Tim Tszyu has branded Keith Thurman a “f…ing flop” during a fiery exchange that occurred after the undefeated Australian poster boy sensationally crashed a live Instagram interview set up for his rival.
In what would eventually morph into an extremely chaotic, and entertaining, 20 minutes of jawing, threatening and sledging, Tszyu also branded his former world champion rival both hilarious and clueless — before then promising to knock him out within two rounds during their Las Vegas hyped headliner on Sunday March 31 (AEST).
Thurman, who has never been short of a word, was also happy to turn what was supposed to be his interviews into something of a Face Off, declaring Tszyu should “stop playing with yourself”, had benefited from handpicked opponents and even revealed to having no idea who the Sydneysider was when initially approached about the fight.
The former welterweight king added that was the only reason it took him three days to accept and sign the contracts – because he wanted to watch some tape of a fighter he didn’t even know existed.
“Beautiful brother,” Tszyu replied to the sledge as, unsurprisingly, Thurman then tried to keep talking.
“Beautiful.
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“For a guy that loves boxing, loves everything about boxing, you don’t know s… about boxing.”
With only four weeks now until his hyped Las Vegas debut, Tszyu on Tuesday surprised the former world champion dubbed ‘One Time’ by appearing, announced, on a live interview hosted by US boxing great Shawn Porter.
Porter had advertised the event, which took place on the PBC Instagram page, as an exclusive Thurman chat, but less than five minutes in paused the American superstar mid-sentence, saying: “Keith, Keith we’ve got Tim … he’s made a request to come on the show …”
From there, the two headliners quickly started jawing back and forth, with Thurman at different points throughout accusing the Australian of being unknown, “a dreamer”, and “trying to make a name off my name”.
Tszyu, in reply, promised to not simply beat Thurman, but finish him within two rounds.
“Bang, bang,” he laughed midway through their exchange. “Your head bouncing off the canvas”.
Thurman, of course, had some cracks of his own.
“Am I satisfied with what’s happened with my career in the past several years? No,” the former world champ started.
“Can I take it back? No.
“(Shouting now) So what can I do? I can punch you.
“That’s what I can do Tszyu.
“I’ve been here meditating. Waiting.
“And then I finally got the phone call, ‘hey Thurman, do wanna punch Tim Tszyu?’.”
Tszyu: “C’mon man, you then took three days (to sign). Three days to study some tape. When they told me Keith Thurman, in five seconds I said ‘yes’.
At which point Thurman smiled and, addressing Porter, said ‘Shawn, you ready for this?’, before having his crack.
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“Tim, I didn’t know who you was kid,” he cackled. “I didn’t know who you was.”
On Tszyu’s recent run of wins, he continued: “The way you got Tony Harrison, those five uppercuts, they will never see me, kid”.
Then soon after: “They’ve been getting some nice fights for you. But they ain’t hungry like me, bro.”
“You’ve been on vacation for five years,” Tszyu shot back. “What are you talking about?”
Thurman, of course, has fought only once in the past two years, while the last fight before that was his loss to Manny Pacquiao way back in 2019.
Addressing his time out of the ring, the American grinned: “It makes you huuuungry.
“It’s called a fast. You ever done a five day fast?”
Tszyu: “Yeah, and it’s certainly not the same mindset you’re in now.”
Which is how it went from that moment the undefeated Aussie first crashed proceedings.
“What up Tszyu,” Thurman laughed before his rival had even appeared on screen. “The man with the plan to knock me out.”
Tszyu: “That’s exactly right, bra. I didn’t even have to say anything.”
Thurman: “Hey I’m repeating your words (from the press conference). You said it timidly, I’d like you say it with your chest. At the press conference you were timid, like a little boy talking about Christmas presents and stuff.”
Tszyu: “Bro, you’ve got a big mouth, you talk too much.”
Thurman: “I like to excite the people. Weren’t you excited when you got that contract? Am I not the biggest name you’ve been in the ring with? Stop playing with yourself.”
Tszyu: “You’re not the best … you’re a big mouth.”
Thurman: “What you gunna do Tszyu, what you gunna do …”
Tszyu: “I’ll have you done in two.”
Thurman, incredulous now: “In two? In twoooooo? Alright, baby. I hope you don’t get wobbled.”
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At one point, Thurman also suggested, at the same point in his career as Tszyu was at now, he had more KOs on his resume.
“But I’m still knocking people out,” the fighter dubbed ‘Soul Taker’ shot back. “You haven’t knocked anyone out in a decade … in a decade.”
Thurman: “They picked the right fights for you, mate. They’ve given you the right fights.”
Tszyu: “When they called me and said Keith Thurman, I said ‘man, what a birthday present that is’. This is Christmas and a birthday all in one.”
Thurman, who has a thing for rhyming shot back: “All in one. Let’s just have some fun. This is different. You’ll see.”
During their back-and-forth, Tszyu also stressed he respected both Thurman and his lengthy resume in the sport.
“It’s a passing of the torch,” he said. “No disrespect … One Time to Last Time.”
Thurman: “And for an undefeated fighter that’s how it is supposed to be. I get it. I get it.”
At which point Porter interrupted to point out to his countryman, just in case he missed it, that Tszyu had just played with his famed fight name.
“They do ‘Once Upon A Time’,” Thurman replied with a laugh. “They do ‘Some Time’.
“Look, man, everyone I’ve fought, when they got out of the ring they respect Keith Thurman’s power.”
So as for Tszyu icing mim?
“You talk about knocking me out?” the American continued.
“You didn’t knock out Mendoza.”
Tszyu: “Mendoza knocked the f… out of a unified champion with one punch. You can disrespect him. He’s one hell of a fighter.”
Thurman: “Mendoza was on his feet, picking those shots clean. You’re a puncher, but there are different types. You claim you’ll knock me out …”
Tszyu: “I will”.
Thurman: “You didn’t knock out Mendoza.”
And it was here the American started mocking Tszyu, suggesting at their launch press conference the Aussie had essentially asked the former world champion to stay in one spot so he could hit him.
“What’s this guy on about, bro,” Tszyu asked
“I can do whatever I want to do, baby,” Thurman would continue. “I’ve got free will.
“I’ll run right at you.”
By the finish of it all, Tszyu could do little but laugh at his rival’s comments.
“Keep training hard Keithy,” he cackled.
“I’ll do my best baby,” Thurman replied, mimicking a child’s voice. “I want to do my best to make my mummy and daddy very proud.
“Make mummy and daddy very proud.”
To all of which Tszyu simply grinned and shook his head.
“You f…ing flop.”
Source Agencies
