Chris Algieri sees Tim Tszyu as a potential star in the making, depending on how things play out on Saturday night against Sebastian Fundora and in a fight after that against Terence Crawford.
Tszyu (24-0, 17 KOs) defends his WBO junior middleweight title against Fundora (20-1-1, 13 KOs) in the $70 event this Saturday, March 30th, on Prime PPV at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The price is perhaps too steep, and it could limit Tszyu’s visibility at his big moment. PBC should have made this free for fans after Keith Thurman pulled out, which would have given Tszyu a chance to receive more exposure to American fans, who will surely balk at the cost of the event and the absence of stars.
Crucial Tests: Fundora and Crawford
Most fans believe that Crawford, 36, will easily beat Tszyu if/when the two fight in the fall, and they may be right.
The Crawford that we saw against Errol Spence will likely be far too good for Tszyu to deal with, and he’ll end any discussion of the Aussie becoming a star in the U.S. He can still be a star in Australia the way George Kambosos Jr. is; but not in America.
“Tim, stylistically, is a fan-friendly guy; he comes to do the work. I believe he has that championship mettle. He seems like he’s getting better all the time,” said boxing expert Chris Algieri to the Probox TV YouTube channel, talking about Tim Tszyu ahead of his fight this Saturday against Sebastian Fundora.
“He’s willing to fight the best, too, which can sometimes be rare at the upper end of the sport, but Tim is real hungry, and young and willing to get out there. He does want to separate himself from his father. He wants to be his own man.”
It’s too early to view the 29-year-old Tszyu as a future star because he’s not yet beaten anywhere near the level of opposition to prove he’s capable of attaining that spot.
Until now, Tszyu’s best career win is against Brian Mendoza, who Jesus Ramos and Larry Gomez had already beaten.
The Path to Stardom
“You see that with the way that he’s moving, you see that with the way he does his interviews,” said Algeri. “So, he does have the potential to be a star. He does certainly have it in the ring, as far as I’m concerned. We’re going to see what kind of personality he brings to the ring.
“It takes more than just one or the other. Yeah, you can be a personality, but if you can’t fight, nobody cares. If you can fight and you don’t have a personality, nobody cares either. So, you need to have both, and that’s what makes being a star so tough. That’s why it’s so rare,” said Algieri.
Crawford has never fought a puncher like Tszyu before, so he could fall apart like the Baltimore Bridge once Tszyu starts putting his hands on him, but we’ll have to wait and see. Tszyu still needs to deal with the 6’5″ Fundora on Saturday night, and due to his size, he proves to be a formidable opponent.
If he can’t beat the aging Crawford, who has one foot out the door into retirement, he doesn’t have what it takes to be any kind of star in the States.