logo
Fundora batters Tszyu to retain WBC superwelter crown

Fundora batters Tszyu to retain WBC superwelter crown

France 245 days ago
A bruising, action-packed scrap at the MGM Grand Garden Arena ended when a bloodied Tszyu failed to come out for the eighth round.
Fundora -- who had beaten Tszyu in their first meeting last year -- once again used his towering 6ft 6in (1.98m) frame and huge reach advantage to dominate the short, stocky Australian.
Tszyu was quickly in trouble, knocked down by Fundora in the first round by a crisp left hand, and finished the second round with a nasty cut over his right eye.
Although Tszyu battled bravely, jolting Fundora with some shuddering right-hands in the middle rounds, the American continued to land damaging punches.
The end came after the seventh, when a weary Tszyu declined to come out for the next round.
"I gave it everything but I just couldn't do it," Tszyu said afterwards. "Victory belongs to Sebastian Fundora -- he's the best 154-pounder on the planet right now.
"He was the better man. He's very hard to land, and he's tall ... I felt like I was shadow boxing with myself at times. It is what it is."
Fundora, 27, who improved to 23-1-1, with 15 knockouts, said he had been determined to exploit his advantages of height and reach.
"I felt like obviously I'm the bigger guy, and everyone's calling me a bully -- so you know what, let's start bullying these guys," Fundora said.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Ledecky-led USA to use world championships as springboard to LA 2028
Ledecky-led USA to use world championships as springboard to LA 2028

France 24

time15 hours ago

  • France 24

Ledecky-led USA to use world championships as springboard to LA 2028

Ledecky is headed to a seventh world championships on a high note, having lowered her longstanding world record in the 800m freestyle in May -- her first long-course world mark since 2018. She also posted the second-fastest 1,500m free ever this season and swam the second-best 400m free of her career -- all signalling that she remains a force, 13 years on from her breakthrough Olympic gold in the 800m free in London in 2012. The world championships begin on Sunday and if Ledecky sweeps her three individual events and is part of a winning 4x200m free relay, she would take her tally of world golds to 25. That is just one shy of Michael Phelps's overall record of 26 world titles. The 28-year-old Ledecky said she isn't focusing on that type of comparison, or indeed on comparisons with her younger self. After years in which she felt she could threaten a world record in virtually every race, Ledecky said she had stopped putting expectations on herself. "I just kind of swim a little more free and just try to improve in different areas, improve off of the previous year or the previous two years or whatever it is, rather than always comparing myself to my 19-year-old self or whatever it may be," she said. Ledecky is right to be cautious, especially with newly minted world record-holder Summer McIntosh waiting in the 400m free. Ledecky's presence and level-headed approach will anchor a US team that is a mix of experience and young talent. The men are aiming to bounce back from a lackluster Paris Olympics at which Bobby Finke's record-breaking 1,500m free gold was the only victory for the US men. The United States still topped the medals table with eight golds to Australia's seven, and 28 medals in total, but it was the Americans' lowest Olympic total since the 1988 Games in Seoul. After the women kept America afloat in Paris they look strong again. Gretchen Walsh has twice lowered her 100m butterfly world record this year and won the 50m fly at the US trials with the fourth-fastest swim ever. Regan Smith, the 100m backstroke world record-holder, heads a formidable women's backstroke line-up eager to challenge Australia's Kaylee McKeown, who won double backstroke gold at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics. Setting a tone With Finke again leading the way, the US men emerged from the domestic championships in June with contenders in multiple events. Luke Hobson became the first American since Phelps to break 1min 44sec in the 200m freestyle with a time of 1:43.73 and Jack Alexy posted a sizzling 46.99sec in the 100m free. Luca Urlando owns the first and third-fastest times this year in the 200m butterfly and Shaine Casas signalled he's ready to take the fight to French star Leon Marchand in the 200m individual medley. "The US men are pretty strong, so I think that was a really encouraging week of swimming for all of us," Carson Foster said in June after securing his place in Singapore with a series of second-place finishes at the US trials. "I'm really excited for worlds." Ledecky called the Singapore squad "a great group." "It will be a lot of good energy," she said. "We want to set the tone as a whole team, a whole unit, this summer, and build from there." © 2025 AFP

Fritz, Medvedev advance at DC Open
Fritz, Medvedev advance at DC Open

France 24

time19 hours ago

  • France 24

Fritz, Medvedev advance at DC Open

World number four Fritz, playing his first match since losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals at Wimbledon earlier this month, cruised past Australia's Aleksandar Vukic 6-3, 6-2 in 59 minutes. The American dominated Vukic with a powerful service game while producing a slew of superb backhands in a stream of 28 winners to ease into a last 16 clash against Italy's Matteo Arnaldi. "I felt like I played pretty well all around, but the shot that stood out was the backhand line," Fritz told The Tennis Channel after his win. "I don't usually like that shot but it just felt like every single one I tried today was going in." Fritz was always in control of his game against the current world 105 Vukic, breaking to open up an early 3-0 lead before closing out the first set. A similarly dominant start saw him take a 4-0 lead early in the second before he wrapped up a comfortable win. Earlier, Russia's Medvedev was made to grind through a roller-coaster tussle with big-serving US player Reilly Opelka before coming through 3-6, 7-5, 6-1. After battling to square the match in the second set, Medvedev took advantage of Opelka's shaky serve in the decider to move on. "I didn't return well until 6-5 in the second but I always tried to look for solutions," Medvedev said. "Maybe he got a bit tired with the heat and everything. "Happy with the way I played better and better during the match and looking forward."

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store