THE punishing nature of his defeat to Bakhram Murtazaliev makes it difficult, even after his last performance, to back Tim Tszyu with any real certainty.
More than likely, the scars from that encounter tell a brutal story of psychological damage, stretching far beyond the optics of a truly one-sided beatdown.
His third-round stoppage defeat of last October was, one can only imagine, devastating enough, but then the process it took to respond to that setback – testing each layer of his mental fortitude – was perhaps where the more hellacious battle commenced.
Since then, Tszyu, 25-2 (18 KOs), has bounced back with a fourth-round finish over Joey Spencer which, given a clear disparity in quality, was always likely to unfold.
The real test, of course, is set to hit him like a truck this Saturday, forcing the 30-year-old to confront the demons which, perhaps unknowingly, he has allowed to swarm his mind.
Confidence-wise, a win over Spencer could have only done so much. If anything, the victory has kept Tszyu trapped inside a box of uncertainty ahead of his rematch with WBC world super-welterweight champion Sebastian Fundora.
The pair will collide on the undercard of Mario Barrios vs Manny Pacquiao, adding a degree of credibility to the controversial event in Sin City.
Both operators entered their first encounter, which delivered a thrilling bloodbath last year, on just 11 days’ notice, yet the lack of sufficient preparation seemingly had little bearing on their respective performances.
They were, in fairness, gearing up for vastly different assignments on the same card, but regardless of the last-minute switch up, Fundora, 22-1-1 (14 KOs), had been afforded an early advantage.
It was a horrendous cut, no less, that had emerged at the top of Tszyu’s forehead, forcing the Australian to abandon his game plan and throw caution to the wind.
Yet despite his handicap, the tenacious bruiser somehow managed to restore a degree of stability down the stretch, all the while putting his remarkable set of stones firmly on display.
That same level of mental robustness, however, may need to be exploited, perhaps to an even greater extent, this weekend.
After edging their first fight via a highly-contentious split decision, Fundora was somewhat ridiculed for not taking full advantage of his opponent’s limitation.
At the same time, though, ‘The Towering Inferno’ has demonstrated the signs of an ever-improving fighter, always finding ways to tighten his defence and sharpen his weapons.
Like Tszyu, his most recent outing ended with a fourth-round finish against an opponent, Chordale Booker, that he was expected to blast through in convincing fashion.
Unlike Tszyu, though, Fundora has had ample time to recover, both mentally and physically, from a crushing defeat.
His stoppage loss arrived against Brian Mendoza in 2023, and while he was emphatically halted in the seventh round, it could be said that his setback – a dramatic finish – was worlds apart from Tszyu’s – an agonising experience, from start to finish, against a dynamite puncher.
SEBASTIAN FUNDORA VS TIM TSZYU 2 PREDICTION
Against Fundora, a formidable puncher who, slowly but surely, is developing into a crafty technician, Tszyu is always likely to be dragged deep into the hurt locker.
At which point, ‘The Soul Taker’ must push through the pain barrier, ignoring every thought of doubt that worms its way into his brain.
But that, of course, is easier said than done, and with the momentum remaining firmly in Fundora’s favour, another points victory for the rangy operator seems the more likely outcome.
