Boxing is a crazy sport. On Saturday in Orlando, Tim Tszyu found out about it when he was savagely upset by IBF super welterweight champion Bakhram Murtazliev.
The latter scored a surprising third-round TKO victory as Tszyu’s corner threw in the towel to save their fighter from more punishment. Murtazliev dropped Tszyu four times en route to the win. Here is a look at the finish.
Referee Chris Young gave Tszyu every opportunity to keep himself in the fight, but he never seemed to regain his wherewithal after being hurt badly in the second round. It’s hard to tell if Tszyu was unprepared or if he simply ran into a future star who used this opportunity to launch himself to the next level.
Uncrowned called the win a star-making performance.
CompuBox sent me the statistical breakdown of the fight which demonstrated Murtazaliev’s huge edge in power punches landed.
“The stats from the opening frame reflect the statistical tendencies of both fighters- Murtazaliev outworked Tszyu, throwing 18 more punches than Tszyu, while Tszyu was more accurate, landing 36% of his punches,” Ben Chan of CompuBox wrote in his normal breakdown of the firm’s punch stat numbers. “Murtazaliev steamrolled Tszyu in the second round, landing 32 punches and knocking down Tszyu in the opening minute, again at approximately the halfway point of the round, and scoring a third knockdown in the closing minute of the round. Tszyu was reduced to throwing with Murtazaliev in a desperate attempt to land a fight-changing haymaker, but he never found that punch. Murtazaliev scored a fourth knockdown in the third round and Tszyu’s corner threw in the towel at 1:55 of the third round. Tszyu and Murtazaliev were neck and neck in terms of accuracy, but Murtazaliev doubled up Tszyu in power punches landed.”
While Murtazaliev came into the fight as the champion, he was still a sizable underdog at plus-450. Anyone who put their money on the 31-year-old Russian cashed in on Saturday night. Murtazaliev won the vacant IBF title in his last outing, an 11th-round TKO victory over Jack Culcay in Germany.
The fight with Tszyu was considered a massive step up for Murtazaliev as he had never faced an opponent as accomplished in his career. Suddenly, another name is to contend with in the interesting 154-pound division. After consecutive losses, Tszyu has to wonder where he fits in the division.
He lost his WBO title and a chance to win the vacant WBC belt when he came out on the short end of a war with Sebastian Fundora in March. He’d be wise to take some time away from the sport before returning, but it’s unlikely he’ll be fighting for another world title when he returns. Murtazaliev could now be a potential opponent for Vergil Ortiz Jr. or perhaps even rising 154-pounder Xander Zayas, the winner of the upcoming Israil Madrimov vs. Serhii Bohachuk bout, or the winner of Fundora vs. Errol Spence Jr.
That fight seems ticketed for January. Because of promotional alliances with Premier Boxing Champions, it’s the most natural fit for Murtazaliev’s next opponent.
