Shawn Porter thinks that Tim Tszyu’s original opponent, Keith Thurman, might have presented him with more problems than late replacement Sebastian Fundora – a topic that has divided fight fans.
Thurman withdrew from the light middleweight clash this week because of a biceps injury, and Fundora – who was already scheduled to fight on the undercard – stepped in to challenge Tszyu on March 30 at T-Mobile in Las Vegas.
Some feel the 6-foot-5 Fundora, a southpaw who maintains a busy work rate, is so far removed from Thurman that Fundora has an advantage.
It is worth noting, though, that in his most recent fight Fundora suffered a brutal knockout at the hands of Brian Mendoza. Mendoza has now taken Fundora’s spot against Serhii Bohachuk lower down the card.
Stylistically, however, Fundora doesn’t pose Tszyu too many intense questions, according to Porter, who believes the more experienced Thurman would have.
“Fundora is there to be hit and, yes, Fundora is very tough as well,” Porter said. “But he doesn’t present any sort of puzzle for Tim – and that’s what I liked about the fight with Keith. At the end of the day, if Tim won [against Thurman], we would have seen him have to solve some puzzles and fight through some things to get the win. I don’t see those same puzzles against Fundora.”
Porter has traveled to Australia to cover three Tszyu fights as part of a broadcast team, and said Mendoza has been doing rounds with Tszyu in Las Vegas ahead of their respective fights.
“I think what I’ve seen from Tim is, he’s very determined, he works extremely hard, he gets very prepared for every fight he has, and I think Fundora is the easier puzzle to get ready for,” Porter told ProBox TV. “He’s straight up and down, and there’s not a wide range of offense or defense coming from him. So I don’t think the last-minute change is going to disrupt Tszyu, and I think this is Tszyu’s fight to win.”
It marks the first show that Amazon Prime is streaming on pay-per-view since it agreed to partner with PBC. Porter, who was an early PBC recruit years ago, thinks the union is a shrewd move for both parties.
“The reach beyond just boxing fans is something boxing has needed for a very long time,” Porter said. “Don’t forget, I’m part of the beginning of the PBC era. I understood quite clearly why we were going to network television – because there were more eyes on network television watching a commercial that is promoting boxing than there would be people watching Showtime or HBO seeing a commercial about a boxing match that they already know about.”
And that’s the point, Porter said – to reach viewers who aren’t as familiar with boxing.
“When you’re following NFL, when you’re following NCAA, when you’re following NBA – even the NBA has games on Prime – when you’re following all those with commercials and promos and things of that nature, there’s only one thing you can do and that’s capitalize on it,” he said. “And the only way you capitalize on it is making the boxing events that people want to see. That’s what I expect PBC to do this year.”