Fight week explodes over fresh lying claims as Tszyu says Fundora hits like a ‘cheese stick’

Tim Tszyu has taken a shot at Sebastian Fundora in the lead up to their rematch on Sunday, calling out his broken nose denial and claiming the American hits ‘like a cheese stick’.

Tim Tszyu says he’s ready to die in the ring as ‘The Soul Taker’ promises an all-out war in his personal revenge mission against Sebastian Fundora in Las Vegas this weekend.

With allegations, sledges and criticism flying back and forth, Tszyu also said Fundora has no power, comparing his punches to getting hit by “a cheese stick.”

Fight week turned suddenly tense in Las Vegas just days out from the highly anticipated rematch, with wild claims and accusations of lying being thrown between the two camps.

Fundora listens to Tszyu speaking at the press conference. Picture: No Limit boxing

After weeks of arguing about how bad the cut over Tszyu’s eye was in their first bout, the latest flashpoint comes as Fundora denied he had a broken nose in their first bout.

“No one broke my nose,” Fundora said. “I blew my nose and it swelled up a little bit, but a week later we were fine.”

Tszyu laughs at that suggestion.

“He knows what happened,” the Aussie told Code Sports. “He was ruled out for seven months.

“Seven months and it’s not broken? Come on, man.

Tszyu then zeroed in on Fundora’s team too, including promoter Sampson Lewkowicz, who Tszyu labelled ‘The Weasel’ last year.

“I don’t know why they’re lying – I don’t know who’s lying – it must be his dad,” he said. “Or Sampson, who knows?

“We all saw it, he had blood pissing down his nose, he was breathing from his mouth. It’s just facts.”

Fundora speaks at this week’s presser. Picture: Esther Lin

With both men promising a war, Tszyu has also attacked Fundora’s lack of power.

“It’s weird, man, it’s, like, stringy,” he said of Fundora’s punches. “It’s not impactful or heavy.

“It’s like a cheese stick constantly whipping you.

“I wasn’t intimidated by him. I remember feeling his power and being in shock, thinking ‘Is that it?’”

With tension between the camps rising nearly as high as the 40-plus degree days in Las Vegas, Tszyu is hell bent on revenge.

So much so that he says he doesn’t even care about the WBC world title that will be on the line at the MGM Grand on Saturday.

“It’s not just about the belt,” he said. “It’s more about Fundora for me.

“Belts come and go, you can move up divisions, you lose belts and win them.

“But to beat someone who you’ve had a history with in the past and to re-write history, that’s the bigger chapter.”

“Like a cheese stick whipping you”. Picture: Esther Lin

Tszyu is willing to go to any lengths to avenge the first defeat of his professional career.

“When I hop into the ring, I come in with the mentality I’m going to die in the ring,” he said. “Sometimes that’s a problem.

“I’m in there until the very end. If it means you get knocked out, you get knocked out. But you get back up.

“We wish our partners, we wish our family, we say our goodbyes and step in the ring and risk our lives.”

In Fundora, Tszyu has the perfect dance partner, but the Aussie reminded the 197cm tall American of a common opponent they share.

In April 2023, Fundora was beaten in a savage seventh round knockout by Brian Mendoza. Fundora was winning the fight, but was flattened by a big right hand, and never looked close to beating the count.

Six months later, Tszyu scored a one-sided decision win over Mendoza on the Gold Coast.

And ‘The Soul Taker’ says Fundora is still scarred by his one and only KO defeat.

“He was saying about my PTSD (from his loss to Bakhram Murtazaliev), but I feel like he’s got PTSD with the Mendoza fight,” he said. “I feel like he still thinks about it.

“To be knocked out cold like that, it takes a lot out of you. Even though I was stopped against Bakhram, I made sure I got back up each time.

“He wasn’t up. He was gone.”

The Mendoza knockout is why Tszyu doesn’t think Fundora will fully engage in a firefight on fight night.

“He’s got it in him, but will he do it though?” he asked Code Sports. “Will he come and push the action? Will he come and try to close it off?

“He’ll come on in spurts, but he’ll be thinking, ‘I don’t want the same thing that happened with Brian Mendoza’, so he’ll back off.

“But if he wants to come to papa, I’ll welcome him with open arms.”

Originally published as Fight week explodes over fresh lying claims as Tszyu says Fundora hits like a ‘cheese stick’