Tim Tszyu on the ‘comeback’ trail against Bakhram Murtazaliev

Tim Tszyu has declared Saturday’s fight with Bakhram Murtazaliev as the start of his “comeback”.

On Saturday at the Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida, Tszyu will challenge the IBF junior-middleweight champion on the occasion of the Russian’s first defense of his title.

The 31-year-old Murtazaliev won the vacant title in April when he stopped Jack Culcay, shortly after Tszyu was unfortunate in recording his first defeat.

Tszyu was the defending WBO champion when he agreed, at late notice, to fight Sebastian Fundora in a unification contest for the WBO and WBC titles after an injury had ruled Keith Thurman – a significantly different nature of opponent – out.

An elbow then opened a cut in Tszyu’s scalp during the second round, ensuring he would fight until the conclusion at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas as a bloody mess, before being declared the loser via split decision.

If to a degree his reputation and marketability were enhanced in a defeat that represented the launch of Premier Boxing Champions’ broadcast agreement with Amazon Prime – Tszyu was then offered the most appealing of contests against Vergil Ortiz Jnr but couldn’t accept it because his cut had yet to heal – he regardless spoke like a fighter with a point to prove.

PBC’s offering him an immediate title fight is a further reflection of the extent to which the dramatic defeat by Fundora isn’t being held against him, but at Thursday’s final press conference the 29 year old said: “I’s not just an ordinary fight, this is a vengeance fight. It’s not just a world title – it’s a comeback. I believe I am the man at 154lbs. I just need the time to prove it. One by one, I’m going to get rid of each and every one of them. 

“Bakhram, there’s nothing personal there. But I’m not no sideline fighter.

“I’m a young kid living his dream. The first guy to headline an Amazon Prime card, pay-per-view, and now the first free-to-air. It’s a big honor – as a young kid, this is what you wish for, and this is what I’m dreaming of and believing in, and working and living my dream. A lot of hard work goes into this.

“I’ve always wanted the biggest challenges out there. It was a no-brainer, this fight. I had no hesitation at all. I was actually hunting him down for quite some time. The [Jermell] Charlo fight – between him and Charlo – that’s when he first came on my radar, and then I started looking at him. I remember calling the boys as soon as the me and Charlo fight got not made. ‘Let’s get Bakhram.’ They didn’t want it. I’ve been chasing it – the big fights; big names; the toughest, scariest monsters out there. Unfortunately, they don’t frighten me.”

Shortly before the start of Thursday’s press conference, Tszyu’s father Kostya, the celebrated junior welterweight recognized as the finest Australian fighter of all time, arrived to attend his first fight since Tszyu made his professional debut in 2016.

In an additional change to his son’s setup, Joe Quiambo will deputize as cutman because Mark Gambin, who was criticized for his contributions to Tszyu-Fundora, was unavailable as a consequence of requiring an emergency appendectomy.

Murtazaliev remained largely reluctant to speak, and will have reminded some observers of the demeanor of his compatriot Artur Beterbiev in the days before his recent undisputed light-heavyweight title fight with Dmitry Bivol.

It was when Murtazaliev was asked about suggestions that he had previously been reluctant to fight Tszyu that he responded: “I’ve never hid from anybody. I wasn’t running from him. If he really wanted to fight me, he could have made an offer.”

Before then, with all of the stoicism for which Eastern European fighters are increasingly recognized, he had said: “I’m not going to talk much. I just want to thank everybody who helped to organize the fight and everybody who participated here. I’m not going to talk much. Let’s wait until Saturday.

“I’m very, very happy to be champion. I’m happy to be looking forward to this fight on Saturday night. God bless, everything is going to be okay.”

The first hint of any tension between them came when Tszyu responded to what Murtazaliev had previously said.

“Step-aside money and easy-risk opponents to keep that mandatory [challenger] spot is much easier than risking the big, bad monster,” Tszyu insisted. The monster was relishing playing with his prey, and preparing to bear his teeth.