Tim Tszyu vs. Sebastian Fundora - 30 March 2024

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Sources: Tim Tszyu set to defend WBO title vs. Keith Thurman

Tim Tszyu will defend his WBO junior middleweight title against Keith Thurman on March 30 in Las Vegas, sources tell ESPN. The 154-pound title bout will headline PBC's first pay-per-view as part of its new deal with Amazon's Prime Video.

Tszyu (24-0, 17 KOs) broke through in 2023 with wins over former titleholder Tony Harrison by ninth-round TKO, Carlos Ocampo by first-round knockout and Brian Mendoza by unanimous decision. The 29-year-old Australian said after his win over Mendoza in October that he would campaign in the U.S. going forward.

Tszyu, the son of Hall of Fame boxer Kostya Tszyu, will start his quest for stateside stardom with a fight against his most high-profile opponent yet in Thurman, a former unified welterweight champion and one of the best 148-pound fighters of the previous decade. Thurman (30-1, 22 KOs), 35, has one career loss, against the legendary Manny Pacquiao in July 2019, when Thurman was floored in Round 1 and rallied before dropping a split decision.

But Thurman has been woefully inactive. His lone fight since the defeat to Pacquiao came in February 2022, when he defeated Mario Barrios by unanimous decision. The win was Thurman's only bout in the past four-and-a-half years.

He'll end a 25-month layoff when he moves up one weight class to challenge Tszyu, ESPN's No. 2 boxer at 154 pounds. Tszyu was set to challenge Jermell Charlo for the undisputed junior middleweight championship last January before Charlo withdrew with a hand injury.

Tszyu went on to win the WBO's interim title and was later elevated to champion when Charlo was stripped. Thurman owns quality decision victories over Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia in 2016 and '17, respectively.

The event marks the start of PBC's partnership with Amazon's Prime Video, though the PPV will also be available on linear television. PBC has been Showtime's main boxing provider since 2013, but the network announced in October it would disband its sports programming.

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Keith Thurman positioned as A-side against Tim Tszyu, fight official for March 30

It’s mildly interesting to note that the 35-year-old Thurman is being positioned as the promotional A-side for the bout, despite being the title challenger and certainly not the rising star in the matchup.

If you’re wondering exactly what “promotional A-side” means, in theory it doesn’t mean a ton, but the social media hashtag for the bout is #ThurmanTszyu and not #TszyuThurman, for instance, which comes from the belief that Thurman is the bigger star.

In some ways, that may still be true, despite the fact that Thurman (30-1, 22 KO) hasn’t fought in two years and has just one fight in the last four-and-a-half years, and three in the last seven by the time he hits the ring to face the 29-year-old Tszyu (24-0, 17 KO).

The only thing it may do on the Tszyu side is further motivate the second-generation fighter, who could take it as a bit of a slight and/or a chance to prove he truly is the goods, a proper star in the making.

Tszyu, despite not getting a promised undisputed fight with Jermell Charlo, fought three times in 2023, stopping Tony Harrison and Carlos Ocampo before a hard-fought and clear decision win over Brian Mendoza, which saw Tszyu elevated from interim WBO champion to full recognition, shortly after Charlo was stripped of the WBO belt for fighting Canelo Alvarez at super middleweight. (But not before he was announced in the ring as the undisputed 154 lb champion, because that might have had a negative impact on marketing, and that’s what’s most important.)

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The previously reported undercard is also fully official:

Rolando Romero (15-1, 13 KO) will face Isaac Cruz (25-2-1, 17 KO) in a commercially strong chief support bout, with Romero defending the WBA 140 lb title. This could involve Ismael Barroso being given some step-aside money, as he is Romero’s mandatory, but that wouldn’t be too unusual for boxing. It also wouldn’t be too unusual for a sanctioning body to simply ignore its own rules, because Romero vs Cruz is worth a lot more money than Romero vs Barroso 2. Cruz is coming up from the 135 lb division.

Erislandy Lara (29-3-3, 17 KO) will defend his WBA middleweight title against Michael Zerafa (31-4, 19 KO), who has been sitting and waiting for his shot. The 40-year-old Lara hasn’t fought since May 2022, and his “middleweight title reign” has been about as empty as possible, starting with a vacant secondary title win over a guy called “Corn Flake” and followed by a dominant win over eternal fringe contender Spike O’Sullivan. Zerafa has won four in a row since losing a rematch with Jeff Horn in 2019, biding his time with domestic level fights, including a TKO-1 over an ancient Anthony Mundine, before finally getting his WBA shot.

Sebastian Fundora (20-1-1, 13 KO) takes on Serhii Bohachuk (23-1, 23 KO) in what has a very high chance of being the show-stealer bout. Fundora is usually quite fun to watch, as is Bohachuk, and there could be plenty of action here. Bohachuk, 28, is finally getting onto a proper “big stage” after spending years on smaller shows. It’s kind of make-or-break for him in this one.

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Press Release

A pair of all-action, high-stakes showdowns will top a stacked four-fight pay-per-view event as two-time world champion Keith “One Time” Thurman duels rising star and reigning world champion Tim Tszyu in the main event while 140-pound world champion Rolando “Rolly” Romero and Mexican star Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz meet in the co-main event on Saturday, March 30 in the inaugural PBC Pay-Per-View available on Prime Video from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The card marks the debut event for PBC Pay-Per-View available through Prime Video since the parties announced a landmark, multiyear rights agreement in December. In addition to the PPV being available for purchase on Prime Video, regardless of Prime membership, fans will also be able to continue to access the telecast through traditional cable and satellite outlets.

The pay-per-view will also see Cuban star and reigning WBA Middleweight World Champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara defend his belt against No. 1 rated mandatory challenger Michael Zerafa, plus all-action super welterweight sensation Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora will meet streaking contender Serhii Bohachuk in the pay-per-view opener.

*Ticketing information to be announced shortly. The event is promoted by TGB Promotions. The main event is promoted in association with No Limit Boxing.

“This first show with PBC on Prime Video is jam-packed with fan-friendly matchups featuring stars who are established as the best of their generation and new stars who are looking to make a claim to lead the next generation of champions,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “Keith Thurman vs. Tim Tszyu gives each fighter a chance to debut 2024 with a statement, while ‘Rolly’ Romero and ‘Pitbull’ Cruz can send their ascending stock skyrocketing by emerging victorious. With two more clashes rounding out the pay-per-view, this lines up as another night from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas that you’ll want to stay glued to your seat for.”

“This is an historic event and puts the Tszyu name right back at the pinnacle of boxing where it belongs,” said George Rose, CEO of No Limit Boxing. “Tim only wanted the big names, legacy fights, and Keith Thurman is exactly that. It doesn’t end well for Thurman though as the world is going to realize Tim Tszyu is about to take over the sport. Thank you Premier Boxing Champions, TGB Promotions and Prime Video for what is going to be an incredible night of boxing.”

The main event will see the former unified world champion Thurman, a long-time stalwart at welterweight, take his first crack at the super welterweight division as he faces the undefeated reigning WBO 154-pound World Champion Tszyu in a 12-round non-title showdown.

Clearwater, Florida’s Thurman (30-1, 22 KOs) earned his “One Time” moniker by talking the talk and delivering with highlight-reel KOs. He has assembled one of the most impressive resumes among the top welterweights of this generation, having defeated former champions Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia and Robert Guerrero. That showdown with Garcia saw him become a unified world champion in a rare unification bout between undefeated welterweight world champions. Thurman’s only blemish came in a 2019 Fight of the Year against boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, with Thurman ending up on the wrong side of a narrow split-decision. Most recently, Thurman bested former world champion and current highly ranked welterweight Mario Barrios by unanimous decision in February 2022.

The son of International Boxing Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu, the 29-year-old Tszyu (24-0, 17 KOs) comes off a red-hot 2023 campaign that saw him elevated to world champion at 154-pounds while defeating former world champion Tony Harrison, top contender Brian Mendoza and former title challenger Carlos Ocampo. A native of Sydney, Australia, Tszyu made his U.S debut against U.S. Olympian Terrell Gausha in March 2022, earning a unanimous decision. Tszyu grew up playing soccer, but soon gravitated toward boxing. The decision led to him following in the legendary footsteps of his father, Kostya, who was an undisputed 140-pound champion.

The WBA Super Lightweight World Champion Romero will make the first defense of his world title in a 12-round matchup against the top lightweight contender Cruz, who will look to debut at 140-pounds with a championship-winning performance in the night’s co-main event.

Part of the Mayweather Promotions stable, Romero (15-1, 13 KOs) is known for his brash talk that he backs up with power in both hands as well as an exciting, unique style that makes him a must-see whenever he steps between the ropes. The 28-year-old rose to the ranks of world champion in his last outing, stopping Ismael Barroso in round nine to win the title in May. It was Romero’s first return to the ring since a May 2022 defeat against three-division champion Gervonta Davis. Prior to the Davis fight, the Las Vegas resident Romero won an interim title in August 2020 by earning a close but unanimous decision over then unbeaten Jackson Marinez.

One of the most exciting fighters in boxing, the 25-year-old Cruz (25-2-1, 17 KOs) has racked up three consecutive victories since dropping a competitive and entertaining decision against undefeated superstar Gervonta Davis in December 2021. A native of Mexico City, Cruz shot up the lightweight rankings in 2020, announcing his presence with an electrifying first-round knockout over veteran Diego Magdaleno in October before adding dominant decisions over Francisco Vargas and Jose Matias Romero. After stopping former champion Yuriorkis Gamboa in April 2022 and veteran contender Eduardo Ramirez in September 2022, Cruz returned this past July to turn away the previously unbeaten Giovanni Cabrera by decision.

Unbeaten in two fights at middleweight, Lara will defend his WBA Middleweight World Championship against the WBA’s top-rated mandatory challenger Zerafa in a 12-round attraction on the pay-per-view lineup.

Lara (29-3-3, 17 KOs) was the longest reigning 154-pound world champion before he lost a tough split-decision to Jarrett Hurd in a 2018 title unification match that earned “Fight of the Year” from the BWAA. Lara returned from that fight and battled former 154-pound world titleholder Brian Castaño to an exciting draw in another narrow fight that could have gone Lara’s way. Lara most recently moved up to middleweight, capturing his WBA title with a first round knockout of Thomas LaManna in May 2021, before KO’ing Gary O’Sullivan in May 2022. Lara faced a slew of the top 154-pounders in the sport, including Canelo Alvarez, ahead of his middleweight debut.

Melbourne, Australia’s Zerafa (31-4, 19 KOs) is long established as one of his country’s top contenders and has won four-straight to earn the title fight on March 30. Zerafa has split a pair of matchups against former champion and Australian rival Jeff Horn in addition to a first round knockout of longtime contender Anthony Mundine. The 31-year-old previously fought stateside in 2015, as he dropped a contest to former middleweight champion Peter Quillin. The veteran has also challenged former champion Kell Brook and defeated previously unbeaten fighters Danilo Creati and Isaac Hardman in his last two fights.

Already established as a must-see attraction, Fundora will return to face fellow highly ranked super welterweight Bohachuk in a 12-round fight for the vacant Interim WBC Super Welterweight Title to kick off the pay-per-view telecast.

Fundora (20-1-1, 13 KOs) rocketed to the top of the super welterweight division with a fan-friendly style and bruising toughness in the ring. His unbeaten streak came to an end in his last outing, as he got caught and was defeated by Brian Mendoza in April of last year. At nearly 6-foot-6, the 26-year-old southpaw from Coachella, Calif., towers over his opponents, but has displayed an appetite for toe-to-toe combat from short range. Fundora showed his mettle in April 2022, battling the hard-hitting Erickson Lubin in an instant 2022 Fight of the Year contender. Despite both men hitting the canvas, Fundora stood tall in the end, prompting Lubin’s corner to stop the fight at the end of the ninth round. Fundora represents a boxing family, as he is trained by his father Freddy alongside his younger sister, IBF Flyweight World Champion Gabriela.

A 28-year-old from Ukraine, Bohachuk (23-1, 23 KOs) now resides in Los Angeles, where he’s fought out of since turning pro. The 28-year-old has won five-straight outings, including 2023 stoppages of Nathaniel Gallimore and Patrick Allotey. This run has come after a defeat to Brandon Adams in March 2021 and has seen him rise back up the 154-pound rankings. He won his first 18 fights after turning pro in 2017 following an extensive amateur career.

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Bohachuk-Fundora Likely For Full WBC 154-Pound Title, Charlo To Be Designated Champion In Recess

The stakes for the Serhii Bohachuk-Sebastian Fundora fight March 30 will be raised.

Boxing Scene has learned that the WBC is expected to sanction Bohachuk-Fundora for its full super welterweight title. Jermell Charlo would be designated the WBC’s 154-pound “champion in recess” in conjunction with that move.

Premier Boxing Champions officially announced Bohachuk-Fundora on Thursday as part of its inaugural Amazon Prime show. The 12-round bout between Bohachuk and Fundora, which was ordered by the WBC, will be part of the Tim Tszyu-Keith Thurman pay-per-view undercard nine weeks from Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

In its announcement, PBC listed Bohachuk-Fundora as its pay-per-view opener for the WBC interim super welterweight title Fundora held until Brian Mendoza knocked him out in his most recent fight.

Ukraine’s Bohachuk (23-1, 23 KOs) is the WBC’s second-ranked contender in the 154-pound division, one spot atop the third-rated Fundora (20-1-1, 13 KOs), of Coachella, California. Cleveland’s Charles Conwell (18-0, 13 KOs) is the WBC’s number one contender in the super welterweight division, but he hasn’t been declared the mandatory challenger for one of the two titles Charlo still holds.

Houston’s Charlo (35-2-1, 19 KOs) is expected to drop back down to the 154-pound division for his next bout. It isn’t clear, however, when Charlo will return to the ring following his lopsided loss to Canelo Alvarez almost four months ago.

Charlo, a former undisputed 154-pound champion, moved up two weight classes to challenge Alvarez for the Mexican icon’s IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO super middleweight titles. Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) easily defeated Charlo, who was knocked down during the seventh round and lost by large margins on all three scorecards September 30 at T-Mobile Arena.

Charlo, 33, has already been stripped of his IBF and WBO belts.

Australia’s Tszyu (24-0, 17 KOs) was elevated from interim champ to full champ by the WBO once Charlo faced Alvarez. Ecuador’s Jack Culcay (33-4, 14 KOs) will fight Russia’s Bakhram Murtazaliev (21-0, 15 KOs) for the vacant IBF junior middleweight title April 6 at Falkensee Hall in Falkensee, Germany.

Bohachuk and Fundora are scheduled to square off a week earlier for an unclaimed WBC belt.

Fundora, 26, will end almost a one-year layoff when he battles Bohachuk. The 6-foot-6 southpaw hasn’t fought since Albuquerque’s Mendoza (22-3, 16 KOs) viciously knocked him out in the seventh round of their fight for Fundora’s WBC interim super welterweight title last April 8 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

Bohachuk, 28, has won five fights in a row since Southern California’s Brandon Adams (23-3, 15 KOs) stopped him in the eighth round of their March 2021 fight in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.

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Tim Tszyu on Fighting Keith Thurman: ‘This Is a Pinch Yourself Moment; When You Think of the Word YOLO This Is It’

“It was months and months for the talks,” Tszyu said. “I was probably bothering these guys (his handlers). I was actually quite patient this time but I started to get a bit edgy but you know what, the deal went down and I couldn’t have asked for a better result. This is a pinch-yourself-moment type things. When you think of the word YOLO, this is it.”

“When you talk about moments and experiences, you’re talking about T-Mobile Arena, headlining Amazon Prime, going to the States, it’s a big deal,” Tszyu said. “I love fighting in Australia. It’s been absolutely an honor and such a great time. But now I’m glad I'm here, at the airport, heading over to do our history-making things.”

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Curmel Moton To Return March 30 On Tszyu-Thurman Card, Ellerbe Says 17-Year-Old Will Be Champ By 2025

Seventeen-year-old junior lightweight phenom Curmel Moton will be featured on the undercard of the March 30 show headlined by Tim Tszyu and Keith Thurman at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe told BS.com in an interview.

The standout amateur sensation and Floyd Mayweather-protege Moton (2-0, 2 KOs) made his pro debut in September and scored a first-round stoppage win. He followed up the first win of his promising career with another first-round knockout in November.

"He's most definitely fighting March 30,” said Ellerbe. “He's a tremendous young fighter. We're expecting major, major things of him moving forward. He'll be very busy this year. He'll be a world champion within a year.”

There are lofty expectations for Moton to be the next burgeoning star of the sport and Mayweather’s stable. The Las Vegas-based Moton won’t turn 18 years old until June 4, but he already has aspirations of a seasoned veteran that match the goals Ellerbe and Mayweather have set for him.

Moton said after his pro debut on the undercard of the Canelo Alvarez-Jermell Charlo fight that he felt he was already ready to fight two-time world featherweight champion Leigh Wood.

Many respected voices have affirmed that Moton certainly has the makings of becoming a star. Shakur Stevenson has labeled Moton as "the truth" and compared him stylistically to Naoya Inoue, while esteemed trainer Bozy Ennis has said Moton is going to be a fighter to be reckoned with.

Moton is certainly not short on confidence either. Before his pro debut, he promised to become one of the best in the world and even said he’d be better than the four-division champion and pound-for-pound star Inoue.

“You have to give Floyd the credit. Floyd is a genius in understanding what star talent looks like,” said Ellerbe. “Floyd has been working with the kid since he was little and has done a phenomenal job building his amateur career, and timing-wise with turning pro. I'm just excited to roll up my sleeves and do my job.

“Most definitely [Moton will be the next best star with Mayweather Promotions]. He's a top fighter right now. We had enough confidence in him to put him in a title fight for his first fight, if we could have done that. He's just an exciting young talent who's getting better and better every fight. He has the best team in boxing.”

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Keith Thurman: “He’s a slow-footed fighter with a Mexican style. I’ll meet him in the middle of the ring. He’s gonna go home crying…they say Tszyu comes from ‘down under’, well I am trying to put you under, mate. He might have watched the video on me, but he doesn’t know. He might have signed the contract, but he doesn’t know what he just did. Bitter for you, but sweet for me! …I’m just looking for great fights and great action. Tim Tszyu is filling that void right now and providing me with the fight I want. He’s trying to open up the gates to his new era, but it’s my job to close the door shut, right in his face.”

Tim Tszyu: “I want him to bring this same energy to the fight, and not run around like a gazelle. Because I’m definitely knocking him out in under 12 rounds…my goal is for the Tszyu name to be the greatest boxing family that ever lived. We’ve made it this far and we’ll see how far we can go…I know what Keith is and I know what he’s done, but I think the time is done for him. Now it’s a different era and it’s the ‘Tim Tszyu Era’. I’m not just planning to beat Keith Thurman, I’m planning to make this a spectacle.”

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Press Release | Elijah Garcia vs. Kyrone Davis, Julio Cesar Martínez vs. Angelino Cordova - PBC on Prime, March 30

Two showdowns featuring a rising star in his toughest test to date and a flyweight world champion against an undefeated contender will highlight the first PBC on Prime Video show taking place Saturday, March 30 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The two matchups will be available via free access to all fans, regardless of Prime membership or purchase of the PPV card.

The live streaming presentation will be topped by rising middleweight Elijah García taking on contender Kyrone “Shut It Down” Davis in a 10-round attraction, and will also feature WBC Flyweight World Champion Julio César Martínez defending his world title against unbeaten contender Angelino Cordova to kick off the action at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

These bouts will lead into the inaugural four-fight PBC Pay-Per-View available on Prime Video beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and topped by two-time world champion Keith “One Time” Thurman dueling rising star and reigning world champion Tim Tszyu in the main event, plus WBA Super Lightweight World Champion Rolando “Rolly” Romero and Mexican star Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz meeting in the co-main event.

Rounding out the pay-per-view lineup is Cuban star and reigning WBA Middleweight World Champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara defending his belt against No. 1 rated mandatory challenger Michael Zerafa, plus all-action super welterweight sensation Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora meeting streaking contender Serhii Bohachuk for the vacant WBC Super Welterweight World Championship in the pay-per-view opener. In addition to the PPV being available for purchase on Prime Video, regardless of Prime membership, fans will also be able to continue to access the PPV telecast through traditional cable and satellite outlets.

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by TGB Promotions, are available now through AXS.com. The main event is promoted in association with No Limit Boxing.

“PBC on Prime Video is coming out of the gate strong with two matchups that promise intrigue and fireworks on March 30 at T-Mobile Arena,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “One of 2023’s breakout stars, Elijah García is continuing to take big steps in his career against the highly-skilled and tough as nails Kyrone Davis. Adding in Mexican flyweight world champion Julio César Martínez against the highly-motivated and undefeated Angelino Cordova and fight fans will be in for non-stop drama in the sport’s first big Las Vegas event of 2024.”

Looking to stamp his 160-pound contender status after a huge 2023 campaign, the 20-year-old Elijah García will return for a 10-round showdown against tough middleweight contender Kyrone “Shut It Down” Davis, who can make his own name at middleweight with a signature victory on March 30.

Fighting out of Phoenix, Arizona, García (16-0, 13 KOs) earned three impressive victories in 2023, kicking off his year last March with a knockout of the previously unbeaten Amilcar Vidal. He followed that up with a pair of performances on the undercards of two of the biggest events of the year, first defeating Kevin Salgado on the Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia pay-per-view in April before knocking out Armando Resendiz on the Canelo Alvarez vs. Jermell Charlo pay-per-view in September. The precocious García has moved fast since turning pro in 2020 and has knocked out seven of his last nine opponents.

“I’m excited to be back in the ring, especially on this first event with PBC and Prime Video,” said García. “Fighting on these major events is an incredible blessing and I plan on delivering another great performance. Kyrone Davis has been in the ring with some very good fighters, and it will be a challenging fight, but my plan is to get the win by any means necessary. The fans are going to see an incredible night of boxing on March 30 and everyone should be tuning in.”

The 29-year-old Davis (18-3-1, 6 KOs) picked up two victories in 2023, dominating Cristian Fabian Rios in January before scoring a unanimous decision over Cruse Stewart in December. Those victories came after a run that saw Davis battle two-time champion Anthony Dirrell to a draw in February 2021, before stepping in as a late replacement two fights later to drop a hard-fought contest against super middleweight superstar David Benavidez. An amateur standout representing Wilmington, Delaware, Davis trains in Philadelphia under the tutelage of top trainer Stephen “Breadman” Edwards.

"Elijah García is a very good fighter who’s young and hungry and he looks the part, but most importantly he's been moved right,” said Davis. “Sometimes you can look better than you really are if you're being moved right. I got asked about this fight last year and of course I said yes. Then everything went silent. Now, I face Cruse Stewart and he goes the distance with me and Elijah stopped him, so now he fights me. I'm not going to say too much, but I'm glad they took the fight. We'll see if Garcia is really the future come March 30."

Originally scheduled to duel last December before visa issues for Martinez scuttled the bout, WBC Flyweight World Champion Julio César Martínez is set to attempt his sixth defense of his belt against skilled top flyweight contender Angelino Cordova in a 12-round battle.

Trained by the renowned Eddy Reynoso, Martínez (20-2, 15 KOs) first captured his flyweight world title with a ninth-round stoppage of Cristofer Rosales in his stateside debut in December 2019. The 29-year-old has gone on to defend the title five times, besting previously unbeaten opponents Jay Harris and Samuel Carmona, while most recently stopping Ronal Batista in May. A native of Mexico City, Martínez’s only blemish since a split-decision loss in his pro debut was a decision loss to future Hall of Famer Roman Gonzalez in March 2022.

“I’m ready to give it my all in training camp for this fight,” said Martínez. “I want all of the big fights and big prizes this year. My plan is to go earn this win on March 30 and end up with my hand raised. Then I’m going for all the belts, no matter who I have to face. I’m going to be the last man standing.”

The 28-year-old Cordova (18-0-1, 12 KOs) earned a career-best victory in his last outing, as he bested former world champion Angel Acosta on his way to a 10-round unanimous decision victory last April. A native of Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela, Cordova has yet to taste defeat since debuting in 2017, with a draw in just his fourth fight as the only blemish. He made his U.S. debut in June 2022, defeating Axel Aragon Vega by decision before the triumph over Acosta.

“I’m very thankful that this fight is on and confirmed,” said Cordova. “My team did a great job making sure that this fight was rescheduled, and I’m thrilled it’s part of a huge card like this. I’m excited to finally face Martínez on March 30. The only thing on my mind is becoming the new WBC world champion.”

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Tim Tszyu on Thurman: "The Guy Doesn’t Think Before He Speaks, He's Just a Little Yapper"

“I’m not sure what he’s implying there. Maybe he thinks I’m easy to hit? What I do know is when I said something back to him, when I defended the Mexican style that has been around for centuries, he started backing out of the comment like he knew he f----- up," Tszyu told Fox Sports Australia.

“The guy doesn’t think before he speaks. His build to fighting Manny Pacquiao in 2019, exactly the same. He’s just a little yapper. And I’ve always found the bigger the dog, the less they bark. But Chihuahuas, they’re gunna yap. It’s all for show”.

“Where is his drive? These guys make a few bucks, get some attention and everything changes. They aren’t as hungry anymore. But me, I’m never content. Never satisfied. Which isn’t exactly the best thing in life, either," Tszyu said,

“(Laughs) Because you never switch off. I can’t go on holiday and relax. I just can’t. Same as I cannot commit to things like weddings or engagement parties. When you have a drive like mine, you can’t do any of these things because you’re always chasing that next goal. And that definitely has its own challenges.”

[stujones]

interesting bout, this a fight between a guy I’ve never been completely sold on (Tszyu) and a guy I was convinced would have been a true p4per but never fulfilled his potential. Think though with the weight and age and inactivity, you’ve got to make Tszyu a warm favourite

[Oiky]

Thurman gets beaten

[CaptainSpacerod]

I used to be a big Thurman fan but I don’t see the point of this fight. His age, injuries and inactivity render this fight a total mismatch.

The fight that the huge majority of fans want to see at 154 would be Tim v Charlo so that joker can get a career ending beating and the division can move on

[NoScoutingReports]

Feels like Erislandy Lara has been around for so long and I suppose he has really, his fight with Paul Williams feels like a different lifetime. Not a great deal of depth in the middleweight division at all right now.

Fundora and Bohachuk could be an interesting fight, I remember Boha losing to Brandon Adams who won one of the series of The Contender but has picked up a few wins since, intrigued to see how Fundora fares off the back of a punishing KO loss too.

[deadpan]

I think Thurman will do enough to query the scorecards but not deserve the win. 116-112 x 2 and 115-113.

[SeanBrennan]

will be 3rd fight in 5 years for Thurman, I suspect younger chap wins this, if you've had 3 fights in 5 years you can't be fully prepared and he's now closer to 40 than 30.

[samwbr]

Tim will swarm all over him, Keith won't live with the pressure.

[black panther]

Seems like a profile builder or showcase for Tszyu.
If Thurman had been active I would have given him more of a shot. But can seem past mid to late one sided stoppage for Tszyu at this stage.

Hope the Charlo fight happens.

[SeanBrennan]

Momentum age and form with Tszyu. I think Tim is getting Thurman at the same type of stage as when Hatton got his father.
Tszyu KO for me, or retirement from Thurman.

[veriton]

Bizarre fight as the opening gambit on a new platform and on ppv too. Can't see a mad rush of excitement to see this apart from boxing basement dwellers.

Lindsay v Appleby on bocks nation live from Ulster Hall, that's how you get the party started.

[NoScoutingReports]

Am I right in saying Amazon Prime customers in the UK will have full access to PBC shows from the date of this card onwards? A good addition to the membership if so.

[SeanBrennan]

Am I right in saying Amazon Prime customers in the UK will have full access to PBC shows from the date of this card onwards? A good addition to the membership if so.

hope so!