'Own up': Tszyu backs his corner after Fundora fiasco

Perth Now

a day ago

Tim Tszyu is sticking doggedly with his trusted entourage, confident there will be no devastating repeat of last year's corner carnage in his much-anticipated rematch with Sebastian Fundora in Las Vegas.
Tszyu's corner came under fire and candidly conceded they "needed an uppercut" for allowing their superstar charge to lose his WBO super-welterweight strap in controversial fashion.
Sixteen months on and acknowledging the great fortune of being offered a world-title rematch, Team Tszyu are promising "no excuses" after again pinning their faith in trainer and uncle Igor Goloubev, strength and conditioning coach Dave Barker and cut man Mark Gambin.
Gambin was unable to stem the fountain of blood that streamed out of a savage cut to the top of his head after accidentally walking into the 197cm high Fundora's elbow late in the second round.
The Australian famously fought on for 10 rounds half blinded only to suffer a split-decision loss.
Apart from Gambin being armed with additional shots of adrenaline for the return bout at the MGM Grand on Sunday (AEST), the Tszyu camp is backing the corner to do the job following a brutal review of last year's debacle.
"After the whole team got together and had a real frank and honest open session, we agreed that this was the best course forward," Tszyu's manager Glenn Jennings told AAP.
"The one thing you can't buy in corners is loyalty and respect, and these boys have been with us forever so there was never any intention to make any changes."
After also being heavily concussed in a second world-title loss last year to Russian Bakhram Murtazaliev, team doctor Bill Anseline, was also flying in from Sydney this week to be at the blockbuster fight.
Jennings insists Tszyu has forgotten the 2024 fiasco.
"It was one of those things that you couldn't in a million years repeat," Jennings said.
"A ruptured carotid artery is just unheard of, but you might as well turn on a gas sprinkler system in your head and try and put it out with vaseline and adrenaline.
"Doctor Bill said he does that when he removes cancers in the head. He said it takes him 20 minutes to sort that shit out.
"It was just unfortunate. It was a one-in-a-million misfortune. It tested all of us. It tested Tim.
"He fought 10 rounds without clear vision and still only got beaten by a one-point split decision.
"So it tells you a lot about the kid. The kid is a genuine matador.
"He's going to go out there, round after round losing that much blood and literally put his life on the line."
Tszyu says he has moved on.
"Look, I believe everyone needs to own up and everyone has to improve and everyone has done that and I'm a loyal guy," he said.
"I'm true to who I stand by with. That's how I am. I don't really care about the cut man because I'm not intending to use him."
What Jennings now accepts is the corner should have given more consideration to asking for the fight to be stopped before the fifth round and be declared a no-contest.
"In context now looking back, it's easy to pull it apart. On the night under the duress and everything going on, it's not so easy," Jennings said.
"But what we do know now is Tim didn't want the fight to stop. Coach Igor didn't want the fight to stop because his fighter didn't want the fight to stop. It didn't mean he didn't care.
"But you've also got a doctor who's saying 'no, he's fine', and you've got a referee who's saying nothing.
"And keep in mind that at no stage did the referee tell us that it was an accidental elbow.
"So if you pull early, you lose. If you pull late, you're in trouble.
"So here's the problem. If we've got it right, we'd be geniuses. If we get it wrong, we're arseholes."
This AAP article was made possible by support from No Limit Boxing.