Former unified welterweight champion Keith Thurman will provide commentary for the Bakhram Murtazaliev vs. Tim Tszyu Battle for PBC on Prime Video Team this Saturday, October 19 at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida. Thurman says he wants to see how well former WBO junior middleweight champion Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs) takes the powerful right hands of IBF 154-lb champion Murtazaliev (22-0, 16 KOs) in this fight because he is a big puncher .
(Credit: Joseph Correa/Premier Boxing Champions)
Tszyu could be vulnerable to Murtazaliev’s power after his loss to Sebastian Fundora earlier this year on March 30. While Tszyu stayed on his feet for the full 12 rounds and was never seriously hurt by Fundora, he still took plenty of shots from the 6’6″ fighter and was a bloody mess by the end.
Murtazaliev’s power may be too much for Tszyu in this fight if he can jump him, and unload with a flurry of shots like he did in his wins over Jack Culcay and Ahmad Cheikho. For Tszyu, it will be a huge setback for his career if Murtazaliev knocks him out.
“Out of all the years fighting, all the obstacles, all the injuries, all the time off, all the setbacks, this year has been a very challenging year,” Keith Thurman said. Battle hype.
“Fortunately for me, I have always been a man of faith. Not only do I believe in myself, but I believe in the universal higher power that optimistic Keith Thurman now has an opportunity in the world of boxing; if I come back, I have the opportunity to have one of the greatest comeback stories of this generation.”
If Thurman wants to come back, he can always team up with someone like Israil Madrimov, Vegil Ortiz Jr., or Serhii Bohachuk to show fans he’s serious. Those guys will delight Thurman, and if he beats them, fans will celebrate.
“We’ve heard tremendous comeback stories over the years. Movies have been made about it,” Thurman said. “Sometimes life feels like a dream, and when we look back at this year, it’s quite dreamy. It’s like, ‘How did this happen? How did that happen?’
“I’m here. I’m healthy, and I’m keeping strong. I still love the fighting, and I’m looking forward to what opens at the beginning of next year. I believe that we can hopefully open negotiations in early January or late December to see what manifests. I’ll still love the Tszyu fight.”
Thurman has been out of the ring for three years since his last fight against Mario Barrios, whom he beat by a 12-round unanimous decision on February 5, 2022. Prior to that fight, Thurman had been inactive for two and a half years. It seems obvious that Thurman does not enjoy training or fighting. He would be better off announcing his retirement, and quick teasing return, because fans are sick of it.
“I already know that if Tszyu becomes champion again, he will look at unification matches. He might want a rematch with Fundora. There’s (Jermell) Charlo out there that he never got to fight, but obviously he has to get past this tough Russian (Murtazaliev) that people say Charlo avoided,” Thurman said.
It’s too early to talk about who Tszyu will fight next, because for all we know, he could be looking to rebuild his career after Saturday night if he gets knocked out by Murtazaliev. Rather than fight Tszyu against Fundora or Charlo, he would face a second-ranked fighter, try to regain his confidence and work on the flaws Murtazaliev exposed.
“They saw how many people were shunned at 154. So, we’re going to see if he really was someone to avoid or if it just takes someone willing to sign the contract, like Tim Tszyu, to prove that the Russian may be a champion, but he’s not as scary as not everyone. played him out to be.
“So, I think things are pretty interesting at 154, and it would be nice to get back into that mix. We wanted to do it this year, but it looks like we’re going to have to do it at the beginning of next year.
“I will be working on the side commentating for the fight. I look forward to it. We have Prime Video non-PPV. It’s going to be great for all those Prime members to get this world-class box in the comfort of their homes,” said Thurman.
Being a professional commentator suits Thurman more than talking about fighting but never doing it. As long as Thurman can stay on topic during broadcasts and not go into left field, talking about stuff that has nothing to do with the fight he’s commentating on, he can do a good job.
“A lot of people who have been boxing fans for a long time. We’ve been through a big shift recently with everything that’s happened with Showtime and HBO,” Thurman said. “I have told many fighters that boxing is new. Boxing is different.
“Keep expecting that to change, but hopefully all the different networks, all the different streaming sites can put it together and get something really exciting for you guys. I believe that’s what they’re trying to do with this card here, with three tremendous fights on the card.”
“They just love this fight because they like the style that their opponent brings to the table because they’re not going to have to find this guy,” Thurman said of Tszyu and Murtazaliev. “They believe their opponent brings nothing special. So, they’re both confident that they’re going to come through, which is what you want. We know it’s not going to happen. One will prevail.”
Murtazalev vs. Tszyu is a battle between two knockouts, both of whom have the power to score early stoppages. Neither guy has a reverse gear, and it’s going to be interesting to see which one of them will pull back when the going gets tough. Tszyu said he’s going to box more in this fight, but we’ll see if he actually does.
“Is it Tszyu? Is it Bakhram? I don’t know too much about Bakhram. I’ve seen very little film about him, but I’m looking forward to it. I want to see what kind of statement he wants to make tomorrow.
“Based on the little experience and the slow start that Tszyu has, but how he really turns it up in the later rounds, I question whether the new champion (Murtazaliev) is going to fade.
“Once you start fading and leaning against the ropes, it makes the fight easier for Tszyu. So, I believe that conditioning and never putting yourself in that bad position where you can’t move your feet and do what you need to do. That’s going to be a key to victory,” Thurman said.
Murtazaliev is not the type of fighter to lean against the ropes in his fights. He is a well-rounded Russian fighter who tends to keep the action in the center of the ring. His style is similar to Artur Beterbiev, but he throws a lot more uppercuts up close than him. Murtazaliev attacks his opponents like Beterbiev and goes after them and does not let them escape.
“The Russian (Murtazaliev) has a strong right hand, and he wants to make a statement. He said he’s not looking for a knockout, but if it comes, it comes. I’m interested to see if that overhand right is going to rock Tszyu. We know he’s tough. We just saw him waging a bloody war against Fundora,” Thurman said.
If Murtazaliev’s chin can withstand the big shots that Tszyu will throw at him early in the match, he has a good chance of defeating him on Saturday night. Tszyu looked good in the first four rounds against Fundora last March, but he fell behind and was beaten in the last eight rounds.
