Tim Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs) recently faced the first loss of his professional career in a devastating showdown against ‘The Towering Inferno’ Sebastian Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KOs). The loss not only saw him lose in his quest for the then-vacant WBC junior middleweight titles but also saw him lose his WBO title. While the boxing community racks its brains about the reason behind this shocking upset, famed cut-man, Jacob ‘Stitch’ Duran might have the answer. In fact, the 72-year-old legend of the corner called out Tszyu’s corner for failing to protect him.
During the fight, Tszyu suffered a major cut to his head, an injury which left him with a prominent trickle of blood throughout the fight. Taking to X, Duran did not hold back while discussing the cut’s mismanagement.
“I’ve been getting all kinds of messages and just finished doing an interview regarding the cut on Tim Tszyu. Unfortunately, you know, that big vein that we have right there if you pop it, you’re not going to stop it. And he got the cut. It’s the same vein,” he said.
Duran believes that Tszyu’s team did not adequately manage the gaping wound, which, in turn, put him through a world of pain and discomfort. Moreover, he also highlighted the fact that Yokasta Valle (30-3, 9 KOs) had faced a similar situation barely a day prior to Tszyu’s fight.
“It’s important to have a good corner with you because they should have stopped it before the start of the fifth round. It would’ve been a no-contest. They would’ve had a chance for a rematch and then protect him,” he said. “Same thing happened the night before with this young girl from Costa Rica. She got a bad cut, and the cut man didn’t really know what he was doing. And unfortunately, both of them lost fights.”
Tszyu’s troubles haven’t ended
The bloody spectacle undoubtedly did not sit well with the regulatory bodies. While Fundora suffered a broken nose and Tszyu ended up with ten stitches to his head, the duo was also greeted by glaring six-week suspensions.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) announced today that Tszyu will not be able to return to the ring until May 15. However, the NSAC revealed that Fundora might be allowed to return earlier if he sees an ENT specialist and gets cleared.
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