Shawn Porter’s Prescription: Why Tim Tszyu Needs A Two-Year Hiatus From Elite Boxing

Tim Tszyu (25-3, 18 KOs) may need a two-year break from fighting elite-level opposition after being blown out in seven rounds by WBC junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora (23-0, 15 KOs) last Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

(Credit: No Limit Boxing)

Two-Year Hiatus: Tszyu’s Future

Shawn Porter believes a two-year break from fighting the top guys is all Tszyu needs to rebuild himself. The drawback to Tim doing this is that he’ll miss out on the fight that he wanted against Keith Thurman. ‘One Time’ will be 38 in two years, and likely no longer in the sport. Whatever usefulness Keith has for Tszyu now will no longer be there, because he’ll likely get beaten by someone if he stays busy.

Porter isn’t sure who will be available for Tszyu to fight if he returns to the world level in two years. There might be a lot of dangerous fighters who could beat him.

“I think he’s better than a domestic fighter, but give him some international opponents. Get his rankings up again and then slowly rebuild,” said journalist Peter Badel to Fox Sports Australia about Tszyu’s way forward with his career after his loss to Fundora.

Tszyu would respond well against a weaker fighter, as we saw in his fight against Joey Spencer. He’s capable of those kinds of guys.

Tim Tszyu: Comeback Strategy

“Maybe he can take another big shot in a couple of years. I don’t think Keith Thurman is there in two years,” said Shawn Porter. “Terence Crawford isn’t there in two years. I’m not exactly sure who is there at 154.”

If Tszyu is going to fight soft opposition for the next two years, he’ll be 32 when he resumes fighting elite-level fighters. By then, it might be too late because the 154-lb division is getting new blood with younger fighters. Tszyu may be too old to beat these talented younger fighters like Jaron Ennis, Vergil Ortiz Jr., and Yoenis Tellez.

Tim Tszyu: Mental Demons

“We have to assume there are,” said Porter when asked if there are demons there for Tszyu that are messing up his mind still after his two defeats in 2024. “I believed he performed at a level that dictates that he can come back to this level. I just don’t know.”