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Australia's boxing scene has taken a hit with Tim Tszyu's recent loss to Sebastian Fundora, leaving Jason Moloney as the country's lone remaining world titlist. Tszyu, the former WBO light-middleweight champion, fell to Fundora via split decision in a hard-fought battle at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The fight took a dramatic turn in the second round when Tszyu suffered a significant cut to the top of his head, shifting the momentum in Fundora's favor. Despite Tszyu's valiant efforts to overcome the injury and Fundora's awkward style, the Australian ultimately succumbed to the late-replacement fighter.
Reflecting on Tszyu's performance, Moloney expressed his admiration for his compatriot's resilience and skill. "I have a lot of respect for Tim," Moloney said.
"He’s proved he’s not just the son of Kostya; he’s been putting in some great performances."
However, Moloney also criticized Tszyu's corner for not considering his well-being when his vision was compromised by his own blood.
"His team let him down a little bit by not doing the smart thing in that situation," Moloney remarked. "They should have said, 'Look, Tim can’t see.' It was very obvious that the blood was impairing his vision."
Despite the setback, Moloney remains focused on his upcoming title defense against Japan's Yoshiki Takei at the Tokyo Dome on May 6. He acknowledged Australia's recent resurgence in boxing talent, with fighters like Tszyu, George Kambosos Jr., and Jai Opetaia making waves on the world stage.
"Taking on a fighter like Fundora on 12 days’ notice when you haven’t been preparing for that style at all, you need a full camp to prepare for a style like that really," Moloney explained. "You have to respect that he took the fight, then to come out the way he did in the first two rounds and adapt to that style was pretty impressive. It will be interesting to see what he does next."
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