Stakes are extremely high heading into Saturday night when Tim Tszyu clashes with Sebastian Fundora for Tszyu’s WBO junior middleweight world championship and the vacant WBC title in Las Vegas.
The fight will not only spell half the picture in the 154-pound division, but the winner could very well wind up fighting pound-for-pound best Terence Crawford next.
With so much on the line, DAZN lists and analyzes the keys to victory for both fighters:
Sebastian Fundora’s keys to victory
Stay disciplined with the guard
Inexplicably lowering his right hand against Brian Mendoza last spring paved the way for Fundora to fall victim to a raucous left hook that buckled his knees and left him knocked out seconds later for his first pro loss.
Fundora (20-1-1, 13 KOs) recently told DAZN News “you cannot make these mistakes,” adding “if you do, you pay for it and that’s what I got in that fight.”
Against a pressuring Tszyu, Fundora will have to keep a disciplined, tight guard because any lapse with it and the Australian boxer is capable of knocking him down with either hand, especially on a counterpunch overhand right.
Use reach advantage with the jab and uppercut
Standing 6’5½” with an 80-inch reach, Fundora has nearly 10 inches of reach advantage on Tszyu. And considering Tszyu’s buzzsaw-like pace and stalking, Fundora will need to use his reach to keep the WBO junior middleweight champ off him.
“The Towering Inferno” should resort to his jab and uppercut, which the southpaw winds up and throws effectively with either hand. Doing both could be just what Fundora needs to keep Tszyu at a healthy distance and make the titleholder think twice about fighting forward.
Clinch and push off when need be
We’ve witnessed Tszyu walk through Mendoza in October with unrelenting pressure. When his jab and uppercut don’t work, Fundora might want to use a clinch and push off on Tszyu as a form of a reset to once again establish distance.
He doesn’t utilize this tactic and Fundora could be in for a long … or short night in Sin City.
Tim Tszyu’s keys to victory
Assert walk-down pressure
Part of what makes Tszyu (24-0, 17 KOs) special is his nonstop pressure. From the opening round, the WBO super welterweight champ should look to walk Fundora down with his brand of forward-fighting.
Doing so would immediately negate Fundora’s reach advantage of nearly 10 inches and keep the fight in the phone booth where Tszyu can uncork damaging blows.
Rip the body, force Fundora to lower his hands
Nine inches shorter than Fundora, Tszyu is at the optimal level for punishing Fundora with shots to the body.
That crunching body work could make Fundora lower his hands just enough for Tszyu to blast him with a night-ending shot.
Look for a counter overhand right
Mendoza unloaded a left hook before finishing Fundora with a right-left hook combo in their April 2023 fight.
Well, if Tszyu can rip the body enough for Fundora to lower his guard, “The Soul Taker” can seek a fight-changing overhand right in traffic as Fundora throws a left hand.
Connecting with such a punch while pressuring could be just what Tszyu needs to stop Fundora, add the WBC title to his mantle and set up a mega bout with Terence Crawford.
DAZN News will be bringing you all the live updates, results and highlights from Tszyu vs. Fundora on Saturday night, beginning with the main card launch at 8 p.m. ET.