No Limit Boxing promoter George Rose spoke of his pride in watching Tim Tszyu, his star fighter, battle the odds against Sebastian Fundora.
Tszyu lost a narrow split decision Saturday in Las Vegas after being cut terribly on the top of his head at the end of the second round – and then boxing the next 10 through bloody and blurry eyes.
“One of the bravest performances by an Australian athlete we’ve seen,” Rose said, describing the efforts of the 29-year-old Tszyu.
“A bloke who cannot see for 10 rounds of the fight still turns up against a very good opponent in Sebastian Fundora, and Tim Tszyu’s an absolute credit to Australia,” Rose said. “It’s not the end of Tim Tszyu at all, it’s just the beginning. It means we’re going to get that rematch happening and we’ll be ready for more big fights.”
Despite the loss, Rose contends that the stock of the ex-WBO junior middleweight titleholder has risen following his Las Vegas debut, despite the loss. Rose says Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs) could still move into a fight with the likes of Errol Spence or Terence Crawford.
“All of those are fights he’d like to have and fights I’d like to see him in,” Rose said. “He didn’t lose anything tonight, any stock. He just showed how much of a warrior Tim Tszyu is and how much he’s ready to get in there and absolutely put everything on the line. Because he’s a bloke who couldn’t see for 10 rounds, and he pushed it to a split decision.”
Asked about the rematch clause Tszyu has in place, Rose admitted there was a timeline and they will discuss whether they will activate it “or whether any of these other big fish want to jump up and swim with Tim.”
Would Tszyu want the rematch right away?
“That’ll be the plan,” Rose said.
“The opportunity to fight in Las Vegas, we were really excited about. We’d love to come back here again. We’re open to wherever.
“No regrets. You saw what I saw for the first two rounds – that was Tim Tszyu’s fight. If he wasn’t blinded by the blood, it definitely would have ended early in Tim Tszyu’s favor.
“I’m very proud. He talks about being a warrior and how hard he wants to push himself, and he showed that out there. He showed that. I’ve got nothing but respect for him and his team. A freak accident happens like that, he’s got a waterfall of flood falling into his eyes for 10 rounds, and the odds were stacked in his favor for 10 rounds.
“The size of that cut and the position it was in – you saw that cut and it was gushing out. I’m not the professional to speak on that, but they did a very good job of trying to contain what was a crazy cut.”
Spence strode into the ring to challenge Fundora, even posing for pictures with the newly unified champion. But Rose didn’t perceive it as an insult.
“No not at all. Errol Spence is a guy people want to fight at this weight,” Rose said. “If he wants to come to 154, have your conversations with Tim Tszyu, have your conversations with Sebastian Fundora, because that’s a fight everybody would be interested in. Put it this way: It’s one fight we wouldn’t be walking away from.”
Rose said Tszyu would also be open to facing Israil Madrimov, the WBA titleholder.
“[We] would take Madrimov in Australia,” Rose said. “The options that are out there now, with Madrimov winning that title, we could be fighting in Europe. Who knows?
“What I will say is, our priority at the moment is we want to get redemption on Fundora. We’d love the rematch. If another opportunity pops up, we’ll talk about that one. But we’ve got a short space to make that decision.”
