Tim Tszyu outlines his ‘20 steps forward’ plan after upset loss

Tim Tszyu doesn’t like waiting around. But that’s what he has been forced to do, primarily because of the grisly cut he sustained on his forehead during his March 30th bout versus Sebastian Fundora. 

Tszyu has been on the mend following the split decision loss to Fundora, taking the time to reflect as he looks toward the future. This year has been a whirlwind. It began with the former WBO 154-pound champion slated to face veteran Keith Thurman in the headlining event of Premier Boxing Champions’ first card with new broadcast partner Prime Video. 

When Thurman pulled out with a bicep injury, Fundora stepped in on 11 days’ notice and the WBC threw their vacant junior middleweight belt into the mix to make it a unification match. 

“I know what I possess and I knew that I could get the job done and I could adapt,” said Tszyu. “It’s hard because you think about when you’re fighting an opponent. You’re like, this is the man you’re fighting and then it’s a complete switch.

“It took me two days to process it and I said, alright, the fight’s not over. We’ve got a new change and that’s it. And then I was locked in sparring and I felt good. Eric from Las Vegas and the boys got it done with sparring southpaws. The show went on and the rest is history.”

Early on, Tszyu looked to be on his way to victory, snapping the 6-foot-5 Fundora’s head back with right hands. That changed late in the second round when an accidental elbow from Fundora opened a deep gash on Tszyu’s forehead.  

It was the kind of gruesome injury that typically cuts a fight short. Tszyu refused to quit. The Australian doggedly pressed forward but with the blood constantly obstructing his vision, Fundora was able to land with greater frequency as the fight progressed. 

Fighting with a sense of urgency, Tszyu rallied late. Both warriors wore battle scars at the end of the thrilling encounter. A 116-112 tally for Tszyu was overruled by 116-112 and 115-113 scores for Fundora, handing the Australian his maiden professional loss.

“I felt in control, you know, and in the zone and like everything was going well,” Tszyu recalled. “Then I guess the cut sort of threw me off and I just wasn’t able to adapt. In my eyes, I could have done better. I still believe I could have knocked him out. He’s an awkward opponent, a tall southpaw. It’s tough when you’ve got a reach like that but I think he knew as soon as he felt my power that he couldn’t engage so he had to just play it smart.”

Tszyu, 29, hoped for a quick recovery and return. That hasn’t been the case. A proposed August 3rd match versus unbeaten rising star Vergil Ortiz was canceled on the advice of Tszyu’s doctor, who said he wasn’t ready to resume full-contact sparring due to the cut suffered against Fundora.  

“Yeah, it’s a weird feeling. You’ve always got, like, a date to work towards and a goal,” said Tszyu. “But yeah, it’s been not as intense, just a bit of relaxation mentally. But at the same time for me, I need that. I need to feel that pressure. I need that date just to be able to say, I’ve got something locked in and I’m ready to go. But you got to be able to balance things out and, even though I don’t have a date, I’m still growing, still finding ways to level up in every way I know.”

Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs) will return to the U.S. in the coming days, with an announcement of his next fight imminent. 

“I’m still working towards something, so hopefully, fingers crossed, we get something locked in in the next few weeks,” he said.

Whomever he faces will be dealing with a Tszyu who has taken his loss as a lesson to be applied going forward.

“You don’t win everything in life, you know,” said Tszyu. “That’s what I realized. One thing I thought about was that, in my eyes, I was never too happy with a win anyway so when I lost I didn’t get too sad either. I always had a fear of losing. Once I felt that, I knew that it was going to bring a lot of growth. When you take two steps backward, you’re going to leap another 20 steps forward so that’s the mind frame.

“I’m coming for it all now man.”

Bernard Neequaye is a sports journalist with a specialty in boxing coverage. He wrote a boxing column titled “From The Ringside” back in his native Ghana for years. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) at @BernardNeequaye, LinkedIn at Bernard Neequaye and through email at [email protected].