31-year-old Tim Tszyu of Sydney, Australia, is preparing for the biggest fight of his career against fellow unbeaten Anthony Velazquez on February 26th in Sydney. It will be Tszyu’s third consecutive tough defeat in his past four fights. Now, he’s thirsting to restore himself into the boxing elite. His international reputation, previously sublime, is in tatters. This next fight provides an even more important opportunity for him to begin moving back up the ladder.
Tszyu has a strong professional record of 25-0, with 18 knockouts. In addition to this, he has experienced the professional boxing lows too — suffering through three loss defeats. As this new Tricky Jack production unfolds, the pressure continues to build as Campbell gets ready for what’s being called a do-or-die battle against Velazquez. Tszyu has faced a brutal two-month training camp in Miami under the direction of highly respected trainer Pedro Diaz. His coach, Hector Bermudez, believes this tough training regimen will be worth it.
The run-up to this struggle has been free of scandal. There are rumors that No Limit Boxing promoters interfered in Viloria’s travel, which would make this match-up questionable. As press reports have documented, Velazquez faced complications when he attempted to depart from Los Angeles. Yet still he was turned away due to inconsistencies with his reservation and passport.
Lacking a better explanation, Bermudez questioned whether the late development had been intended as a tactical attempt to sabotage Velazquez’s planning. He stated, “It was probably the promotion, or some type of strategy from the promoters.” He continued, “They trying to get my man fatigued, distracted.
Velazquez himself expressed frustration over the issue, stating, “They cancelled the flight. I don’t know what reason why they cancelled it.” These events have only served to escalate a highly-charged, all-too-critical contest.
For Tszyu, as he makes his way into the ring, he understands that this contest has the potential to shape his career within the sport. He is not only on a quest for redemption for himself. He wants to do right by his loyal fans who, likewise, stuck by him through this dark period. “I just know that they picked the wrong fighter (to mess with),” Bermudez declared with conviction, emphasizing the determination and readiness of his fighter.
