Sebastian Fundora and Tim Tszyu previewed their rematch and went face-to-face at the final press conference. The pair battle it out in the co-feature to Manny Pacquiao vs Mario Barrios at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on July 19. Fundora puts his WBC super welterweight title on the line.
Fundora (22-1-1, 14 KOs) of West Palm Beach, FL and Tszyu (23-2, 18 KOs) of Australia first met last March. The bout went the full distance, with Fundora taking the win by split decision. During the fight, Tszyu suffered a cut on the top of his head due to an accidental elbow.
A few days away from their second fight, Coachella-based 27-year-old southpaw Fundora promised to “put on a great show.” Sydney’s 30-year-old former champion Tszyu promised “a whole different story.”
‘If he had such a big problem with the cut, the corner would have stopped it’
“This is gonna be a great fight. It was so nice we had to do it twice,” Fundora said on Thursday. “We’re gonna put on a great show Saturday night.”
“Anything can happen in boxing. That first fight was a reminder. I just had to stick to the plan and that’s what I did.”
“I feel very confident. I felt confident in the first fight. We had to run this back. Damage is gonna be done.”
“He fought the whole fight with the cut. If he had such a big problem with the cut, the corner would have stopped it. That’s just what I think. I can only speak from my perspective. If he’s fighting, he’s fine.”
“I prepare the same way I always prepare. I’m here at the top level, and I’m a world champion. The strategies we’ve had have been successful. I’m gonna keep doing what we’ve been doing and win.”
“We trained hard for this. This is the dream we worked for. We want to continue to be world champion and build a legacy in this sport.”
“We have an icon in Manny Pacquiao in the main event to remind us all that we can be that guy. I’m very motivated for this fight and happy to be here in Las Vegas at the best venue for boxing. We’re gonna put on a great show.”
‘The cut distracted me in the first fight’
“You dream of these moments as a young kid, and to finally be here for this moment is a pleasure of mine,” Tszyu said.
“We’re gonna put on one hell of a show. He should’ve killed me the first time, because this time it’s gonna be a whole different story.”
“With proper preparation to see what works and doesn’t work, it’ll play a big part in what happens in the ring. I’m going to have a better and more intelligent performance.”
“With adversity, my desire to win only grows. The past has made me who I am today, and that’s a dangerous fighter willing to take it all. This is a new phase I’m in. I’m smarter, hungrier, and more confident.”
“This is what we do. We’re both in it to the very end. At the end of the day, we hop in the ring and we risk it all. We’re perfect dance partners, and we bring the best out of each other.”
“I’ve never been a guy who’s afraid to get hit. Sometimes you have to take a few to leave a few. That’s just the sport.”
“When I come into the ring, I come in with the mentality that I’ll do anything to win. I was never going to stop that fight. I’m always in there to finish the fight to the very end. I would have hated it if the corner had stopped the first fight.”
“The cut distracted me in the first fight. That’s what I was thinking about in the corner, and that presents challenges. He said that I could see clearly, but I obviously couldn’t. That’s why we need the rematch. There are questions to be answered, and we’ll answer them.”
In the main event, Manny Pacquiao (62-8-2, 39 KOs) of the Philippines makes his return to the ring against defending WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios (29-2-1, 18 KOs) of San Antonio, TX.
On the undercard, Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz (27-3-1, 18 KOs) meets Angel Fierro (23-3-2, 18 KOs) in an all-Mexican rematch at super lightweight. Also, Brandon Figueroa (25-2-1, 19 KOs) of Weslaco, TX and Joet Gonzalez (27-4, 15 KOs) of Glendora, CA go head-to-head at featherweight.