Tim Tszyu sat on his stool, a vacant look in his eyes as in entrance of him, Bakhram Murtazaliev celebrated a monumental, career-defining victory.
His surprised expression was matched by that worn by his group.
The comeback had fallen flat on its again, felled 4 occasions inside eight brutal minutes by the superior energy within the arms of the 23-0 Russian now celebrating within the reverse nook of the ring.
How did it go so fallacious?
A 12 months in the past, Tim Tszyu was untouchable.
Unbeaten and unmatched, your entire tremendous welterweight division was huge open in entrance of him.
Tremendous fights in opposition to the most important names within the sport — Jermell Charlo, Terence Crawford, possibly even Canello Alvarez — had been being firmly pencilled into his calendar.
Now? These dates look a great distance off.
Credit score needs to be given to Murtazaliev.
Bakhram Murtazaliev dominated from the opening bell, flooring Tim Tszyu 4 occasions inside three rounds. (Provided: No Restrict Boxing)
The Russian got here to Florida with a sport plan and caught to it, doing to Tszyu what most anticipated Tszyu to do to him: tenderise with the jab and unload with the ability, boxing his method to a world title.
Tszyu, against this, was not the watchful, affected person fighter that mowed his method by means of the names in entrance of him in Australia with an ease that steered such nice issues.
In reality, there is a case to be made that Tszyu was conceited, dismissive of his opponent’s file and willingness to combat.
Former two-time welterweight champion Shawn Porter, seconds earlier than Tszyu walked to the ring, counselled viewers on Principal Occasion that Tszyu wanted to field first, punch second.
That’s, be cautious of a person who will look to outwork Tszyu with a excessive tempo however inaccurate work-rate and earn the appropriate to land the knockout blow.
Porter although, maybe overestimated Tszyu.
Maybe he and Tszyu each underestimated Murtazaliev, too.
That is what four-weight world champion Crawford presumed on social media.
“Tim thought he had a straightforward one,” wrote Crawford on X.
“Took this dude flippantly and was frightened about different fighters.”
No one will know whether or not Tszyu took Murtazaliev flippantly besides him.
Bakhram Murtazaliev bludgeoned Tim Tszyu in Orlando. (No Restrict Boxing: Tom Pombart)
However there is no doubt that this second profession defeat in a row leaves Tszyu’s standing as one of many division’s large hitters in tatters.
The style of Tszyu’s first skilled defeat was unlucky: A cut up choice loss to Sebastian Fundora after a cut up in his brow that made abattoir staff wince served to reinforce Tszyu’s aura as a throwback fighter.
However the echoes of that defeat will now seemingly reverberate all through Tszyu’s whole future.
That venomous aura has vanished, obliterated with the identical velocity that Murtazaliev tore him aside.
Within the ring after his loss, Tszyu mentioned that every part went fallacious from the primary shot that he took.
That is not fairly true although — it was truly a primary spherical conflict of heads that turned the tide irrevocably within the route of the champion.
The response from Tszyu to the pinnacle conflict was rapid.
He backed away and immediately raised his glove to his head, looking at what he assumed can be one other fountain of blood pouring from one other gaping wound, maybe stunned to see his palm come away clear.
Distance prognosis is problematic at finest, nevertheless it appeared an unconscious reflex in response to a second that should have performed again and again in his head ever since final March.
Tim Tszyu (left) misplaced his WBO belt in brutal circumstances in opposition to Sebastian Fundora. (Getty Pictures: Steve Marcus)
Hindsight is ineffective in sport apart from as a automobile for hacks to make a degree.
However lazy tropes apart, one wonders what the outcome would have been had the combat in opposition to Fundora been dominated a no contest?
It will not have modified the damage. The blood would have nonetheless been spilt, the pinnacle nonetheless cut up.
However there would have been no blemish to the file.
No detrimental affiliation between blood and defeat.
No surrendering of a belt that carries such foreign money on this brutal sport the place you’re solely pretty much as good as your final outcome.
As a substitute, that bloody mess was allowed to play out.
The rapid value was the surrendering of his world title. Long run although? There might nonetheless be a value to be paid.
Bakhram Murtazaliev was capable of exploit Tim Tszyu’s invisible defence at will within the second spherical. (Getty Pictures: Alex Menendez)
Tszyu’s response to a minor head conflict in Florida confirmed simply how scarred he’s by shedding his title within the blood-bath that was the T-Cellular Area.
It wasn’t the one cause that he misplaced.
Murtazaliev was good, edging an in depth first spherical earlier than placing his foot down within the second.
Ominously, within the build-up to this combat, Murtazaliev mentioned, “what I like about [Tszyu] is I need not chase him”.
Not solely did he not must chase him, he did not even must search for the punches that ultimately felled his Australian rival.
Tszyu was upright and, as is his customized. slowly marched down his opponent from the centre of the ring.
However the place different fighters have been unable to deal with this relentless psychological strain, Murtazaliev merely landed shot after shot after shot — all three of his knockdowns got here by way of the identical overhand proper.
Defence has been Tszyu’s weak point ever since stepping as much as tackle world-ranked fighters.
Ever since Terrell Gausha turned the primary man to drop Tszyu with a flash knockdown, Tszyu has worn punches with a recklessness that, till now, by no means appeared to harm him.
Nonetheless, it is that elementary lack of head motion, an unwillingness to maneuver laterally, an offensive mindset that leaves no room for the subtlety of motion that distinguishes the excellent from the nice.
If the artwork of boxing dictates that the goal is to hit and never be hit, Tszyu has solely taken the primary half of the category to coronary heart.
Tim Tszyu had solely been knocked down as soon as earlier than in his professional profession. (No Restrict Boxing: Tom Pombart)
However whether it is to be again to high school for Tszyu, there could be no finer location than again house within the confines of Australia.
A homecoming with out the prizes that rely may not have been in Tszyu’s thoughts when he launched into his American tour.
However the script to this explicit play has modified and Tszyu is in peril of being written out of it, the phases destined to get progressively smaller in comparison with these dreamy Vegas paydays.
Only a few fighters go from being overwhelmed of their first world title defence to getting one other shot immediately — however that’s what Tszyu tried.
His bravery in that regard is admirable.
However discretion is the higher a part of valour for a cause. Heading house to lick his wounds to take a beatable opponent and get again to successful methods appears a prudent alternative.
There are alternatives domestically too, however Tszyu would do properly to not leap straight into mattress with noisy rival Michael Zerafa, who has additionally got here up quick when he took on the world.
Tszyu’s subsequent chapter wants to finish together with his arm being raised, a clear combat in opposition to whom Tszyu can present his boxing expertise, not his coronary heart.
The trail again to a world title is lengthy, requiring time to earn sufficient wins to push his case.
However the better battle for Tszyu would possibly properly be a private one.
