One question Tim Tszyu refused to answer as ‘arrogant’ tactics slammed

Tim Tszyu has made a brutal admission after his crushing world title fight loss, as his tactics in the fight come under serious fire.

Tim Tszyu could only ask “what the f*** just happened” after his devastating loss to Bakhram Murtazaliev on Sunday.

The Australian suffered a third round knockout loss with his team forced to throw in the towel to stop the fight after watching him get knocked down four times.

The shock result leaves Tszyu’s career hanging by a thread with no clear path back to a world title fight. The small crowd at the Caribe Royale resort in Florida — and boxing commentators around the world — were in shock.

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Murtazaliev (23-0, 17KOs) retained his IBF super welterweight title, while Tszyu’s record now reads 24-2, with his only two losses coming this year.

The 29-year-old was completely dejected and on the verge of tears as he spoke briefly to media after the fight.

In a sign of just how much he was outclassed by Murtazaliev’s heavy hands, Tszyu said twice “I can’t recall” when asked what it was like to absorb the Russian’s punches.

“I can’t recall. I honestly can’t recall,” he said.

Asked what was going through his mind, Tszyu said: “What the f**k just happened? What did I get hit with?

“You regroup, things don’t go your way.

“It didn’t go according to script. You just have to bounce back.

“I was positive after Fundora. I need to find more answers.

“This didn’t go according to script. It was a bit different. I felt unbelievable, I had great prep.

“He got me. He was the better man in this fight. We live and we learn.”

Tim Tszyu was stunned after his second loss of the year.

‘Arrogant’ Tszyu tactics called out

Two-time world champion Shawn Porter was critical of Tszyu’s tactics in the early stages of the fight.

”The thing for Tim, he can’t fall straight back,” Porter said in commentary on Main Event.

“He’s admiring in his work, which is not good. I don’t like Tim’s positioning. He’s standing too straight. He’s not going to be able to get out of the way of these punches.”

Speaking post-fight, Porter added: “The body language of Tim Tszyu was very arrogant. It was very, ‘I’m coming after you and there’s nothing you can do about it’.

“What happens when you’re like that is you’re standing upright. When your legs are bent, you can take the punches a little better.

“(When you’re standing straight), it’s all head, all chin, and you don’t really have anything that can stabilise you from those punches.

“Tim was falling straight back, and that’s a recipe for disaster for any fighter.

“I just thought he’d be agile tonight.”

Bakhram Murtazaliev knocked Tim Tszyu down four times. Photo: Alex Menendez/Getty Images.

The Courier Mail’s Peter Badel agreed Tszyu was too quick to come forward and “bang” with Murtazaliev, and instead should have tried evading punches for longer and eased his way into the fight.

“I thought Tim was a little bit arrogant early,” Badel said on Main Event’s coverage.

“I don’t think Tim earned the right in this fight to dominate. He just thought he could walk him down.

“When he fought Mendoza, he took his time. He was watchful early and then in the third and fourth round he started to apply the pressure.

“But in this round he tried to bang early and Bakhram Murtazaliev landed three or four times. This is a devastating loss for Tim Tszyu.

“I’m shocked at how Tim fought that fight. He’s normally such a great executioner, so disciplined with his boxing IQ. But tonight I thought his brain went out the window for brawn. You don’t fight fire with fire with Bakhram Murtazaliez. I think it was the wrong tactic, it was a tactical blunder.”

There had been reports Tszyu was planning on fighting former super welterweight king Jermell Charlo for his next fight, but with no belt to his name, those dreams are shattered.

“This is seriously damaging for his career prospects,” Badel said.

“He goes way down the pecking order now.

“He didn’t set up the fight in the early rounds. Looking at his body language, he got a shock with some of the power from Murtazaliez when he felt his jab.

“It’s going to be a long road back.”

A homecoming to Australia for a stadium fight had also been mentioned, with Erickson Lubin and Jesus Ramos floated as potential opponents.

Tszyu wants to move his life to Las Vegas, but he may have to consider returning to the Australian domestic scene and fighting Michael Zerafa, who he vowed never to fight after Zerafa pulled out of their bout in 2021 in controversial circumstances.

Zerafa tweeted after Tszyu’s loss: “Looks like it’s time to settle our unfinished business

@Tim_Tszyu...”

Pound-for-pound king Terence Crawford posted: “Tim thought he had an easy one. Took this dude lightly and was worried about other fighters.”

Former world champion George Kambosos Jr said: “This game ain’t easy, I hope Tim is physically ok, he’s always been a good kid, mainstream media wake up, maybe learn your lessons and stop writing bulls*** every second of the day, blowing to (sic) much smoke, there’s other great fighters in the country too, god bless everyone.”