At Thursday’s final press conference ahead of his return against Denis Nurja, Tszyu addressed the talk about his rematch with Sebastian Fundora last year, where he was hurt repeatedly and picked apart during key stretches.
“They think it’s my kryptonite,” Tszyu said, referring to the left hook and the way he was caught in his previous fight. “I just want to point it out. I’m very well aware of it.”
Tszyu’s admission that he knows the “kryptonite” (the left hook) is coming is a double-edged sword. On one hand, awareness is the first step to a fix. On the other, if the issue is reaction time or punch resistance rather than just a technical “tell,” no amount of knowing will help him when a world-class athlete like Nurja lets it fly.
“I feel like I did fall apart,” he said. “I’m putting the wheels back in motion, and I’m coming, and I’m gunning straight back to that #1 spot.”
Tszyu made it clear he is not interested in rebuilding slowly or protecting himself after a difficult night. He sees the sport as short-term and unforgiving, leaving little room to come back slowly from defeats. He already had a confidence booster in his last fight against little-known Anthony Velazquez.
“We’re in this sport for a short, minimal amount of time, and you’ve just got to make the most of every opportunity,” he said.
Nurja, for his part, kept his focus narrow. He spoke about preparation and the opportunity in front of him, describing the fight as the payoff for years of work rather than engaging in any back-and-forth over tactics or perceived weaknesses.
“The win would be a massive step in my career. 20 years of sacrifice,” Nurja said.
When you look at Tim Tszyu’s recent run, it is easy to wonder if we are seeing a fighter whose ceiling has been found or one whose body is worn out from that brutal first Fundora fight in 2024. There is a very strong case that the first Fundora fight changed the trajectory of Tszyu’s career.
Fighting 10 rounds while essentially blinded by a massive scalp laceration is the stuff of legend, but it takes a permanent toll. In their July 2025 rematch, Tszyu didn’t look like the same relentless “Soul Taker.” For the first time, we saw him pull himself out of a fight when he realized he couldn’t win.
Some analysts, like Keith Thurman, have suggested that the trauma of the Bakhram Murtazaliev loss, where he was dropped four times, may have broken something in his willingness to “die on his shield.”
Tszyu faces Denis Nurja this Saturday, April 4, topping a five-fight PBC Championship Boxing card streaming live on Prime Video beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT.
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