Australia’s “retro fighter” Tim Tszyu is set to launch his assault on world boxing after making weight ahead of his unified world super welterweight title fight with Sebastian Fundora.
The pair weighed in at 152.8 pounds for their WBO and WBC championship fight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night (Sunday in Australia), with Tszyu again calling out the “p*ssies” currently in the sport.
“This is the era of throwback,” Tszyu said into the microphone.
“None of these bastards should be in this era anymore.
“This is a setback and Fundora and I are going to put together a classic.
Tszyu, competing in the fight capital of the world for the first time, is giving away nine inches of height to the southpaw, who stepped in at the last minute after an injury to Keith Thurman.
After watching “The Towering Inferno” at the weigh-in, Tszyu was asked what he saw.
“His legs are quite thin, his body is quite thin,” the 28-year-old said, before adding that he hopes to weigh 80 kilograms (176.3 pounds) come fight time.
“We are two completely different animals, he is a giraffe and I am a tiger.
“It is not the size of the man in battle, it is the size of the heart in battle.
“No matter the size, all men bleed the same blood.”
Tszyu’s activity and willingness to take on all challengers, including someone as unique as Fundora on 12 days’ notice, has many, including himself, labeling him as an old-school fighter.
The Sydney resident says it’s a badge he wears with pride.
“I just grew up in the era of boxing where fighters were fighters, I maintain that,” he said.
“This is me, this is my beginnings.”
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Those beginnings alongside his legendary father and former undisputed super lightweight champion Kostya Tszyu have given him the perfect platform for success at the highest level.
Tim has always wanted to step out of his father’s shadow and his run to the world championship has put him on the right path to achieve that.
“That’s the goal, to be the biggest wrestling family that has ever existed,” Tszyu said Friday.
“Now they talk about Kostya being Tim’s father. It’s a great feeling to hear it.”
“I just have to keep going and try to reach even greater heights than my father, but anything is possible.”
With a win on Saturday, Tszyu could launch into those fights that will define his legacy, with names like Errol Spence and Terence Crawford linked to the tough Australian.
Former welterweight champion Shawn Porter has doubts about whether Tszyu should get in the ring with “Bud.”
“That’s the fight you don’t take if you’re Tim Tszyu,” Porter told Jugo Mobile.
“You have this fight with Sebastián Fundora, you put all your attention on him, you don’t look past him because he is a hard hitter and yet he is very uncomfortable in many ways.
“It’s a very complicated puzzle, but still every fight is a puzzle, but that fight with Terence Crawford is a 10,000-piece puzzle.
“That’s the hardest one to understand, it’s something I would stay away from.”
