -700 vs. Bakhram Murtazaliev (c) +475, IBF junior middleweight title
- Cesar Mateo Tapia -205 vs. Endry Saavedra +160, middleweights
- Yoenis Tellez -1400 vs. Johan Gonzalez +700, junior middleweights
Viewing information
- Date: Oct. 19
- Location: Caribe Royale Resort -- Orlando, Florida
- Start time: 8 p.m. ET (Main card)
- How to watch: Prime Video
Prediction
Murtazaliev should not be overlooked in this fight. The odds are likely a bit too wide given Murtazaliev is a gutsy fighter with good power who proved he can dig deep in a tough situation against Culcay. Add Murtazaliev's power and come-forward style to Tszyu's sometimes leaky defense and the possibility of reopening a cut suffered in the Fundora fight that required 15 stitches to close and there are clear and obvious ways that Murtazaliev can win this fight.
That said, at his best, Tszyu should be more than capable of handling what Murtazaliev brings to the ring. Tszyu is no slouch in the power department and when he has his offense flowing, it's hard to slow him down.
This is a fight that has every chance of being on Fight of the Year lists when the dust settles. Tszyu should be able to weather some tough spots in an exciting bout to regain a status as world champion. Pick: Tim Tszyu via UD
