What is the curse that Tim Tszyu must overcome against Sebastian Fundora this weekend in Vegas?

Tim Tszyu doesn’t just have one of the tallest fighters in the world to deal with on the weekend, but also a curse that has been impacting Aussie pugilists for decades.

Tim Tszyu works out at the Split T Boxing Club in Las Vegas, Nevada. Picture: Louis Grasse/Getty Images/AFP

Tim Tszyu doesn’t just have a 197cm tall Sebastian Fundora to beat this weekend in Las Vegas.

He must also overturn a tough run of results for Aussie boxers in big fights in the fight capital of the world.

From controversies – including his own dad, Kostya – to plucky underdogs going down swinging, Vegas hasn’t always been a happy hunting ground.

The biggest and most heart-breaking Vegas moment came when Jeff Fenech was robbed of a victory against Azumah Nelson at The Mirage in 1991.

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Their split draw remains one of the great travesties in Australian boxing history, and although the result was overturned in 2022 and Fenech was announced as a four-time world champion, he was never quite the same afterwards.

“It knocked the shit out of me,” Fenech told this masthead in 2022.

“It’s one of those Australian moments – people still tell me that they remember where they were that day, what pub they were at and that the pub went crazy when I didn’t win.”

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Another horrible Vegas controversy hit Andrew Moloney 29 years later – almost to the day.

Moloney’s quest to become a two-time world champion ended when referee Russell Mora stopped his bout with Joshua Franco due to bad swelling around Franco’s eye.

Thinking he’d won via TKO, Moloney celebrated, but Mora ruled it a no contest due to a head-butt. Numerous replays – which took more than 20 minutes – failed to find conclusive evidence of any head-butt, but ringside officials didn’t overturn the decision, leaving the Aussie distraught.

Kostya Tszyu had some of his best moments in Las Vegas, but even he wasn’t immune to controversy.

His 1997 IBF super-lightweight world title defence against Leonardo Mas was ruled a technical draw – later changed to a no contest – when Tszyu landed a short left hand to Mas’ jaw a fraction of a second after referee Joe Cortez called a break.

Mas was out of his depth, had already been dropped twice, and it was clear he was looking for a way out, but officials ruled he’d been felled by an unintentional illegal shot.

Other Australian fighters have fallen short in Las Vegas after meeting opponents who are simply on another level.

That was the case for Jeff Horn against Terence Crawford in 2018.

Jeff Horn couldn’t get the job done in Vegas. Picture: Getty Images

Just under a year after his momentous win over Manny Pacquiao to claim the WBO welterweight world title, Horn was no match for Crawford, who was on his way to the top of the pound-for-pound rankings, where he still sits today.

If there’s one fighter who could challenge Crawford as the sport’s best, it’s Japanese phenom Naoya Inoue, who stopped Jason Moloney in seven rounds in 2020.

‘Aussie’ Joe Bugner lost his Las Vegas debut to none other than Muhammad Ali in 1973. The fight was the last of a remarkable 10-fight winning streak for Ali as he worked his way back towards the heavyweight world title following his 1971 defeat to Joe Frazier.

Bugner was game, but Ali was too quick and skillful on the night.

Bugner, who fought until 1999, went agonisingly close to notching an elusive win in Vegas, going down in a split decision to Ron Lyle at Caesars Palace in 1977.

Bilal Akkawy was preparing to make his midweek Las Vegas debut in May 2019 when he received a late-notice call-up for an interim super-middleweight world title fight with John Ryder.

Can Tim Tszyu do Australia proud in Vegas? Picture: Getty Images

With barely more than a week to prepare for the Englishman, Akkawy – who was a training partner for Canelo Alvarez at the time – was stopped in the third round after being dropped twice.

Ryder eventually went a full 12 rounds with Canelo for the undisputed super middleweight crown last year.

Sydney’s boxing lawyer Lovemore Ndou – who recently moved back to South Africa to run for president – lost his one and only Las Vegas fight to future Hall of Famer Miguel Cotto in 2004.

Meanwhile, Robbie Peden clocked up three wins in Las Vegas, but lost the big one – a unified super-featherweight world title – to another legend in Marco Antonio Barrera in 2005.

It’s not all doom and gloom though, with Kostya enjoying some of his best moments in Las Vegas. He had world title wins over Jake Rodriguez, Sharmba Mitchell and Ben Tackie, but none of them compare to his upset second round stoppage of Zab Judah in 2001.