Tim Tszyu gets Mayweather family seal of approval ahead of Las Vegas debut

Ahead of his Las Vegas debut, Tim Tszyu has been given a glowing endorsement by the man behind the early rise of Floyd Mayweather.

Tim Tszyu has been backed by Jeff Mayweather. Picture: Adam Bettcher/Getty Images

Tim Tszyu has been given the seal of approval from an old hand of one of boxing’s greatest dynasties, with Jeff Mayweather – uncle of Floyd – tipping the Aussie to beat the dangerous Sebastian Fundora this weekend.

Mayweather fought Oscar de la Hoya in a 47-bout professional run before managing the early stages of his famous nephew’s career, and says Tszyu’s aggression and boxing nous will be too much for the six foot six Fundora.

But, the prominent trainer says Tszyu doesn’t have the punching power of his father, Kostya, and gave a sobering reality check about the elder Tszyu’s career.

Mayweather works out of the Split-T Boxing Gym Tszyu is based at, and is confident the Aussie can win the unified WBO and WBC world titles this weekend.

Tszyu v Fundora + Zerafa v Lara LIVE from Las Vegas | SUN 31 MAR 11AM AEDT | Exclusive to Main Event, order on Kayo Sports. No Kayo subscription needed.

Jeff Mayweather, uncle of Floyd. Picture: Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images

“He’s a rugged guy, very tough, and if a guy is going to beat Fundora, it’s going to be a guy like Tim, who’s tough,” Mayweather told this masthead. “He can punch and he’s very aggressive, which is what you want when you’re fighting a guy that big.

“Fundora is tall, but he fights like most Mexican fighters – he likes to go to war. He’s six foot six, so you should be fighting on the outside, throwing that long jab with the left hand to follow.

“But, he likes to go to war. That’s in Tim’s favour.

“We’ll have to see if somebody woke him up and said, ‘It’s time for you to learn how to box’, because if he doesn’t, he’s not gonna beat Tim.

“I think Tim will win by unanimous decision.”

The biggest boxing feuds take place well away from the squared circle, reveal @1bbradfo, @JamiePandaram and @badel_cmail.
https://t.co/8tFKMnsdQ9

— CODE Combat (@codecombatau) March 24, 2024

Asked why he doesn’t think Tszyu will score a knockout, he points out the differences between father and son.

“His father had the ability to box, but he was a big puncher,” Mayweather said. “Tim, to me, seems like he can fight a little more than his dad does, but he takes more risks.

“When you’re in the ring – and when you’re an aggressive fighter – you can run into anything.

“Kostya wasn’t as fast as Tim is, but I think he had a bigger punch.”

Tim Tszyu outside the Mayweather Boxing Gym in Las Vegas. Photo courtesy of No Limit Boxing.

Mayweather admits he knows more about Kostya, who fought his brother Roger in Newcastle in 1995.

Kostya, who is rumoured to be attending the fights this weekend, was linked to a fight with Floyd Mayweather in the early-2000s, but the blockbuster never happened.

Jeff reckons he knows exactly how that bout would have gone down.

“Floyd woulda beat him,” he said bluntly. “He would’ve outboxed him, outsmarted him.

“When Kostya fought Roger, Roger was old – late 30s. You didn’t see Kostya in with the best Roger Mayweather.

“So Floyd woulda outboxed him.

“There are much greater fighters than Kostya Tszyu that he woulda beat.”

Jeff says his entire family knew Floyd was destined for greatness from an early age, but received first hand evidence of just how good his nephew could be in the mid-1990s.

“I boxed him once, and that’s when I realised this kid’s gonna be something special, because he whipped my arse,” he laughed. “I was close to retiring, and he was about 17.

“He put it on me and made me say, ‘Wait, I don’t need to be doing this anymore’.

“My entire family thought where Floyd is today, that’s exactly where he would be, and that’s as one of the greatest – if not the greatest – ever.”

Originally published as Tim Tszyu gets Mayweather family seal of approval ahead of Las Vegas debut