Sebastian Fundora beat Tim Tszyu for the second time when Tszyu stayed on his stool at the end of the seventh round at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday night. The junior middleweight title fight was the co-main event to Manny Pacquiao’s comeback against Mario Barrios.
When these two first met in March 2024, a promising Tszyu start was derailed when an errant elbow opened up a gash on Tszyu’s head, and the gush of blood throughout appeared to affect the Aussie as Fundora won a split decision.
This time around, Tszyu, 25-3 (18 KOs), was never really in the contest. The 6ft 5½ins Fundora, so often criticized for not fighting to his strengths, boxed tall throughout and drew first blood when a straight left dropped Tszyu to the seat of his pants.
He rose to his feet, but the second round saw Fundora, 23-1-1 (15 KOs), trap Tszyu on the ropes and pepper him with combinations. Fundora was fighting smart as well as tall, not overcommitting to his punches and just keeping his foe at the end of his long, long arms.
Tszyu’s only hope, it seemed, was to land a haymaker – and he tried. The crowd, either mostly Australian or just wanting a good fight, cheered every big swing from Tszyu, whether it landed or not. And meanwhile, Fundora just kept doing his thing, constantly flicking out a long jab that kept Tszyu in place and firing a straight left behind it.
Tszyu may have finally won a round in the fifth as he landed a clean right hand, but Fundora soon shut him down again, calmly pecking away, constantly throwing without allowing Tszyu in range.
Finally, in the seventh, Fundora allowed Tszyu to close the gap, and the Australian had his best moments of the fight, landing a sweeping left, a hard right and another left. But then Fundora trapped him in a corner and teed off again, and when the bell rang, Tszyu held on to the ropes uncertainly. When referee Harvey Dock asked him if he wanted to continue, Tszyu demurred.
“My dad told me all week, I think we can get him out of there,” said Fundora afterward. “Everyone’s always telling me to be the bully in the ring, so I decided to bully him.”
“He’s one tough motherfucker,” said Tszyu, who has now lost three of his last four. “Victory belongs to Sebastian Fundora. He was just the better man. He's tall as fuck. Sometimes I felt like I was shadowboxing with myself, but it is what it is. Congratulations to him and his team.”
Kieran Mulvaney has written, broadcast and podcast about boxing for HBO, Showtime, ESPN and Reuters, among other outlets. He presently co-hosts the “Fighter Health Podcast” with Dr. Margaret Goodman. He also writes regularly for National Geographic, has written several books on the Arctic and Antarctic, including most recently Arctic Passages: Ice, Exploration, and the Battle for Power at the Top of the World, and is at his happiest hanging out with wild polar bears. His website is www.kieranmulvaney.com.
