IBF junior middleweight champion Bakhram Murtazaliev (23-0, 17 KOs) blitzed Tim Tszyu (24-2, 17 KOs), scoring a lightning-quick third-round TKO on Saturday night in Orlando, Florida.
(Credit: Joseph Correa/Premier Boxing Champions)
Murtazaliev, 31, made a statement with his four-knockdown, third-round stoppage of the former WBO 154-lb champion Tszyu tonight, who has seen his once-promising career turned upside down.
This was Tszyu’s second consecutive defeat, and his career is now in bad shape. It will be hard for him to claw his way back to where he was a year ago before he suffered his first loss against Sebastian Fundora.
These two defeats have shown that Tszyu can’t afford to continue being a slugger because he lacks the size, power, or chin to take that approach.
After the fight tonight, Murtazaliev said he wants one of these fighters next:
– Errol Spence
– Terence Crawford
– Sebastian Fundora
When asked if he’d be interested in fighting former undisputed 154-lb champion Jermell Charlo, Murtazaliev said he wants the above list so that he can fight for world titles. Jermell chose not to fight Murtazaliev in 2023 when he was his IBF mandatory, and he was ordered to fight him. Instead, Jermell vacated his IBF belt.
“We just worked on these combinations all the time, and when the fight came, it was automatic,” said Murtazaliev. “We worked for ten weeks on those punches that hurt him. We created opportunities, and we believed that we could win this fight.”
Murtazaliev is a nonstop puncher, and Tszyu’s decision to slug with him on Saturday night played into his hands. Tszyu didn’t follow the same fight strategy that Murtazaliev’s previous opponent, Jack Culcay, had used against him earlier this year. Culcay was boxing Murtazaliev, and he made it difficult to knock him out. The 38-year-old made it to the 11th round before Murtazaliev finally stopped him, and that was with him fighting cautiously.
“My priorities are to fight for more titles against Spence, Fundora, or Crawford. But if we can’t make it happen, then we’ll choose the best option for us that will give us the best opportunities,” said Murtazaliev to the media when asked if he’d be interested in fighting inactive WBA Champion in Recess Jermell Charlo next.
Spence and Fundora are supposed to fight next. However, if Spence wins, he’s likely going to push for a rematch with Crawford because he has unfinished business with him from his loss last year, and it’s a bigger money fight for him than fighting Murtazaliev.
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