Tim Tszyu's camp hits back as Keith Thurman vows to end Aussie's career

The Australian

28-07-2025

Former two-time welterweight world champion Keith Thurman has taken an extraordinary swipe at Tim Tszyu, saying the Aussie 'thinks he's the shit' and blaming his shattering defeat to Sebastian Fundora on poor tactics.
Thurman didn't pull his punches, hitting Tszyu at his lowest moment, just minutes after the loss.
Tszyu's corner stopped the fight after the seventh round of the world title rematch, before Thurman promised to end his career if they ever fought.
The pair were supposed to fight in March last year, before Thurman pulled out with injury.
Thurman knocked out Brock Jarvis in Sydney in March, and there were plans for the loud-mouthed American to fight Tszyu on the Gold Coast this month until the Fundora rematch popped up.
Keith Thurman has taken aim at Tim Tszyu. Picture: No Limit Boxing/Gregg Porteous
Earlier in the week, Thurman said he'd be interested in fighting the winner of Tszyu-Fundora 2, but promised it wouldn't end well for the Aussie.
'How bad do you want Tim Tszyu to get beat up? Do y'all hate Tim Tszyu?' he told The Punch Podcast in Las Vegas when asked if he'd still be interested in that fight.
'Do ya'll want to see him get murdered?
'You take me over to the Gold Coast and I will end Tim Tszyu's career.
'If that's what y'all want to see, pay me.'
After his third defeat in four fights, Thurman said Tszyu was too insulated training in Australia.
'He thinks he's the shit,' he said. 'Boxing, in the real world, outside Australia, boxing is a plethora of talent and skills and opposition.
'He thought he was going to fly over here and handle it last year.
'He lost the world title, he fought Bakhram for the world title, he had one comeback fight and tried to win the world title again.
'They just rushed to put him back at the top.
'The kid's not done, but they need to pick the right fights. They need to pick somebody who's better than Spencer, but who's not a world champion.'
Tim Tszyu faces an uncertain future after a disastrous defeat to Sebastian Fundora. Picture: No Limit Boxing
Thurman was ringside for the bout, and was scathing in his assessment of Tszyu's approach.
'He landed a few shots, right on the chin. They just weren't hard enough, they just weren't flush enough,' he said.
'It's just tactics. I don't think Tim Tszyu's tactical enough.
'There's no evidence Tim Tszyu can beat Fundora. Period. It's a tough fight, an awkward fight.
'After the second fight, clearly, he wasn't able to conquer that mountain top.'
TSZYU CAMP HITS BACK AT TROLLS
No Limit CEO George Rose has launched a fiery defence of Tim Tszyu, hitting back at online trolls who are slamming the Aussie after his world title defeat to Sebastian Fundora.
After a brief conversation, Tszyu's corner stopped the bout at the end of the seventh round.
Ironically, the seventh was probably the best round of the fight for Tszyu.
It's unclear who exactly made the call to stop the bout, but online critics were quick to label the Aussie a 'quitter'.
Tim Tszyu, left, fights Sebastian Fundora in a super welterweight title match. Picture: No Limit Boxing
Speaking just minutes after the stunning defeat, Rose angrily clapped back at the pile-on.
'My thing is, I always ignore them,' Rose said of online trolls. 'People who feel that way aren't people whose opinions and values are similar to those I hold myself.
'You give me any man online or across the country, or absolutely anywhere, who can step in the ring with Sebastian Fundora and do any better than what Tim did…there's no person out there who could've got in and done any better.
'Sebastian Fundora is an absolute weapon. It's impossible to do any better than what Tim put out there tonight.
'I thought he was an absolute warrior. (Fundora) is just really bloody good.'
Referee Harvey Dock gives a count to Tim Tszyu after he was knocked down in the first round. Picture: Getty Images
Tszyu's camp said the fighter was 'gassed' and didn't have anything left in his legs from all the jabs Fundora sent his way.
Compubox stats revealed the American threw an incredible 306 jabs in seven rounds and landed 152 of the 596 total punches he threw.
Meanwhile Tszyu connected with just 72 of the 204 total punches he threw.
A No Limit spokesperson said the corner made a decision as a collective to stop the fight.
'He was gassed more than he was hurt,' Rose said.
'The punch output from Fundora, not only was he hard to get into, the punch output, he must have been doing 200 punches a round.
'It was ridiculous.
'Tim's constant movement to get in there, the amount of punches you have to take to get in there, it wears you down.'
Rose called on Aussies to stick behind Tszyu after his third defeat in four fights.
Tim Tszyu's corner stopped the fight in the seventh round. Picture: No Limit Boxing
'If you looked at what Tim Tszyu put out there tonight and think he's any less than a warrior who fought his arse off and threw absolutely everything he had at Fundora – and after being knocked down in the first round, getting up, coming back at him when his legs aren't under him and still throwing everything he can at Fundora – that's a warrior effort,' he said.
'That's someone you have to admire.
'As Australians, that's what we've always admired. We have been underdogs all our lives.
'We've fought for everything.
'We're that small country Down Under that's trying to compete on the world stage.
'We're always the underdog and we need to respect ourselves as that and support our Australians.
'I'm a supporter of someone no matter what.
'Win, lose or draw.
'You bust your arse, you get more respect than winning without effort.
'And the effort Tim Tszyu showed tonight, he's someone who deserves respect.
'Deserves support right now.
'When you take a loss, that's when you need the support most.'
Brendan Bradford
Content producer
Brendan Bradford is a sports writer for CODE Sports. He primarily covers combat sports, league, union, cycling and athletics. Brendan has worked in sports media for a decade, covering world title fights, World Cups, Grand Slams and Spring Tours.
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Brendan Bradford