Tim Tszyu has acknowledged the toughness of the challenge that stands between him retaining his WBO or becoming a former champion. Despite being a clear favorite in his title defense against Brian Mendoza in Australia this weekend, the Australian sensation, who has been on a remarkable ascent, acknowledged Mendoza as the most formidable opponent so far.
Mendoza (22-2, 16 KOs) recently stunned the boxing world by knocking out the previously undefeated Sebastian Fundora in the seventh round of their fight in a show of his skill and power.
Speaking to BoxingScene.com, Tszyu expressed his appreciation of the challenge posed by Mendoza, stating, "It’s a tough challenge. He’s coming off two big wins, two big knockouts. He’s got a bit of momentum and confidence, so that always presents a touch challenge. And he’s got that underdog mentality, so I’m looking forward to a challenge like that. … I think this is [my] toughest challenge to date. I think his heart – if you’re ripping into him, he ain’t gonna quit. He’s built something of a warrior courage. That’s always tough."
In Mendoza's bout against Fundora, his opponent was considered a huge favorite and that was really visible in the fight until Mendoza stepped on the gas to secure an upset win.
"He’s got the power. He’s got the IQ. Fundora is always a tough challenge for everyone because of his height and his awkwardness. [It was] just a perfectly timed left hook, but the mistake was made by Fundora. He threw a sloppy uppercut and he was wide open. It was a simple, textbook left hook counter from a left uppercut. That’s all it takes, just one punch, a perfect piece of timing, and a mistake from your opponent."
"It’s sorta like a ‘Rocky’ story. He’s got that drive in him. Again, it’s a tough challenge because when you’re training you’re thinking he’s training that hard, so you’ve gotta push that extra bit as well."
Cornelius Kwame Sakyi is a writer and boxing analyst for AceTVBoxing.com. He can be reached on Twitter @CorneliusSakyi or via email: sakyicornelius1@gmail.com.
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