Tim Tszyu vs. Bakhram Murtazaliev fight prediction, odds, undercard, start time, preview, where to watch
CBSN
Tszyu looks to bounce back from the first defeat of his pro career on Saturday night in Orlando
Tim Tszyu's ascent toward boxing superstardom was slowed in his last outing when he dropped a split decision to Sebastian Fundora in a bloody war, losing the WBO junior middleweight title in the process. Tszyu looks to get back on track on Saturday when he faces IBF champion Bakhram Murtazaliev.
Tszyu's 2024 has been rocky. The fight with Fundora came about on short notice when Tszyu's original opponent for the March 30 date, Keith Thurman, pulled out of the fight due to injury. The towering Fundora presented a far different set of challenges than Thurman and a badly bloodied Tszyu came up short on the final scorecards after suffering a cut in his hairline early in the fight.
Tszyu was then set to face Vergil Ortiz Jr. in an exciting matchup in August but was forced to withdraw from the fight while still recovering from the injuries suffered against Fundora. It was then announced that Tszyu's return would come in September against Erickson Lubin in an IBF-ordered eliminator. Lubin suffered a hand injury and looked to postpone the fight to December, but the IBF ordered a fight between Murtazaliev and Tszyu.
