Sebastian Fundora vs Tim Tszyu II Predictions: ‘The Soul Taker’ is not the same man as before

Sebastian Fundora defends his WBC super welterweight championship in a rematch with the previous champion, Tim Tszyu, this Saturday, July 19. The fight serves as co-feature for the inexplicable exhumation of Manny Pacquiao against WBC welterweight titlist Mario Barrios. The MGM Grand Garden Arena will host the event, which will air live on Prime Video PPV.

Here are my Sebastian Fundora vs. Tim Tszyu II predictions ahead of this super welterweight rematch.

Sebastian Fundora vs. Tim Tszyu II Odds

Fundora is the underdog once again, with the champion coming in at 5/4. Tszyu is favoured, only just, at 4/6. This fascinatingly poised clash is 16/1 to end in a draw. Considering the close split decision in Fundora’s favour last time, the stalemate is not a bad shout.

Sebastian Fundora vs. Tim Tszyu II Fight Preview

The Tim Tszyu who walks into this fight is very different to the one who prepared to face the same opponent back in March 2024. For better and for worse.

Getting the negatives out of the way, Tszyu was a 24-0 unified world champion heading into their first fight. Now he has lost two of his last three outings and is staring down the barrel of irrelevance if he is defeated here. 

But there are positive contrasts too. Last time, Tszyu had Fundora foisted upon him on 10 days notice. The Australian was scheduled to face former unified welterweight kingpin Keith Thurman, before the American withdrew 11 days before with a biceps injury. Out went the 5’7 orthodox boxer, in came the 6’5 southpaw. Fair play to Tszyu for taking the re-jigged fight, but it was ultimately a dreadful decision.

Tszyu left it all in the ring. Unfortunately, that included both his WBC and WBO titles as well as several pints of his own blood. Fundora’s elbow collided with ‘The Soul Taker’ in the second round, landing smack-bang on his forehead. The resulting wound looked like the aftermath of a happy-slapping from Freddy Krueger.

Tszyu could have withdrawn then and there. Given that the cut occurred before four rounds had been completed, the bout would have been logged as a No Contest. The titles would have been safe. But the Australian comes from fighting stock, his father being world-renowned icon Kostya Tszyu. So young Tim felt he had no choice. He fought on, losing a split decision in the process.

It was a grossly unfair way to relinquish your world titles. A late opponent comes in who is the antithesis of the man you prepared for. You get a grim laceration that impedes your vision and you lose on points by a fine margin. The fact no immediate rematch was forthcoming was a sickener, too. 

Instead, Tszyu looked to rebuild against IBF champion Bakhram Murtazaliev. The Fundora fight was an injustice. But against Murtazaliev, he endured a frightening beating. Three rounds of brutal artillery ended a fight Tszyu never looked like he was in.

Tszyu has spoken about his difficulties making the 154lb limit in recent fights. His comeback win over unheralded American Joey Spencer was beset with issues making the super welterweight limit according to the Aussie ex-champ. Which makes a re-do with Fundora all the more brave.

Fundora has fought just once since their first meeting, a thrashing of Chordale Booker in four rounds. The WBO have stripped him of their strap for picking a Tszyu rematch over a date with Xander Zayas. But you can’t blame ‘The Towering Inferno’ for fancying another crack at a fighter he has already beaten and who has admitted to pushing his body to the limit to meet the weight limit.

This is a curious one. Tszyu absolutely deserves this rematch, but he has also been shattered by the IBF champion in the interim. Meanwhile, he talks about moving to middleweight constantly. Is this a fight the Aussie needs? Given Tszyu’s refusal to cede to either the change of opposition or the blood gushing into his eyes last time, you get the sense it remains one he desperately wants.

Sebastian Fundora vs. Tim Tszyu II Full Card

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Sebastian Fundora vs. Tim Tszyu II Predictions

Fundora is no less of a nightmare for Tszyu than he was last time out. Tall, powerful, tricky. Awkward with those limbs. 

But Brian Mendoza caught him in the seventh-round of their 2023 clash, knocking him clean out. A wicked short left caused all the trouble and left Fundora open for a looping right and a left hook to close the show. While this is an extreme example, Fundora does often take too many shots.

Fundora has a tendency to fight small, despite his frame. This can lead to the champion’s chin hanging out to dry. Tszyu found it plenty of times in their first encounter. Chances are he will once more.

I sit firmly in the camp that, were it not for the cut, Tszyu might have nicked the first encounter. But the champion who entered that ring is not the challenger who embarks on this rematch. Tszyu took a frightening shellacking from Murtazaliev. He went through the wringer against Fundora. Even his one recent victory featured a hellacious weight cut.

These are the sort of circumstances that can erode an exciting champion and leave them physically unable to reach those peaks again. I fear Tszyu is in that boat. I think Fundora stops his man this time, perhaps after taking a few stray hooks in the early going. I’m going for Fundora by knockout at 9/2.

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