Australian super welterweight contender Tim Tszyu seems to have already made up his mind on who’s the best in his division, and WBC & WBO champion Sebastian Fundora appears to not have made his list. With the 154 lbs division currently regarded as one of the most prevalent divisions given the level of talent available, the upcoming year of 2025 might herald in a new undisputed champion since Jermell Charlo conquered all the belts in a commendable stoppage win over Brian Castano in 2022.
There are currently three champions in the super welterweight (154 lbs) division including WBC & WBO champion Sebastian Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KO’s), WBA champion Terence Crawford (41-0, 31 KO’s) and IBF champion Bakhram Murtazaliev (22-0, 16 KO’s).
Tim Tszyu (24-1, 17 KO’s) is currently set to fight Murtazaliev for his IBF title this upcoming weekend on October 19, which might position Tszyu as a world champion again following his March 30 loss to Fundora, but according to Tszyu, the best fighter at 154 lbs is not Fundora whose grip over two world titles would have normally made him considered to be the “apex predator” in the division.
“The 154-pound division is red hot right now, man,” Tszyu told BoxingScene during a recent interview. “There are names flooding around everywhere. Belts are stacked from everywhere, so it’s good to be in this division right now.
“Right now, 154 is very hot so I’ll stay here. At the moment, Fundora has the belts now but, no, I don’t think he’s the best.”
Tim Tszyu did not reveal who he believed to be the best, but barring himself there would be several candidates who could be bestowed with that distinction.
Terence Crawford would certainly fit the bill given his position as a pound-for-pound fighter, though his recent victory over Israil Madrimov (10-1-1, 7 KO’s) has not been well-received en masse given Madrimov had only been barely known prior to his fight with Madrimov. The competitive nature of their fight, which had been widely tipped in Crawford’s favor, more so impacted Crawford negatively given the likes of Canelo Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KO’s) indicated Crawford had done poorly against the lesser-known Madrimov―though Alvarez did not substantiate on how exactly this was the case.
Since the match, Madrimov seems to have only risen in esteem following his defeat to Crawford, with him currently occupying the #2 spot on The Ring’s 154 lbs rankings, and #3 ― behind the #1-rated Crawford and #2 Vergil Ortiz Jr. (22-0, 21 KO’s) ― on BoxRec. Despite his lack of professional experience compared to other fighters and recent defeat, Madrimov is an Olympic gold medalist that has proven his talent to potentially reign the entire division based on his performance against Crawford.
Madrimov is currently set to engage Ukrainian champion Serhii Bohachuk (24-2, 23 KO’s) on the Usyk-Fury II undercard, and their upcoming battle might just identify the winner as the guy to take over the super welterweight division in the near future given both fighters are considered elite fighters in their weight category.
As such, a Madrimov victory in the bout might also result in Crawford’s own prior victory over Madrimov being better regarded, setting up the possibility of the two eventually meeting in the ring for the second time to truly determine the best. In that scenario, presuming Madrimov would come to be in possession of his world title, this could virtually transpire in an undisputed fight depending on Crawford’s own trajectory within the division.
Another potential candidate to be considered the best at 154 lbs is Vergil Ortiz Jr., who despite never having attained a world title has been included in the conversation of being the best in the division in both the welterweight (147 lbs) and super welterweight division.
Ortiz Jr. is coming off a close-knit win over Bohachuk who knocked him down several times during their August 10 fight, but despite having shown plenty of vulnerabilities against Bohachuk, he might just be the best fighter in the division depending on who he fights. Currently in possession of the WBC interim 154 lbs title, Ortiz Jr. currently has the credentials to be considered one of the best―if not the best―contender in the division, and given the right opportunities, he might distinguish himself as the best fighter at super welterweight soon.
However, this will depend on whether he actually fights an opponent of the same or more significance as Bohachuk. Thus far, WBC interim champions have a spotty history when it comes to actual opportunities to face the WBC world champions of their respective divisions, and with current WBC & WBO champion Fundora currently embroiled in an upcoming voluntary title defense, Ortiz will need time on his side to prove himself the best.
Finally, there’s Tim Tszyu himself. Tszyu was unfortunate to suffer a gruesome injury to his forehead during his March 30 fight against Fundora, which heavily impeded his vision and prevented him from being at full strength to net a victory. Nonetheless, even in his handicapped state on March 30, Tim Tszyu managed to eke out a close split-decision loss to Fundora and is now perfectly situated to become the IBF champion if he beats Murtazaliev. Prior to his loss, Tszyu carved out an excellent reputation as the WBO champion by soundly beating the likes of Brian Mendoza (22-4, 16 KO’s) to verify his status as one of the best fighters at 154 lbs.
It is still uncertain who would constitute as the best fighter at 154 lbs, but that appears to be a status set to be rectified soon depending on whether the right fights are made. Only the undisputed status appears to be the perfect indicator to point out who is the best, and as such, 2025 is expected to potentially identify who truly is the best in the division.
