Aussie Tim Tszyu makes his first venture into the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas, this weekend when he faces the dangerous Sebastian Fundora. In what was originally set to be a title unification bout for Tszyu, instead, he faces a man who was originally scheduled to be on the undercard. Also on the card is Tszyu’s Australian rival Michael Zerafa who goes toe-to-toe with Erislandy Lara. We dive into the best bets on the card below!
Boxing Preview & Betting Tips
Tim Tszyu vs. Sebastian Fundora
For the most part, a late replacement in boxing usually eventuates into a one-sided domination and while Tim Tszyu will have to be switched on against Sebastian Fundora when he enters T-Mobile Arena unless the bright lights of Las Vegas are too much, he should get a statement win. Tszyu (24-0, 17 KOs) was originally scheduled to fight former unified welterweight titleholder Keith Thurman. However, ‘One Time’ succumbed to an injury in training camp and was pulled. To save the card, Sebastian Fundora (20-1-1, 13 KOs) - who was scheduled to face Serhii Bohachuk on the undercard - agreed to step up on just 12 days’ notice, in a fight where he has nothing to lose. The vacant WBC title, as well as the WBO championship, is up for grabs for the winner.
Fundora enters the fight with Tszyu on the back of a loss to Brian Mendoza by knockout last April. I believe both Thurman and Fundora are pretty easy opponents for Tszyu, with the real test likely to come in the form of Terrence Crawford. Fundora’s best strength is his reach and while fans may try to convince you he can use that heavyweight reach of 80 inches and his eight-and-a-half-inch height advantage to stay out of reach of Tszyu, the fact is he couldn’t manage that against Mendoza. For a man with a key advantage, he still doesn’t use it, too willing to fight inside a phone booth and that spells trouble against Tszyu. Tszyu will rip to the body before knocking him out somewhere in the middle rounds.
Tim Tszyu by knockout
$1.42 (5 Units)
Rolando Romero vs. Isaac Cruz
The co-main event sees Rolando Romero (15-1) attempt to defend his WBA super lightweight title against Isaac Cruz. Romero is a fun fighter to watch and is a real personality in the ring. His one loss in his career came against Gervonta Davis for the WBA title but quickly rebounded by beating Ismael Barroso in May 2023 for the WBA super lightweight title.
That fight had a controversial finish, as Barroso looked set to get his hand raised by decision before the referee gave Romero a bizarre TKO win.
His opponent Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz (25-2-1) turned pro in 2015 and also lost against Davis in 2021 for the WBA lightweight title. Since then he has won three on the bounce, most recently winning a decision against Giovanni Cabrera.
Cruz has all the tools to defeat Romero and will do so here. The question is whether Romero can avoid being knocked out. While I anticipate a close opening few rounds, I expect ‘Pitbull’ to pull away as the fight wears on and likely stop him late. Therefore I am backing Cruz to win in rounds 7-12.
Cruz to win rounds 7-12
$3.10 (2 Units)
Erislandy Lara vs. Michael Zerafa
A two-time gold medalist at the amateur level, Erislandy Lara (29-3-3) has been a pro for more than a decade. He first got his hands on the WBA super welterweight title in 2014 before losing the belt against Jarrett Hurd in 2018. He then recaptured the gold in 2019 before moving to middleweight to claim the title. He has remained there since with his most recent win being over Gary O’Sullivan in May 2022.
His opponent, Michael Zerafa (31-4), is on a four-fight winning streak, most recently beating Danilo Creati in November 2022 by decision. He uses a pressure-fighting style with his hands and head tucked in as he walks forward before ripping hooks to the head and body. While having great success on the Australian scene, he is in for a rude shock against Lara. The Cuban-American is a level the Aussie has never faced and will simply be too fast and sharp for him. I believe Zerafa will be hunting for a knockout win to assert himself on the American scene but instead will find himself knocked out.
Erislandy Lara by KO
$3.25 (2 Units)
