Tszyu with a full training camp focused on Fundora beats Fundora. Tszyu didn’t have almost a full training camp focused on Fundora, who is a 6’5″+ southpaw, and not the aging, 5’7″ right-handed welterweight Tszyu signed up to fight. This gives Fundora a chance to pull off an upset.
I’m betting on Fundora to get enough rounds, but in this case it’s 50/50 because I think Tszyu really is the better fighter. Fundora won’t push for the win because that’s just not the way he fights, which is the real standard these days for guys who are abnormally high in the division, almost like a guy they like to fight in the middle. In fact, it’s the novel expected style where everyone tries to be “surprisingly good midfield players!” instead of just doing what should come naturally with their natural advantages, so much so that it would actually be more stereotype-breaking to have a distance-keeping jabbing machine with a huge height and reach advantage, more or less as it would be in What’s actually more creative at this point is to write a story about a clown who’s just a dumb dude who shows up at birthday parties and doesn’t have any sinister plans. Fundora SD-12
Will Esco (5-2)
There are those who expect Fundora to give Tszyu a tougher test than Keith Thurman, and I am one of them. Not only is the fundora a completely different animal, its dimensions make it threatening to almost anyone in its weight class. That being said, Fundora doesn’t usually apply his massive height and reach to his advantage, which is why he’s built to be a reliable action fighter who’s fun to watch. If this fight turns into something like Fundora vs. Erickson Lubin, I think Tszyu will be a better fit for this type of fight because he has more bang in his punches.
Tsyzu may be reaching an elite level soon, but I appreciate his willingness to take on all comers and I think he’s still fresh enough to give his all tonight. I will take Tszyu to survive Fundora in a grueling effort. Tszyu TKO-9
John Hansen (6-1)
I did something I very rarely do and checked the gambling lines in this fight before making my pick. Most places give Fundora about a 20 percent chance of fighting here, but I think it’s more of a 60/40 fight, especially considering the brief notice and what Tszyu was preparing for less than two weeks ago.
Watching enough Fundora finally convinced me, probably around the time of the Erickson Lubin fight, that it was a real movie and not just a giraffe-man freak show. It’s debatable whether he can handle the force… I think his kneeling before Lubin and the way he used that time to serene down and regain control of the fight is a very positive sign. He tried to fight Mendoza and it finished him off. Will he be able to stay sane when Tszyu takes a substantial shot? Maybe!
On the other hand, if Fundora avoids the brain-bending blow, can Tszyu do what no one else has ever done and beat Fundora in the 12? He did a good strategic job against Harrison and Gausha. But he had over 13 days to prepare for them, and none of them are as special as Fundora.
In my eyes this is a much closer fight than the bookmaker. However, I still favor Tszyu, who I think will hurt Fundora at least once or twice and should be aware of closing the deal when he does. Tszyu KO-10
Patrick Stumberg (6-1)
The fundamental point for Fundora is that the demands he demands from his opponent (endurance, stamina, internal combat prowess) are the same things Tszyu excels at. Tim struggles with counter-attackers who can take advantage of his sluggish footwork; he would jump at the chance to just sit in the pocket and trade concussions until someone falls down.
Fundora’s only advantage is that he was preparing for the seemingly similar Serhiy Bohachuk, while Tszyu had to throw away all his notes on Keith Thurman. But it wouldn’t diminish the advantage even in the best of times, and I wouldn’t call “first fight since being thrown into Bolivia” the best of times. Tszyu is simply too good at the only type of fighting Fundora knows in “Towering Inferno” to tire him out; expect a “TIMBER” moment somewhere around the middle. Tszyu TKO-5
Rolly Rollie Rolliesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss puncher and has some natural physical abilities that, if properly trained as a professional boxer, could make him very threatening. But his boxing reeks of upper- and mid-level, let alone high. It’s not that Cruz is a great technician or a one-punch brutalist, or that Romero will be challenging to hit.
I just think Cruz is a better, more persistent boxer. He’s a smaller man, but he packs a search-and-destroy punch. Granted, this gives Rolly a chance to drop a substantial bomb in a shootout, but the shootout could also just overwhelm Romero, who doesn’t have quick hands and could get caught with his wheels turning. There’s also a chance that Rolly’s condition has improved since we last saw him. Romero may win this fight, but I’m betting on Cruz. Cruz via TKO-8
Will Esco (5-2)
I have no doubt that this is a fight where Rolly will try to play the role of an aggressive counter-attacker, the question is whether he can do it well enough and long enough to keep Pitbull from getting dizzy going I think Rolly is at least punching enough strongly that he has the potential to catch a Pitbull coming into action, but this is also one of those scenarios where he will have to walk a tightrope as his boxing skills are not one of his natural strengths.
It wouldn’t shock me at all if this fight became disorganized for an extended period of time, and I think it’s a fight where Rolly either blows away Pitbull by getting on the field early or gets overwhelmed because his footwork isn’t good enough to stop Pitbull. Cruz UD-12
John Hansen (6-1)
I’m not saying that Rolly Romero is the weakest champion in boxing today. The middleweight belt being decided right before Rolly steps into the ring is enough to argue that he won’t even be the weakest champion on this card.
The truth, however, is that Romero “won” his title by being well outworked by a guy who looks ancient enough to be christened Luis Ortiz. And he holds that belt, at least to some extent, because it was during that fight that Tony Weeks may have first realized that the referee’s paycheck is the same whether he fights the full 12 rounds or finishes it frustratingly quickly when the fighter Team B pauses to take a deep breath.
As for Isaac Cruz, I’ve said this before, but he’s smiling like a shark without a soul:
Mindy Tiny/Getty Images and Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
He also fights like a shark. Tenacious, aggressive and persistent. Not as talented as Tank Davis, but probably immediately more threatening due to his relative recklessness. I like him to win pretty early, and I wouldn’t be shocked if it happened sooner than I daresay. Cruz KO-5
Patrick Stumberg (6-1)
Isaac Cruz is not the type of juggernaut; many of his most notable victories came over underpowered and/or overshadowed opponents, and he also had his share of setbacks against the likes of Jose Matias Romero and Giovanni Cabrera. He’s still on the way way better than Rolly Romero. Romero has four inches of height and five inches of reach in “Pitbull”, but he lacks the skills to apply them, as evidenced by his utter inability to stop the old Ismael Barroso from employing a meat-and-potatoes strategy.
And I don’t think I need to tell you how outclassed Romero is internally.
The only things Romero has to offer are quick reflexes and solid strength, neither of which should bother someone who lasted 36 minutes under Gervonta Davis. Of course, Cruz has the disadvantage of being a lightweight, but I think it’s outweighed by Romero’s disadvantage of being Rolly Romero. Cruz chases him down and brutalizes his body to finish him off in the end. Cruz via TKO-10
After a long-simmering showdown with Harlem Eubank fell through, top super lightweight prospect Adam Azim will face Ohara Davies at the top of the Sky Sports/Peacock main event on October 19 at the Copper Box Arena.
Azim (11-0, 8 KO) knocked out Franck Petitjean in his European title fight last November, then forced a stoppage in Enock Poulsen’s defense due to injury. These victories set up a mandatory defense against Dalton Smith, but Azim elected to face Eubank instead, only for the feud to begin and end with an April bout.
In “Two Tanks” steps, Davies (25-3, 18 KO) fights for the first time since being knocked down at 1:53 by Elderly Man Barroso in January. The defeat snapped a seven-game winning streak that began in 2018, when he lost a unanimous decision at the hands of Jack Catterall. This is definitely the loudest opponent in Azim’s career, although the 22-year-old is his clear favorite.
“I can’t wait to get back in the ring and get back to what I do best,” Azim said. “It was a great honor for me to win and defend the European title, but now I am ready for the next challenge. I have known Ohara Davies for many years. I respect him and what he has achieved in sport, but when we meet in the ring, he is just another opponent and another step on my way to the top. He is a good fighter. I think our style will make for an electrifying fight, but there will only be one result. I’m ready to make a statement and show everyone that I’m ready for the biggest names in the division.
“I’m excited about this fight,” Davies said. “I like Adam Azim. I’ve known him since I was a juvenile boy and it’s amazing to see his boxing success so far. I followed him in amateur competitions and always respected him. But he’s not a child anymore. He grew into a man with enormous potential. And that’s why it’s a pity that I have to give him his first defeat. Without a needle and without hatred, I want us to return to our families ecstatic and fit after the fight. But this is where everything changes for him. I’m sorry, Adam. This is where it ends.”
Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn is looking forward to Conor Benn’s British ban coming to an end in the next month or so as Benn’s lawyers hold talks with the British Anti-Doping Organization and the British Boxing Board of Control. Benn had his license suspended due to a failed drug test, and although he continues to deny knowingly taking any banned substance, he still had to face the repercussions.
Benn has not yet made a firm decision in the UK, but has since fought abroad twice in an attempt to prevent his career from being completely frozen due to his entanglements with the British authorities. According to Hearn, this is a large deal because Benn is apparently quite popular in the UK.
“Conor Benn coming back will be huge because if we talk about the profile, apart from AJ [Joshua] and Fury, Conor Benn’s profile is bigger than everyone else.
“We will know more in early October how this will play out. We had many questions about why he wouldn’t simply accept a two-year ban – the test took place in June 2022. However, to Conor’s detriment, he never wanted to admit to the ban because he believes in his innocence. He never wanted to make the deal and it cost him time.
Hearn continues to beat the drum regarding the proposed fight between Benn and Chris Eubank Jr., with both fathers fighting each other on large shows in the early 1990s. In that respect, Hearn intends to deliver the next generation of this fight, even despite the size difference between them.
Benn last fought in the ring in February in Las Vegas, defeating little-known Peter Dobson in a 12-round decision.
Naoya Inoue defended his undisputed super bantamweight title with a seventh-round TKO victory over TJ Doheny in a fight that had an unexpected ending and some compelling boxing ahead.
Inoue (28-0, 25 KO) was indeed stopped and was increasingly in control of the fight, but the stoppage came due to a lower back or leg injury to Doheny (26-5, 20 KO), whose shrewd, veteran-style boxing provided Inoue has decent looks, if not what you might call “fitting.”
Inoue seemed to be gaining a lot of momentum with his body work in the last few rounds before being stopped 16 seconds into the seventh round, and the outcome was looking less and less in doubt, but you don’t like to see any fighter get stopped for such a tiny thing that could happen there just happen.
To the 37-year-old Doheny’s credit, the Irish-Australian midfielder came in with a legitimate plan and had some success against the 31-year-old Inoue, even if it never looked like he would win the fight in the long run.
We’ll now wait to see what’s next for Inoue, who could potentially fight on Recent Year’s Eve, which is always a massive fight date in Japan, and which Inoue hasn’t actually fought, although he has had several December fights in his career, including the last three years.
With the main support, Yoshiki Takei (10-0, 8 KO) defended his WBO bantamweight title, leaving the ring – at least officially – to survive a great challenge from Daigo Higa (21-3-1, 19 KO) for 12 rounds.
Takei won a fantastic, action-packed fight with scores of 114-113, 114-113 and 115-112, which is a completely fair score, but it was one hell of a test for the 28-year-old titleholder as Higa looked so much like the guy he had be ahead of a tough series of five fights, in which he achieved a record of 2-2-1 in the 2018/21 season.
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