Australia's Tim Tzu has doubts about America's Towering Inferno's punching power and chin after facing his mega-rival for the world title for the first time.
After spending eight weeks preparing to face Keith Thurman in his first showdown in Las Vegas, Tszyu found himself staring at 6-foot-1 Sebastian Fundora.
The physical difference between the two men was so obvious that Tszyu compared the upcoming showdown at T-Mobile Arena on Sunday, March 31st to “David vs. Goliath.”
Boxing: Tszyu v Fundora + Zerafa v Lara Live from Las Vegas | Sunday, March 31, 11am AEDT | Main Event only, order on Kayo Sports. No Kayo subscription required.
MORE: Meet the 187cm American southpaw who flew to Las Vegas to save Tzu
Awkwardness: Fundora's battle plan revealed | 04:01
Elsewhere, the Australian boxing figurehead praised his rival's “awkwardness” but questioned the power of a fighter whose punches have been described as “painless”.
Tsi also highlighted that in his recent fight with Brian Mendoza, it didn't take long for the American to be knocked out, despite being dominant throughout the seven rounds.
“Nice, textbook left hook,” he said. “That’s enough.
The first matchup between the two comes after a tumultuous week in which Thurman was sidelined with an injury in the headliner, and Tszyu and Fundora will now battle it out for both the WBO and WBC titles.
Speaking at a public training session, the undefeated WBO super welterweight champion also talked about unifying the weight class with his Hall of Fame father Kostya, saying, “One day people will say that the Tsius family is the best family to enter the boxing world.'' I hope it comes,” he added.
Tszyu also had doubts about the punching power of his rival, who had an overwhelming advantage against Mendoza in their most recent fight last April, but was brutally knocked out in a huge upset.
The Sydney fighter, who himself plans to face Mendoza in late 2023 and win by decision, had taken Thurman to a camp in Las Vegas to help him prepare.
“And the funny thing is, I was talking to Mendoza last week and out of nowhere the conversation turned to Fundora,” Tsi said.
“He said a few things.
“It was interesting to get that insight.
“Then a few days later, he and I became good friends. It's funny how the worlds align.”
Fundora isn't worried about Tszyu. 01:40
Pushing forward with what he was told, Tszyu continued:
“But his punches don't hurt.
“So I think we'll have to see what happens at night.”
Tszyu also seemed to question Fundora's chin when asked what his biggest takeaway was after the shocking loss to Mendoza.
“Mendoza caught him with a clean punch,” he said.
“It didn’t take long.
“Clean, textbook left hook…that was all I needed.”
What message do you have for fighting fans?
“Don’t blink,” Tszyu laughed.
Elsewhere, the Australian said he had met Fandora before, “he's a good guy” and said there was no denying the big challenge facing him in every sense of the word.
“Only a week's notice allowed me to quickly prepare to face a fighter like that,” he said.
“It’s David versus Goliath.”
Tszyu added that the biggest challenge was Fundora's “awkwardness”
“You have a guy who's that tall and lanky and has a completely different style than Thurman, a guy I've been preparing for eight weeks,” he said.
“But nothing upsets me or worries me.
“The show continues.”
Boxing: Tszyu v Fundora + Zerafa v Lara Live from Las Vegas | Sunday, March 31, 11am AEDT | Main Event only, order on Kayo Sports. No Kayo subscription required.
“Ready to shock the world and make a statement” | 03:14
When asked if he was prepared to spend the night digging up Fundora's body, Tszyu continued:
“I hope I can find the right shot.
“Every great boxer finds a way to win, so it doesn’t matter what the night is.
“This fight was a unification fight, and I'm grateful that the WBC was involved as well. Another legacy-defining type of fight.
“I hope that one day people will say that the Tzius family is the perfect family to enter the boxing world.”
Meanwhile, Fundora said little has changed for him considering he was already preparing to fight Serhiy Bokhachuk, a fighter similar to Tse, on the same card for the WBC strap.
“I got a call on Sunday and it was really big news,” he said.
“God works in mysterious ways when you're fighting for the WBC and WBO titles.
“And I’m not complaining.
“I just do what I have to do.
“(With Bohachuk) he was right-handed, shorter than me and a pressure puncher.
“I think it’s the same with Tim Tzu.
“So I have to keep doing what I have to do.
“Please stick to my plan.”
Fundora also said he didn't see Tszyu beat Mendoza last year.
“We were playing fans.
“We were busy.
“But in the fight with Mendoza, of course I lost, but before that I thought the fight was easy.
“I just do what I have to do.
“Don't just worry about Sebastian Fundora, and don't worry about anyone else.”
