Al Haymon has seen plans to stage Thurman vs Tszyu as the first PBC and Amazon Prime Video PPV event have been ruined by injury.
The card will remain PPV despite calls for Haymon to release the show on a non-PPV basis.
Thurman vs Tszyu fight off
Keith Thurman withdrew from the contest due to a bicep injury, leaving Haymon, Premier Boxing Champions, and Amazon in a pickle.
Just twelve days out from the battle, which was being passed off as a genuine Pay Per View headliner, the top name of the card is out. This leaves Australian contender Tim Tszyu without a big-name opponent for what will be turned into a world title defense.
Tszyu currently holds the WBO super welterweight title. The belt was not due to be on the line against Thurman due to sanctioning issues. “One Time” Thurman wasn’t ranked, but ready replacement Sebastian Fundora will be allowed to challenge Tszyu for the crown.
Fundora was controversially due to face Serhii Bohachuck for the vacant WBC 154 belt having lost his last fight via knockout. ‘The Towering Inferno’ will switch to the WBO version instead.
Who Bohachuk faces for the vacant green and gold belt will now be decided in the coming days. That’s if the WBC bout even goes ahead on the March 30 bill.
There’s also the possibility that the WBC title may be added to the main event as a unification to bolster the significance of the fight.
Tszyu vs Fundora undercard
WBA Super Lightweight World Champion Rolando “Rolly” Romero and all-action Mexican star Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz remain the co-feature event for the card at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Romero will make the first defense of his world title while training out of Las Vegas. The battle comes after capturing the belt last May with a ninth-round TKO of Ismael Barroso. He’ll be opposed by the Mexico City native Cruz, who rides a three-fight winning streak into his 140-pound debut.
The PPV will also see Cuban star and reigning WBA Middleweight World Champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara defend his belt. He goes up against the number one rated mandatory challenger, Michael Zerafa. The Pay Per View opener, which was to be Bohachuk vs Fundora, will be clarified soon.
PPV
The card marks the debut event for PBC Pay-Per-View. Prime Video has made PBC available since the parties announced a landmark, multiyear rights agreement in December. In addition to the PPV being available for purchase on Prime Video, regardless of Prime membership, fans can continue to access the telecast through traditional cable and satellite outlets.
Tickets for the live event, which TGB Promotions promote, are available now through AXS.com. The main event is promoted in association with No Limit Boxing.
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