Jai Opetaia expects Tim Tszyu to learn from his fight with Sebastian Fundora and dethrone Bakhram Murtazaliev as the IBF junior middleweight champion.
The 29-year-old lost for the first time in March when, in a fight for the WBO and vacant WBC titles, Tszyu suffered a solemn injury to Fundora’s elbow that left him unable to see or compete in the second round.
He agreed to fight the lumbering Fundora belatedly following an injury suffered by his previous and significantly different opponent Keith Thurman. After the fight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, which he lost by decision, it was also suggested that Tszyu should not have been allowed to continue after seeing the corner cut.
Having sacrificed his title and undefeated record, he is looking to gain another at the Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida, where Murtazaliev makes his first defense of the vacant title he won in April by stopping Jack Culcay.
Regardless of the circumstances of the defeat to Fundora, a second defeat in a row would prove disastrous for the Australian’s career – Fundora is also close to rewarding victory with a lucrative fight against Errol Spence – but ultimately compatriot Tszyu supports him in victory.
It was a significant period for Australian boxing. On Saturday – under Artur Beterbiev-Dmitry Bivol’s card in Riyad, Saudi Arabia – Opetaia stopped Jack Massey to defend her IBF cruiserweight title, and Skye Nicolson overtook Raven Chapman to defend her WBC featherweight title.
With the announcement that Liam Paro will defend his IBF junior lightweight title on December 7 against Richardson Hitchins, it is possible that the oft-neglected fighting culture will celebrate the existence of four world champions by the end of 2024.
“He was a bit unlucky – unlucky with the cut and stuff like that,” Opetaia told BoxingScene. “But it’s all part of learning. I’m sure they’ve learned a lot and I’m looking forward to his return to form. I support him with all my strength.
“It’s good to see another Australian on the world stage. Few of us end up here; this is common with Poms [Britons] and Europeans and Americans, but for people from our forest it is a long way to get here. I support him with all my strength.
“It’s a great fight. I will support Tim.
“I just hope Tim wins. He’s fucking Australian – we support each other. Once he’s home, we want to decapitate each other. But when it’s our nation and he flies our flag and he’s one of us, we support him all the time. I hope he fucking beats everyone.
“It would be great if the Australian market worked as a whole team. You have all these Pom Poms; you have so many Pommies fighting on the same card and they create Matchrooms and such.
“It’s a little different for us because if we were to do an Australian fight night, something like what the UFC does – they put all the Australians on the same damn card – if we did something like that, I’d be honored to do it. part of it. I would even take a pay cut to be a part of it because it would just be a historic thing for Australia and that’s what it’s all about – being a part of things like this.
“We were in a fucking pub cheering for margaritas [when Paro defeated Subriel Matias]. We had a crazy day that day. It was amazing. Fuck, we celebrated for him.
Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn has made no secret of his desire to have a homecoming fight for Paro in Australia in the future and potentially have Nicolson, Opetaia and heavyweight Justis Huni on the card. In the event of a victory over 31-year-old Russian Murtazaliev, Tszyu is expected to retain the fierce sense of independence that has helped anger the influential Turki Alalshikh.
“The stakes are always high,” Opetaia continued. “Me; Tim; we’re at the peak of our careers. Every fight has high stakes. We don’t go into fights thinking, ‘Fuck, you know…’ It’s all risky business. One punch can change everything. We’re in it; at the risk our lives; sacrificing ourselves every day. It’s all high stakes.
“For someone watching the fight outside the ring, it may look different. “He can do it; can do it.” But when you get in that ring and punch it, anything can happen, so we have to take this shit seriously – and I’m sure he does. He always does it. Always delivers.
“[Tszyu’s independence is] Good. He had Australia behind him – for us the paths were completely different. He cooperates with Tim Tszyu with No Limits, with whom he had a contract [broadcasters] Fox, and Fox still controls everything in the Australian boxing world, so it’s easier to promote him, especially with the Tszyu name.
“I’m not trying to discredit him at all – obviously he does tough work and wins fights. He is a great fighter. I saw him as a newborn kid rising through the ranks; We played for Up-to-date South Wales teams as teenagers, so I saw his tough work. I know it’s a long process and he deserves some of that preparation and the opportunity to sell the fight in Australia – I’ve been on the scene for a few years and that name Tszyu spans two generations. It’s good for Australian boxing; gives other Australians gigantic fights; these are gigantic cards. Everything is positive.”
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