Glen Jennings, manager of junior middleweight Tim Tszyu, has no intention of letting his fighter slow down after a tumultuous year that saw the Australian sidelined by injury and a loss to Sebastian Fundora.
At a media workout in Las Vegas, Jennings outlined Tszyu’s comeback plan, with the 29-year-old Tszyu set to face IBF titleholder Bakhram Murtazaliev on October 19 at the Caribe Royale in Orlando. The bout will be the first Premier Boxing Champions event aired on Amazon Prime without a pay-per-view barrier and Jennings hinted that it may not be Tszyu’s last fight of the year.
“We don’t ever say no to anything, so the door’s always open,” Jennings said.
Tszyu, 24-1 (17 KOs), a former junior middleweight titleholder, will step into the ring against Murtazaliev, 22-0 (16 KOs), after suffering a split-decision loss to Fundora in which a bad cut on his scalp changed the course of the fight. Reflecting on the injury, Jennings explained how it delayed their plans.
“Everyone watched the bloodbath with Fundora, and we had that awful injury,” Jennings said. “We got Tim sorted with that, took him back home, and had it checked. We were due to go in with [Vergil] Ortiz, but couldn’t get clearance on the wound. It wasn’t right. About a month later, we got clearance, and here we are today. So we’re excited – very excited.”
Tszyu has been training in Las Vegas since the summer in preparation for his return. While this year has seen setbacks, Jennings emphasized that in boxing, nothing is ever guaranteed.
“You can plan and prepare all you want,” Jennings said. “You’ve got to be ready to roll with whatever comes your way.”
Despite the obstacles, Jennings made it clear that Tszyu’s drive remains unwavering.
“Tim’s one of those athletes that won’t sit around. If I don’t get him a fight, it’s non-stop. ‘When am I fighting?’ he keeps asking. And I do absolutely everything I can to keep him busy.”
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