Tim Tszyu suffered a devastating upset defeat in his quest to return to the super-welterweight throne at the weekend. Now, respected boxing journalist Gareth A. Davies has questioned how much the Australian has remaining in the tank.
‘The Soul Taker’ appeared to be on track for a showdown with Terence Crawford that could have even been for the undisputed 154lb crown, presented with a perceived easy opportunity to reclaim a world title against unproven Russian Bakhram Murtazaliev.
Yet, despite Tszyu hoping that he would be able to run through the champion within 30 seconds, it was Tszyu who was overpowered from the get-go and was dropped on four occasions within just three rounds before the towel came in to confirm one of the upsets of the year.
After suffering the first knockout defeat of his career, many are suggesting that Tszyu returns to Australia to regain momentum and confidence before seeking world honours in a few fights’ time.
However, in an interview with Boxing Social, Davies shared his concern at the amount of punishment Tszyu has taken in his last two fights – recalling the sizable cut that cost him his WBO world title when losing out to Sebastian Fundora back in March.
😬 @GarethADaviesDT expresses concern about Tim Tszyu following his brutal loss to Bakhram Murtazaliev over the weekend.
🎥 https://t.co/8UoRpX8Gb0#Boxingpic.twitter.com/L70nwD8g4m
— Boxing Social (@boxing_social) October 23, 2024
“I was a bit worried about Murtazaliev’s assault on Tim Tszyu at the weekend.
“He got badly beaten up. Obviously, he lost to Sebastian Fundora before that, I am a little bit concerned about how much punishment Tim Tszyu is taking.
“We know what his dad was like, Kostya, obviously I covered part of his career.
“I just think there is an element of wondering, how much has he got left?”
In terms of who Tszyu could face next, domestic rival and former world title challenger Michael Zerafa has been vocal in his callouts of the 29-year-old, stating that it is ‘time for them to settle their unfinished business’ after watching Tszyu’s capitulation.
As for Murtazaliev, the IBF super-welterweight world champion still has a target on his back but he is unlikely to be overlooked in the future, with Erickson Lubin the contender hoping that he will get the chance to hand the now well-respected title-holder a first career defeat.
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