Millionaire Mayweather boss’ dire warning for Team Tszyu over Terence Crawford plans
One of boxing’s most powerful men believes Tim Tszyu is distracting himself with a potential fight with Terence Crawford instead of focusing on Sunday’s bout with Sebastian Fundora.
One of boxing’s most powerful figures has hit out at Team Tszyu for overlooking Sebastian Fundora and planning for a mega-money fight with Terence Crawford later this year.
Leonard Ellerbe, the CEO of Mayweather Promotions and one of the most influential men in boxing, says Tszyu could easily be derailed by ‘The Towering Inferno’ Sebastian Fundora this weekend.
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It comes after a week of ongoing talk about the multimillion dollar payday Tszyu and his manager Glen Jennings could land in a world title fight opposite pound-for-pound king Terence Crawford.
“I think he’s overlooking Fundora a little bit,” Ellerbe told this masthead. “There’s been talks that him and Glen have been negotiating another fight (with Crawford).
“That’s a distraction if you look ahead and don’t take care of business ahead of you.
“It’s a 50-50 fight with Fundora. Fundora’s style gives people problems and until you’ve been in there with him, he’s a tough out.
“With Tim not having a proper training camp to prepare for someone who’s 6 foot 6 and a southpaw, I think he’s got his hands full.
“Tim better focus on what’s in front of him. Then you move forward. When you look ahead, you trip up.
“Fundora’s very capable. Tim’s obviously a big favourite but Fundora’s a live dog.”
Tszyu clapped back at talk he was overlooking Fundora this week.
“I’ve never mentioned Terence Crawford,” he said. “My sole focus is Fundora, that’s my answer to that.”
When pushed though, Tszyu admitted Crawford is his dream fight.
“Crawford, definitely,” he said. “He’s pound for pound the best.”
Ellerbe has made untold riches as Floyd Mayweather’s business partner, and has overseen some of the biggest pay-per-view events in boxing history.
Despite his warning to Tszyu, he says the Aussie is more than capable of making good on his promise of taking over America.
“Tim is a tremendous fighter and he’s been really busy over the last year while other fighters haven’t been,” he said. “He has a lot of momentum into this fight.
“Anything’s possible, he’s a tremendous fighter – he has it in his genes. His dad was a tremendous fighter.
“But sometimes having these ambitions is a great thing, but you’ve gotta take it one step at a time.”
Just days out from his Las Vegas debut, Tszyu denied feeling any extra pressure, and is expecting a brawl once the fight begins.
“I’m at home here, I feel zoned in,” he said. “This is where I belong. You work all your life for these moments.
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“There’s no added pressure. I know what I possess and when it comes, it’ll come, I’ve just gotta be patient.
“He’s a brawler, he’s not a distance boxer. He has these weird uppercuts, but he doesn’t have that crazy power. He just bullies you.
“I think when you’ve got a style like that, you’re much easier to hit. The more punches you throw, the more open you are to getting hit.”
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