Tim Tszyu says he’s still interested in rescheduling a fight against Vergil Ortiz Jr. over time. Unfortunately for former WBO 154-lb champion Tszyu, he will have to wait a little longer before he rematches Vergil. The Golden Boy fighter has big fish to fry against WBC junior middleweight interim champion Serhii Bohachuk.
The two were supposed to fight on the Terence Crawford vs. Israil Madrimov on August 3 in Los Angeles, but Tszyu was forced to withdraw due to a cut he sustained in his last fight against Sebastian Fundora and is still not fully recovered.
Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs) fights for the IBF junior middleweight belt on September 22 against Erickson Lubin or Jesus Ramos. He says he doesn’t care which of the two he faces.
Tszyu wants to take the IBF title and use it as a tool to get bigger fights that may elude him. He feels that without a title, he is “high risk, low reward” for top fighters to deal with.
Vergil Ortiz Jr. fights WBC junior middleweight champion Serhii Bohachuk on August 10 on DAZN at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
“The best players are Lubin and Ramos. It’s among those” said Tim Tszyu on Fight Hub TV when asked who he wants to fight on September 22 for the IBF 154-lb title.
“Stylistically, he’s very smart, very technical, and he knows how to set traps,” Tszyu said of Lubin. “He is a brilliant boxer. I have to be on my game. For me, the belts are only important to get me into the big fights. That’s what I want. Otherwise, I’m a high-risk, no-reward type of fighter. It is my communication tool.”
Lubin (26-2, 18 KOs) has not fought since last year, on September 30, when he beat Jesus Ramos by a twelve-round unanimous decision in a stunning performance. It is not known why Lubin, 28, has not returned to the ring because that was an important win that he should have used by now.
“It was a small setback to a big comeback,” Tszyu said of his loss to Sebastian Fundora last March. “If I hadn’t had the elbow, it would have been a different story, but that’s in the past. He did what he had to do to win, and you admire him.”
Tszyu battled blood pouring from his eyes for the second half of the Fundora fight after being elbowed in the head. The match had to be stopped because there was blood all over the canvas, fights and referees.
“The fear of losing. That’s probably the biggest thing. Having that behind you and showing fearlessness. The fear is over,” said Tszyu explaining what he learned from his loss to Fundora. “I have never been afraid of anyone, but I was always afraid of what it would be like to lose.” I think that’s gone.”
If Tszyu can win the IBF title, he will get a chance to fight for the belt, and he will have a good chance to win. He seeks a rematch with Fundora and fights Vergil Jr., Errol Spence, and Terence Crawford.
“Sure, hands down. It’s an important event at least,” said Tszyu about whether he still wants to fight Vergil Ortiz Jr. [for the August 3rd card, which is headlined by Terence Crawford vs. Israil Madrimov]. That fight should be on its own field.”
If Ortiz gets past Bohachuk, he will be in position to challenge the winner of the Fundora vs. Errol Spence Jr.. That’s the money fight Ortiz will focus on before heading into a dangerous matchup against Tszyu. Vergil Jr. he wants to fight Spence at Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
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