Bakhram Murtazaliev insisted that he had no problem fitting his 6’0″ frame into a junior middleweight uniform.
The defending IBF titlist proved it at the scales on Friday, when he checked in at a slender 152.8 pounds. Russia’s Murtazaliev is set for his first title defense versus former WBO titleholder Tim Tszyu, who weighed 153.4 pounds.
Their scheduled 12-round bout will headline a Premier Boxing Champions show this Saturday from Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida. Prime Video will air the event live, beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET.
Murtazaliev (22-0, 16 KOs) landed a high-profile affair for first title defense. He also finds himself back on the PBC circuit—this time with a televised audience.
The unbeaten Russian won the belt on the road and in spectacular fashion. Murtazaliev knocked out Jack Culcay in the 11th round of their April 6 vacant title fight in Falkansee, Germany.
Validation came from Murtazaliev’s ridiculously long wait for a title shot. He became the mandatory in Nov. 2019, then accepted multiple step aside offers which included four consecutive non-televised bouts. His team finally stood tall last year when the IBF ordered his title shot.
It resulted in then-Ring/undisputed champion Jermell Charlo (35-2-1, 19 KOs) vacating his IBF belt. Charlo has since parted ways with all of his divisional hardware.
Saturday marks PBC’s first standalone non-pay-per-view event on Prime Video. Its PPV launch on the platform was also headlined by Tszyu. (24-1, 17 KOs), who previously held the WBO junior middleweight title.
The Ring’s No. 4-rated junior middleweight was upgraded to full from interim titlist last September, also a result of an awaited shot versus Charlo which never came to pass. He defended the belt in a twelve-round points win versus Brian Mendoza last Oct. 15 in Broadbeach, Australia.
The reign ended in a gory split decision defeat to Fundora, No. 3 at 154. Tszyu was due to face former welterweight titleholder Keith Thurman, who withdrew due to injury. Fundora was scheduled to appear on the undercard and agreed to fill the void atop the bill.
Tszyu jumped out to a strong opening round but suffered a cut along the top of his scalp when he collided with Fundora’s elbow. His face was a mask of blood for the duration of the fight, which he came up just short on two scorecards.
The wound was deep enough to where he wasn’t medically cleared in time to honor an Aug. 3 showdown versus Vergil Ortiz (21-0, 21 KOs). The bout would have landed on the Terence Crawford-Israil Madrimov undercard at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
Rather than a return home, Tszyu will fight for the second straight in the U.S., this time in his East Coast debut.
Below are the weights for the remaining bouts of the PBC on Prime Video tripleheader.
Yoenis Tellez (8-0, 6 KOs), Stafford, Texas via Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, 153.8 poundsJohan Gonzalez (35-3, 34 KOs), Las Vegas via Valencia, Venezuela, 153 pounds10 rounds, junior middleweight
Cesar Mateo Tapia (17-0, 10 KOs), Narrabeen, Australia, 160 poundsEndry Saavedra (16-1, 13 KOs), Tijuana, Mexico, 159.8 pounds10 rounds, middleweight
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