Tim Tszyu says he wants to “stay in the present” moment tonight during his rematch with WBC junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
(Credit: Esther Lin/Premier Boxing Champions)
Fundora Rematch: Tszyu’s Mindset
Tszyu (25-2, 18 KOs) doesn’t want to dwell on the past, which he’d rather forget, or look ahead while he’s in the ring. He wants to be fully aware. What happened to Tim last year with his losses to Fundora and Bakhram Murtazaliev has bothered him. If he’s still focusing on them tonight, Fundora (22-1-1, 14 KOs) will beat him because he may be gun-shy.
Brawling vs. Boxing: Tszyu’s Style
“I see a little cockiness in him that he thinks it’s going to be a walkover. That presents a lot of damage and trouble for him,” said Tim Tszyu to the PPV channel. “If I have to bite down, I know how to bite down. This time, I actually want to show my ability and skills.”
It’s probably not going to work well for Tszyu if he tries to change his fighting style to become a boxer tonight in his rematch with Fundora. He doesn’t have the reach to out-box the 6’6″ Fundora, and he’ll get carved up if he tries.
“I’m a real thinker in there. Everything I do has been very strategic. Unfortunately, the last couple of times haven’t been that way. I’ve tried to show my presence, my power, and my dominance rather than my ability to think in there,” said Tszyu.
Tszyu has never been a thinker in the ring. Never. He’s always been a brawler, but that style is no longer working for him now that he’s fighting true world-class fighters. What fans don’t realize is that most of Tszyu’s wins have come against Australian fighters and aging veterans like Tony Harrison and Terrell Gausha.
Tszyu’s Present Moment Strategy
“For me, the most important thing is to be in the present moment in that fight to take each round by round. Nothing what’s happened or what’s going to happen, but just live in the moment,” said Tszyu.
What Tim says about staying in “the present moment” sounds like meaningless self-help talk that doesn’t work in reality. They always say, ‘Stay in the present moment,’ but it’s impossible, especially if you have PTSD from a terrible experience, like the ones Tszyu had in 2024.
No matter how hard a person tries not to think about what happened in the past, it’s impossible to forget if it was something horrible that you endured. Tszyu will be worried and dealing with flashbacks when he’s in the ring with the 6’6″ Fundora.
Tszyu’s Future Opponent Choices
“I’d welcome both,” said Tszyu when asked who he’d prefer to fight between Errol Spence and Keith Thurman.
Those fights would just be about money for Tszyu. Spence is viewed as completely washed after the way he was destroyed by Terence Crawford two years ago. Thurman has fought just twice in the last six years. He’s no longer taken seriously as one of the top guys.
Tszyu should be focusing on fighting meaningful opposition if he’s victorious against Fundora. If he captures his WBC junior middleweight title, he should focus on defending it against these fighters:
– Vergil Ortiz Jr.
– Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis
– Israil Madrimov
– Serhii Bohachuk
– Erickson Lubin
– Jorge Garcia Perez
– Yoenis Tellez
– Jesus Ramos
Last Updated on 07/19/2025