Latest news with #Tszyu
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Boxing: Tszyu taken to hospital after loss to Fundora, Pacquiao earns draw in comeback fight
Latest posts Just as the great Manny Pacquiao was entering the ring at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas at the age of 46, Tim Tszyu was being rushed from the arena to hospital. It meant Tszyu didn't get a chance to see what true greatness looks like. This was the Australian's third shot at a world title and it again ended in heartbreak. There was no asterisk next to this result, a rematch against WBC super-welterweight champion Sebastian Fundora. When they first clashed 16 months ago, Tszyu could point to blood pouring into his eyes from a horror head cut as a mitigating factor. There were no excuses this time. At the scene of his father Kostya's most famous victory, that stupendous knockout of Zab Judah almost a quarter of a century ago, Tszyu copped a sobering lesson about where he sits in boxing's world order. Fundora dominated from the outset, flooring Tszyu in the opening round. Somehow he survived until the end of the seventh, before failing to come out to meet the bell for the start of the eighth. It was a surprise to witness Tszyu finish on his stool, given he landed his best shots in the moments just before the bout was called off. There was contention over whether the decision was made by Tszyu or his corner, who felt their man was gassed after walking into a barrage of jabs over the preceding 21 minutes. Either way, Tszyu had no more fight left in him. 'He is one tough motherf-—r,' Tszyu said. 'I tried to give it everything, but just couldn't do it. Victory belongs to Sebstian Fundora, the best 154-pounder on the planet right now.' Tszyu said a cut that had opened above his right eye didn't contribute to the stoppage. 'He was just a better man,' Tszyu said. 'He's just very hard to land [on]. He's tough as f–-. Sometimes it felt like I was shadow boxing with myself. It is what it is, congratulations to Fundora and his team.' There will be no trilogy fight. In the space of 16 months, Tszyu has lost his undefeated record and the three world championship fights that he has contested. This might be as close to a world title as he will ever get to again. The 'Soul Taker' labelled Fundora's punches as 'stringy' and lacking power in the lead up, but there was a sting in the American's jab. Fundora, standing at 197 centimeters tall, had a distinct height and reach advantage and used it to good effect. The southpaw clipped Tszyu every time he lunged in, and also showed a solid chin whenever a punch got through his defences. 'You know what, I woke up this morning, I looked at myself in the mirror and went 'Oh wow, I have reach,' Fundora said, a hint to the way he controlled the ring. 'We've been working on aggression my whole professional career and now we're just adding the length of my arms.' Tszyu's handlers insisted Tszyu was taken to hospital as a 'precaution', but it remains to be seen if the real damage is physical or psychological. This was meant to be his big American moment, sharing the stage with Pacquiao, who was making a comeback at 46 years of age. Ultimately, the 'Pac Man' had to settle for a majority draw against Marios Barrios, meaning the latter retained his WBC welterweight title. It's one thing to share the stage with the greats, owning it is another altogether. yesterday 2.28pm Both men want a rematch Barrios won the last three rounds, just enough to level it up in the eyes of the judges. 'I thought I pulled it out,' Barrios said. 'I still tip my hat to Manny, nothing but love and respect. 'We still came in here and left everything in the ring … he is still a very awkward fighter to figure out. 'I tried to make him feel old, but he still has some legs in the tank.' Both men said they were keen for a rematch. yesterday 2.24pm And the winner is: No one! It's a majority draw! One judge gave it to Barrios 115-113, the other two scored it 114-all. So it's a draw. Which means Barrios, as the title holder, remains the WBC belt. According to Compubox, Barrios landed the more punches, 120-101. However, Pacquiao apparently landed the more power punches, 81-75. 'I won the fight,' Pacquiao said. 'It was a close fight, very tough. Wonderful fight. 'It's an inspiration to old boxers, if you have discipline and hard work, you can still fight.' Asked if he will fight again, Pacquiao said: 'I think so.' yesterday 2.15pm Round 11: Barrios wins that round His corner told him not show Pacquiao any respect. No touching gloves. Take none of his nonsense. While Pacquiao landed late, I'd give that round to Barrios. He landed a beautiful combination early in the round, perhaps the best of the round. yesterday 2.10pm Round 10: Championship rounds coming up Terrific flurry from Barrios at the minute mark, one of his better combinations of the fight. He needs more of that; the unofficial scorecard has Pacquiao in front by three rounds after the ninth. Pacquiao landed a nice body shot with a minute to go, and then landed the last combination of the round. yesterday 2.06pm Round 9: Pacquiao in control Pacquiao is getting better the longer the fight goes on. He no longer throws those four or five-punch combinations that he did in his pomp, but Pacquiao has been the better man over the last few rounds. yesterday 2.01pm Round 8: 'Pac Man' lands the better blows A couple of nice body shots from Barrios midway through the round. After seven rounds, the broadcaster had Pacquiao ahead by one after seven rounds. I've given this round to Pacquiao, he's countered really well and the crowd is going spare. yesterday 1.58pm Round 7: Manny Pacquiao not slowing down Interesting to see how Manny Pacquiao fares in the second half of the fight. There's a feeling he will get better once he shakes off the ring rust, but then there's the fact that he's going deep in a title fight at the age of 46. Pacquiao started the seventh really well and the broadcaster claims he has landed the more power punches so far. Barrios' team is imploring him to stay busy and not just load up for one big shot. yesterday 1.54pm Tszyu taken straight to hospital Tim Tszyu would have loved to watch the Manny Pacquiao fight, but that's not happening. The Australian has been taken straight to hospital for what his team describes as a 'precautionary' measure. I'm hearing it was Tszyu's corner who made the decision to stop the fight, rather than Tszyu. However, Tszyu didn't argue with the move when the prospect of stopping was put to him. Tszyu was just too gassed after copping all those jabs and couldn't go on. Round 6: Will the judges lean towards 'Pac Man'? There's little between these two, which is a concern for Barrios. If it goes to the judges, and I think it will, I'm tipping they will lean towards the hall-of-famer.
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
When it comes to selling the Tszyu dream, it's ‘No más'
In the closing stages of the ninth round, Horn looked cooked. The Brisbane school teacher just made it to the bell after soaking up Pacquiao's biggest blows. As Horn sat on his stool, veteran referee Mark Nelson had seen enough. 'Jeff, listen, I'm here to protect you, ok?' Nelson said. 'I think you've had enough. Do you want to continue?' Horn's trainer, Glenn Rushton, was adamant his charge still had some fight left in him. 'Show me something in this round,' Nelson said, 'Or I'm going to stop the fight.' Horn rose from the stool. In those championship rounds, against one of the greatest of them all - Pacquiao is an eight-division world champion who has held belts in every weight class from 50 to 69 kilograms - the Australian underdog etched himself into sporting folklore. Three years later, in a fight against Tszyu, Horn was again on his stool at the end of the eighth. Tszyu had battered a punch-drunk Horn - who by this stage of his career had been pummelled by pound-for-pound king Terence Crawford - into submission. 'Have you got a punch left in you or not?' Rushton asked his fighter. 'No,' was the reply. 'Do you want to give us a minute?' On this occasion the right call was made. The fight was stopped and Horn never fought again. Which brings us back to Tszyu. When he was getting pumelled by Russian Bakhram Murtazaliev, in another humbling world title loss last October, he was too brave for his own good. After being knocked down on four separate occasions, the massacre only ended when his brother, Nikita, threw in the towel. On that occasion, the 'Soul Taker' had nothing left to give. But was that the case in his rematch with Fundora? Some of the most powerful men in the sport felt Tszyu quit prematurely. Turki Al-Sheikh, the billionaire Saudi Arabian boxing promoter, said this in a Tweet that was subsequently deleted. 'I said to you from the beginning, Tim Tszyu does not deserve to be on a Riyadh Season or Ring Magazine card. He can be a useful sparring partner for a champion in Riyadh Season.' Al-Sheikh had previously ruled out ever dealing with Tszyu again after the Australian pulled out of a scheduled clash with Vergil Ortiz Jnr, citing his recovery from the cut Fundora inflicted in their first fight. Which leaves Tszyu with precious few options as he attempts to rebuild a career and brand on the precipice. After opting to end the fight on his stool, the stock price of No Limit and broadcaster Main Event crashed through the floor. Charging punters $70, the going rate for the privilege of tuning into a Tszyu fight, will become an almost impossible sell. It was the same asking price to witness Paul Gallen earn a controversial points decision against long-time rival Sonny Bill Williams last week. There was one main difference between the Tszyu fight and that event, which was shown exclusively on Stan which, like this masthead, is owned by Nine Entertainment Regardless of the outcome, viewers knew Gallen, just like he did on the football field, would do everything humanly possible to win. Gallen isn't one to literally or figuratively finish on his stool. It's been 45 years since the most infamous end to a boxing bout. In the eighth round of their rematch, Roberto Duran waved his glove and turned his back on Sugar Ray Leonard. The man dubbed 'Hands of Stone' had had enough. 'No más,' said Duran, meaning 'No more' in Spanish. At some point, Tszyu will likely attempt another comeback. His spruikers will try to sell the dream; that he can overcome the latest setback, that he can add to the family's fighting legacy, that he can again become a world champion.
The Age
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Age
When it comes to selling the Tszyu dream, it's ‘No más'
In the closing stages of the ninth round, Horn looked cooked. The Brisbane school teacher just made it to the bell after soaking up Pacquiao's biggest blows. As Horn sat on his stool, veteran referee Mark Nelson had seen enough. 'Jeff, listen, I'm here to protect you, ok?' Nelson said. 'I think you've had enough. Do you want to continue?' Horn's trainer, Glenn Rushton, was adamant his charge still had some fight left in him. 'Show me something in this round,' Nelson said, 'Or I'm going to stop the fight.' Horn rose from the stool. In those championship rounds, against one of the greatest of them all - Pacquiao is an eight-division world champion who has held belts in every weight class from 50 to 69 kilograms - the Australian underdog etched himself into sporting folklore. Three years later, in a fight against Tszyu, Horn was again on his stool at the end of the eighth. Tszyu had battered a punch-drunk Horn - who by this stage of his career had been pummelled by pound-for-pound king Terence Crawford - into submission. 'Have you got a punch left in you or not?' Rushton asked his fighter. 'No,' was the reply. 'Do you want to give us a minute?' On this occasion the right call was made. The fight was stopped and Horn never fought again. Which brings us back to Tszyu. When he was getting pumelled by Russian Bakhram Murtazaliev, in another humbling world title loss last October, he was too brave for his own good. After being knocked down on four separate occasions, the massacre only ended when his brother, Nikita, threw in the towel. On that occasion, the 'Soul Taker' had nothing left to give. But was that the case in his rematch with Fundora? Some of the most powerful men in the sport felt Tszyu quit prematurely. Turki Al-Sheikh, the billionaire Saudi Arabian boxing promoter, said this in a Tweet that was subsequently deleted. 'I said to you from the beginning, Tim Tszyu does not deserve to be on a Riyadh Season or Ring Magazine card. He can be a useful sparring partner for a champion in Riyadh Season.' Al-Sheikh had previously ruled out ever dealing with Tszyu again after the Australian pulled out of a scheduled clash with Vergil Ortiz Jnr, citing his recovery from the cut Fundora inflicted in their first fight. Which leaves Tszyu with precious few options as he attempts to rebuild a career and brand on the precipice. After opting to end the fight on his stool, the stock price of No Limit and broadcaster Main Event crashed through the floor. Charging punters $70, the going rate for the privilege of tuning into a Tszyu fight, will become an almost impossible sell. It was the same asking price to witness Paul Gallen earn a controversial points decision against long-time rival Sonny Bill Williams last week. There was one main difference between the Tszyu fight and that event, which was shown exclusively on Stan which, like this masthead, is owned by Nine Entertainment Regardless of the outcome, viewers knew Gallen, just like he did on the football field, would do everything humanly possible to win. Gallen isn't one to literally or figuratively finish on his stool. It's been 45 years since the most infamous end to a boxing bout. In the eighth round of their rematch, Roberto Duran waved his glove and turned his back on Sugar Ray Leonard. The man dubbed 'Hands of Stone' had had enough. 'No más,' said Duran, meaning 'No more' in Spanish. At some point, Tszyu will likely attempt another comeback. His spruikers will try to sell the dream; that he can overcome the latest setback, that he can add to the family's fighting legacy, that he can again become a world champion.
West Australian
2 days ago
- Sport
- West Australian
Tim Tszyu released from hospital as questions linger on boxing future: ‘Health first'
Tim Tszyu has been released from hospital, but his career remains in limbo following a second brutal beat-down in the US. American 'Towering Inferno' Sebastian Fundora boxed Tszyu into submission in their world-title rematch in Las Vegas. Australia's former WBO super-welterweight champion was taken straight to hospital after being unable to carry on after a ferocious seventh round at the MGM Grand's iconic Garden Arena. Ironically, Tszyu looked to be turning the fight in that seventh round after being dropped in the opener by a savage straight left to the head from Fundora. Despite being bloodied himself, Fundora caught Tszyu with a flurry of upper cuts in the final seconds of the seventh that shook the Australian before he told his corner he did not wish to continue. Tszyu had been attempting to emulate his Hall of Fame dad Kostya as only the third father-son duo in boxing history to both win multiple world titles. 'Shattered for Tim, first and foremost. Shattered knowing how hard he worked for this and how bad he wanted it,' Tszyu's promoter George Rose said. 'Very sad night at the office, but I'm glad that he's walked out of the ring.' Rose commended Fundora for putting on a masterclass in defence of his WBC strap. 'Best I've ever seen Fundora fight, hands down,' said the No Limit Boxing boss. 'I thought the strategy that they had coming in, how he fought long, he really used his length early. He was tremendous, a really good win for him and I don't think anyone else in the division beats him now.' The tallest world champion in all of boxing, standing at 197cm and boasting a massive reach advantage over his rivals, Fundora didn't allow Tszyu to get to him without being exposed himself. Still, Rose maintains Tszyu can climb the mountain again - if he wants to. 'First and foremost, he needs to just recover from this, go through your process of facing defeat,' Rose said. 'You've got to go through your moments with that, and then it's a decision for him. 'He's still, as far as talent and capability goes, very much a very capable fighter, a very talented fighter, and I still think that he still beats most of the guys in the division on his night. 'It's just a decision up to him as to what he's going to do, whether he gets back in the gym on Monday, whether he has a break, what he does.' Rose insists it's too early to speculate about whether or not the 30-year-old will fight on, having lost three of his past four bouts after going unbeaten in his first 24. 'In this sport, a loss is a long time that you've got to deal with that for,' said the former premiership-winning NRL prop. 'It's not a one-week thing like most team sports where you can move on within a week. 'A lot's got to happen on the back of it. Firstly, you've got to go medically. 'Then you've got to look at where the hunger's at, and Tim's one person you never can question his hunger or desire or the amount of application he puts in with his efforts in this sport. He rips in. 'He just fought for a world title at the MGM Grand so, while that's a really cool thing, taking a loss is a tough thing. 'I know Tim's still very talented, very capable, but it comes down to him. He's the guy who's got to put his life on the line in the ring. 'So the decision is on him, and I support him with whatever he chooses 100 per cent. 'If he wants to make another run for a world title, I'll do everything in my power to make that happen. 'It's his health first.'
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Sport
- Perth Now
Tim Tszyu released from hospital as questions linger: ‘Health first'
Tim Tszyu has been released from hospital, but his career remains in limbo following a second brutal beat-down in the US. American 'Towering Inferno' Sebastian Fundora boxed Tszyu into submission in their world-title rematch in Las Vegas. Australia's former WBO super-welterweight champion was taken straight to hospital after being unable to carry on after a ferocious seventh round at the MGM Grand's iconic Garden Arena. Ironically, Tszyu looked to be turning the fight in that seventh round after being dropped in the opener by a savage straight left to the head from Fundora. Despite being bloodied himself, Fundora caught Tszyu with a flurry of upper cuts in the final seconds of the seventh that shook the Australian before he told his corner he did not wish to continue. Tszyu had been attempting to emulate his Hall of Fame dad Kostya as only the third father-son duo in boxing history to both win multiple world titles. 'Shattered for Tim, first and foremost. Shattered knowing how hard he worked for this and how bad he wanted it,' Tszyu's promoter George Rose said. 'Very sad night at the office, but I'm glad that he's walked out of the ring.' Rose commended Fundora for putting on a masterclass in defence of his WBC strap. The future for Tim Tszyu (right) is unclear after his loss to Sebastian Fundora in Las Vegas. Credit: AAP 'Best I've ever seen Fundora fight, hands down,' said the No Limit Boxing boss. 'I thought the strategy that they had coming in, how he fought long, he really used his length early. He was tremendous, a really good win for him and I don't think anyone else in the division beats him now.' The tallest world champion in all of boxing, standing at 197cm and boasting a massive reach advantage over his rivals, Fundora didn't allow Tszyu to get to him without being exposed himself. Still, Rose maintains Tszyu can climb the mountain again - if he wants to. 'First and foremost, he needs to just recover from this, go through your process of facing defeat,' Rose said. 'You've got to go through your moments with that, and then it's a decision for him. 'He's still, as far as talent and capability goes, very much a very capable fighter, a very talented fighter, and I still think that he still beats most of the guys in the division on his night. 'It's just a decision up to him as to what he's going to do, whether he gets back in the gym on Monday, whether he has a break, what he does.' Sebastian Fundora proved too tall an order for Tim Tszyu in their much-hyped rematch in Las Vegas. Credit: AAP Rose insists it's too early to speculate about whether or not the 30-year-old will fight on, having lost three of his past four bouts after going unbeaten in his first 24. 'In this sport, a loss is a long time that you've got to deal with that for,' said the former premiership-winning NRL prop. 'It's not a one-week thing like most team sports where you can move on within a week. 'A lot's got to happen on the back of it. Firstly, you've got to go medically. 'Then you've got to look at where the hunger's at, and Tim's one person you never can question his hunger or desire or the amount of application he puts in with his efforts in this sport. He rips in. 'He just fought for a world title at the MGM Grand so, while that's a really cool thing, taking a loss is a tough thing. 'I know Tim's still very talented, very capable, but it comes down to him. He's the guy who's got to put his life on the line in the ring. 'So the decision is on him, and I support him with whatever he chooses 100 per cent. 'If he wants to make another run for a world title, I'll do everything in my power to make that happen. 'It's his health first.'
