Tim Tszyu hopeful of a simple evening’s work in IBF world title shot

Former WBO super-welterweight champion is aiming to develop into a two-time 154lb champion on Saturday evening as he takes on reigning IBF title-holder Bakhram Murtazaliev in a primary battle since dropping his belt. Nevertheless, regardless of a troublesome process forward of him, the Aussie is hoping that the competition is way much less arduous than his final.

Tszyu was seen because the poster boy of the super-welterweight division simply months in the past and was being linked to a showdown with debatable pound-for-pound primary, Terence Crawford, forward of the American’s ultimately profitable transfer up from 147lbs.

But, after Keith Thurman pulled out of their title contest, ‘The Soul Taker’ proceeded together with his battle date and accepted a conflict with late-notice alternative Sebastian Fundora – appropriately nicknamed as ‘The Towering Inferno – who represented a wholly completely different impediment than the bout that Tszyu had been getting ready for.

An early reduce to Tszyu didn’t help his tried title defence however Fundora did sufficient to edge a win a split-decision on the scorecards in one of many upsets of the 12 months, turning into the unified WBC and WBO champion (because the vacant WBC crown was additionally on the road for that contest).

Though Tszyu was hopeful of a rematch with Fundora, the 29-year-old son of the legendary Kostya Tszyu has as a substitute accepted a title problem in opposition to Russia’s Murtazaliev, within the hopes of thrusting his identify again into the title image for doable unification affairs throughout 2025.

In an interview with Battle Hub TV, Tszyu admitted that he’s not involved with what the IBF champion will carry to the desk and that, in an ideal state of affairs, the battle will likely be over inside 30 seconds.