Bakhram Murtazaliev’s dominant victory over Tim Tszyu is even more impressive when you look beyond just his performance in the ring.
The IBF junior-middleweight champion (23-0, 17 KOs) knocked Tszyu down three times in the second round and once more in the third, leading to Tszyu’s corner throwing in the towel.
All four knockdowns were the result of Murtazaliev’s powerful left hook. It has now been revealed that the reason for Murtazaliev’s reliance on his left hand was due to a broken right hand he sustained before the fight.
Murtazaliev’s head coach, Roma Kalantaryan, disclosed that the Russian boxer broke his right hand during sparring just days before the fight, making him effectively a one-handed fighter in the ring.
“Our original game plan had to be adjusted because Bakhram couldn’t use his right hand,” Kalantaryan explained. “His knuckle around the pinky was completely gone. We kept icing his hand throughout the week, but he was determined not to cancel the fight despite the injury. We kept this information confidential. I advised him to use his right hand only when absolutely necessary. We focused on using open right hooks instead of straight rights, and only when essential. Tszyu was likely anticipating more right-hand punches from us.”
Kalantaryan mentioned that Murtazaliev refrained from throwing a single right hand after the injury occurred until he began warming up in the dressing room on fight night.
With a history of training successful fighters, Kalantaryan was confident in their strategy against Tszyu, a flat-footed counter-puncher.
“Our approach was to test Tszyu’s power early on and gauge his reactions with aggressive moves,” Kalantaryan said. “After the first round, Bakhram reported that he didn’t feel Tszyu’s punches at all.”
“Our plan was simple: stay alert and use Bakhram’s power to turn the fight around with one punch. Bakhram’s knockout power is undeniable – when he lands a punch, it’s explosive. Many may view the fight as easy, but they aren’t aware of the hard work and preparation that went into it over the past 10 weeks. We were ready for a tough battle, but it turned out to be an easy victory in the end.”
The future looks promising for Murtazaliev in a competitive weight division, managed by Egis Klimas and promoted by Kathy Duva.
The 31-year-old Russian fighter, based in Los Angeles, has his sights set on unifying titles in the division by facing champions like Terence Crawford and Sebastian Fundora.
Manouk Akopyan, a seasoned sports journalist, can be reached on various platforms including X, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube, as well as through email or his website.
