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One year after claiming the WBC and WBO super welterweight belts, Sebastian Fundora (22-1-1) defends his title against the same man he beat to become champion, Tim Tszyu (25-2). It is time to continue our boxing odds series with a Sebastian Fundora-Tim Tszyu 2 prediction and pick.
Fundora, 27, entered the initial fight with Tszyu following his first career loss, a stunning knockout defeat against Brian Mendoza. He returned to the ring nearly a year later in a short-notice opportunity against then-titleholder Tszyu as a sizeable underdog, but pulled off the upset to become the champion many originally saw him as. Fundora has fought once since the first matchup with Tszyu, beating Chordale Booker by fourth-round TKO in March.
Tszyu, 30, has been in a bit of a rut since losing his belt to Fundora. After dropping a competitive decision to the 6-foot-5 challenger, Tszyu suffered the first knockout loss of his career in his following fight with Bakhram Murtazaliev. He has since bounced back with a fourth-round knockout of Joseph Spencer.
Here are the Sebastian Fundora-Tim Tszyu odds, courtesy of FanDuel
Boxing Odds: Sebastian Fundora-Tim Tszyu 2 Odds
Sebastian Fundora: +126
Tim Tszyu: -160
Over 11.5 Rounds: -132
Under 11.5 Rounds: +104
How to Watch Sebastian Fundora vs. Tim Tszyu 2
Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
Co-main event ring walk (estimated): 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
TV/Stream: PBC PPV on Amazon Prime Video
*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access / Save $30)*
Why Sebastian Fundora Will Win
Fundora won the first fight and only looked better in his next outing against Booker. As a tall and rangy fighter, the biggest knock on Fundora's career has always been his inactive and lazy jab. He looked much better in that department against Booker, whom he picked apart and had his way with until finding a stoppage late in the fourth round.
Fundora does not possess the most power, but his volume and pace are remarkable for a fighter of his size. Just like the first fight, he will be a whopping nine inches taller than Tszyu, with a stark 9.5-inch reach advantage. While Tszyu got the better of him in the early rounds the first time around, a better-prepared version of Fundora coming in on a full camp should fare better.
Tszyu will not stop coming forward, but Fundora was adept at keeping his distance and poking at Booker in his last fight, more so than he ever has before. It is quite possible that at 27, Fundora has finally put everything together to reach the lofty expectations he had early in his career.
Why Tim Tszyu Will Win
Tszyu lost the first fight but clearly won the first two rounds before suffering the gruesome cut that never stopped leaking for the rest of the fight. He claims that he would have cruised to a victory had the wound not opened up, and many fans tend to agree. Many figured that Tszyu might have trouble with Fundora's size early on, but that was not the case.
Without a potent jab, Fundora can struggle to keep shorter opponents at bay the way someone his size should. That allowed Tszyu to practically walk into range and force the much taller Fundora into a back-and-forth affair, in which the former carries significantly more power. Neither man is known for having one-punch knockout power, but Tszyu fares much better in the pocket than ‘The Towering Inferno.'
It might be hard to feel confident in Tszyu, who is just 1-2 in his last three fights. Yet, his loss to Murtazaliev should not have been as big of an upset as it was in the first place. As an elite counter-puncher with pinpoint accuracy, Murtazaliev was a nightmare matchup for Tszyu, who tends to get reckless when engaging. The less powerful Fundora is a much better stylistic matchup for him. Fundora has recorded just one knockdown in his last 12 fights.
Final Sebastian Fundora-Tim Tszyu Prediction & Pick
If the forehead cut had not occurred in their first fight, Tszyu likely would have won a convincing decision. However, with Fundora accepting that fight on less than two weeks' notice, there is not much to take away from that matchup. Fundora, who ended a year-long layoff after suffering the first loss of his career, gritted through that fight as much as the bloodied Tszyu did.
Fundora, who looked much better at keeping his range in his last fight with Booker, should be tougher for Tszyu to figure out. At 27, Fundora is still improving with each outing and should not allow the bloodthirsty Tszyu to simply wade into the pocket like he did in their first fight. Even coming in on short notice, Fundora threw 321 more punches in the first fight. If he keeps that same volume while tightening up his jab, his physical advantages will be too much for the challenger to overcome.
If they fight toe-to-toe like they did in their first meeting, Tszyu will have the power and speed advantages. Fundora has just looked more improved in the fights since their last matchup, and nothing like the guy who lost to Mendoza in 2023. The clash of styles makes for an interesting battle on paper, but Fundora should not be the underdog.
Final Sebastian Fundora-Tim Tszyu Prediction & Pick: Sebastian Fundora (+126), Fight goes to Decision (-120)
