Tim Tszyu has been branded a shot fighter who is set to either be knocked out or forced to retire on his stool in next Wednesday night’s hyped comeback, with respected American trainer Hector Bermudez warning: “He quit once and he’s going to quit again”.
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In a stunning spray delivered inside Tszyu’s own Sydney gym, the New Yorker responsible for training several world champions not only took aim at Tszyu for retiring on his stool last start against Sebastian Fundora, but warned the Australian’s new team had picked the wrong comeback opponent in his fighter — undefeated puncher Anthony Velazquez.
Bermudez also stressed Tszyu should never have parted ways with his longtime head coach, and uncle, Igor Goloubev — and questioned if the former champion’s highly-publicised move Stateside to work with Pedro Diaz was simply creating inbuilt excuses in case of defeat.
As part of the shock verbal attack, Bermudez also admitted to having bet big on Tszyu in his most recent loss against Fundora, which he accused him of quitting in, before then also taking the big stick to even Diaz himself — branding him a coach who has continually been “hired and fired”.
All of which capped an entertaining Friday morning that also saw members of both camps exchanging in some verbal tongue fu as the two fighters faced off for the first time in Sydney.
At one point, the exchanges even involved Tszyu’s chef Omar Iferd trading barbs with Velazquez, his younger brother and experienced coach.
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As first revealed by Fox Sports Australia last week, Tszyu’s own new Cuban coach won’t be arriving in Sydney until 48 hours before his upcoming bout, due to cornering WBC cruiserweight challenger Noel Mikaelijan this weekend.
Which, unsurprisingly, Bermudez also slammed.
Well known in the States for having trained five world champions, Bermudez jetted into Sydney early Friday with the undefeated prospect now looking to rise up and join them.
After twice having flights out of Los Angeles delayed, Team Velazquez were forced to head straight from Sydney airport to a scheduled media session at Tszyu’s gym inside Rockdale PCYC – and the trainer didn’t hold back.
Asked for his prediction during what would eventually be a spray lasting over 10 minutes, the coach said of Tszyu: “He’s either going to quit or he gets knocked out by the sixth round”.
Quizzed soon after about the Aussie being a shot fighter, Bermudez didn’t disagree and referenced both his most recent Fundora loss, and also getting iced by Bakhram Murtazaliev.
“Tim is not the same fighter that he was,” the coach said.
“The human body taking that punishment, being knocked out, deciding that he’d had enough, quitting, that’s not going to be the same fighter.
“Tim Tszyu is ready to retire … and we’re gunna help him out.”
And as for your thoughts on his most recent world title loss against Fundora, when Tszyu retired on his stool?
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“Man, he quit,” the coach fired.
“I’d actually bet on him to win.
“Because of how well he was dominating [in the first fight] before he got cut.
“And that was a bad mistake, they should’ve stopped the fight and called it a draw. So I had that in mind.
“But when he fought him again, you know, I don’t know what happened but it wasn’t the same Tim.
“He’s not the same fighter.
“And I don’t know if you guys are fans of his but he’s not the same fighter as when he started out.”
Bet big on him last start?
“I did,” Bermudez grinned, “so I was a little disappointed. I’m going to win it back now though.”
Early on in proceedings, Bermudez also questioned Tszyu’s highly publicised decision to change coaches, which has involved spending the past six weeks with Diaz – a trainer of more than 20 world champions – in Miami, Florida.
“Switching trainers right now is a detriment to his career,” he warned. “There’s no way you can develop chemistry that quickly with someone.
“Somebody’s style is built up through their career.
“So to switch things up now and think you’re going to get any type of benefit from it, it’s a huge mistake.”
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Thoughts on Diaz?
“Pedro Diaz is a really, really good amateur coach,” Bermudez said.
But professionally?
“No,” the coach deadpanned. “He always gets hired and fired.
“That’s his career.
“Yes, he has the knowledge.
“But anybody he puts his hands on, making their careers … no.
“He’s an amateur coach.
“And listen, I don’t know who [Tszyu] had before, but they were doing a great job.
“The only thing that needed switching was the cutman.”
In fact, Team Velazquez insist Tszyu’s switch will actually work in their favour.
“Because if he needed fundamentally sound coaching, he could go to an amateur coach,” Bermudez continued. “But you don’t do it now.
“You just don’t.
“Because it could hurt him.
“Think about him getting tossed something new and thinking about that when bombs are being thrown at him, it’s not going to mesh.
“To be totally honest I think Tszyu has a good [new] management team, but I don’t know why they went all the way to Florida to pick Pedro Diaz.
“I don’t even know how good he speaks English. Don’t know how well Tim understands him.
“There are variables there that shouldn’t be there.”
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Later of the decision to go with Diaz, he said: “Switching coaches can be a good tactic to avoid accountability. So I don’t know what’s going on there, with them hyping him up.”
Bermudez said he could also think of double-figure better choices for the Sydneysider.
“I could think of 10 coaches that would suit Tim’s style better than learning three punch combinations every time,” he said.
“Think about his style, right. Does he ever go backwards?
“No, he comes forward.
“And what ethnicity does that put you in mind of? Mexicans.
“So Robert Garcia would’ve been right.
“Any Mexican coach on the west coast of America, not Florida.”
Would you have taken him on?
“Probably not,” Bermudez conceded.
“The only reason why I would’ve taken him is that he has a good management team.
“But no, I’m still upset that I lost that money.”
And as for Diaz not arriving until a day before the fight?
“He should be here with him, right?” he shrugged.
Although the American quickly added it still wouldn’t have given Tszyu what he really needs.
“Oh, no, no, no, that chemistry is built with time,” he stressed. “You don’t just build it in eight weeks.
“Any time I get someone, you have to first take a step backwards to go forward.
“Takes about a year, a couple of fights, to mesh that chemistry.
“Whatever success Tim has [next week] is not going to be because of his trainer.
“His trainer could hurt him more than help him I think.”
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Bermudez also suggested Team Tszyu had picked the wrong opponent in his fighter, who has won 15 of 19 by knockout.
“When you’re trying to rebuild a fighter, you don’t pick a puncher,” he said. “This kid got dynamite in both hands.
“He’s in shape, has come to fight and can punch with both hands.
“And we know once Tim feels something, it’s going to remind him of quitting, of being knocked out.”
When asked his own thoughts, the quietly-spoken Velazquez simply suggested he “100 per cent” backed everything said by his coach.
But as for his own thoughts about Tszyu specifically?
“I think he got his name off his dad,” he said. “His dad has a big name, but I’m here to beat Tim.
“I came here to win.”
Asked about all the talk around Tszyu’s new team, he added: “I don’t care what they’ve got going on.
“I’m just worried about what I’m going to do.
“This fight finishes with my hand up, I’m here to win.”
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