Tim Tszyu vs Sebastian Fundora: Aussie boxing star explains why he’s not falling for US ‘illusion’

Tim Tszyu has declared America “an illusion” amid criticism of his decision to stay at home and prepare for his rematch against boxing’s two metre giant Sebastian Fundora.

Tim Tszyu says training in America is “an illusion” as he follows in Alex Volkanovski’s footsteps by doing his entire training camp at home despite suggestions he should be preparing in the US for his must-win rematch with Sebastian Fundora.

One month out from his WBC super-welterweight world title fight in Las Vegas on July 19 (July 20 in Australia), Tszyu has spent the whole time preparing at his gym in Rockdale.

That’s despite numerous pundits saying he needs to spend a portion of camp overseas to get good sparring.

Manny Pacquiao’s strength and conditioning coach, Justin Fortune, even suggested he should train in Los Angeles alongside the legendary Filipino who headlines the card against WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios at the MGM Grand.

Tszyu in camp with coach Igor Goloubev. Picture: Jason McCawley/Getty Images

But Tszyu has instead flown American sparring partner Mykal Fox to Sydney and has been working with some of the tallest fighters in the country in preparation for the two metre giant Fundora.

Fox was one of the two sparring partners hastily rushed into camp as Tszyu fought Fundora on 12 days’ notice after Keith Thurman pulled out in March last year.

After spending more time in America than Australia in 2024 as he trained for fights against Fundora and Bakhram Murtazaliev, Tszyu says he’s content to remain at home this time around.

That’s how he prepared for his one-sided destruction of Joey Spencer in Newcastle in April.

It’s also exactly how Volkanovski trains, with the two-time featherweight UFC champion preparing for his world title win over Diego Lopes from his gym in Wollongong.

Alex Volkanovski training in Wollongong. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Zuffa LLC

“I feel like America’s an illusion,” Tszyu told Code Sports.

“Like, it is the place to be for boxing and stuff like that, but there’s plenty of talent here in Australia.

“We might not have the variety, but I can bring boys down to Australia to get the best prep in.

“Volkanovski, the number one pound-for-pound, and he’s done all his camps in Australia, and look what he does on the world stage.

“We can all do it.”

Outside his immediate team, Tszyu might get more inspiration from Volkanovksi than anyone else in the world.

“I look up to him,” he said. “There’s not many men out there that I really look up to, but Volkanovski is one of them.

“Just the way he presents himself and what he’s gone through and how he approaches things. He’s very inspiring, one hundred per cent.”

Tszyu fights on the same card as Manny Pacquiao in July. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

After they both suffered back-to-back defeats, Tszyu and Volkanovski enjoyed career-defining wins within seven days of one another in April.

Just a week after Tszyu knocked out Spencer, Volkanovski regained the featherweight title with a one-sided win over Lopes in Miami.

The respect between them goes both ways, with Volkanovski even reaching out to Tszyu in the days after the boxer’s knockout defeat to Bakhram Murtazaliev last year.

Not that he saw it at the time.

“I was off my phone, so I didn’t even see it or read it at the time,” Tszyu jokes. “It wasn’t until I went to message him about his upcoming fight that I saw it.

“What a top bloke.

“There’s a lot of critics out there who’ve never stepped foot in a ring and who don’t even know how to throw a punch, and they’re the ones running their mouths.

“I take inspiration from guys like Volk and I listen to advice from people like that rather than these other flops.”

Originally published as Tim Tszyu vs Sebastian Fundora: Aussie boxing star explains why he’s not falling for US ‘illusion’