Bakhram Murtazaliev vs. Tim Tszyu purses: Comparing reported payouts of both boxers for previous outings
The Bakhram Murtazaliev vs. Tim Tszyu showdown marks the comeback of former champion Tszyu after his first pro boxing defeat. Tszyu fights Murtazaliev for the latter's IBF super welterweight title on Oct. 19, 2024. Today, we look at both boxers' previous payouts.
Murtazaliev boasts a professional boxing record of 22 victories and zero defeats, with 16 coming by way of KO/TKO. The Russian pugilist is fresh off an 11th-round KO win over Jack Culcay, capturing the vacant IBF super welterweight (junior middleweight/light middleweight) championship in April 2024.
Boxing journalist Dan Rafael reported that TGB Promotions' $500k purse bid was beaten by Agon Sports' $666,300 bid for the matchup. The latter bid saw a 50-50 purse split.
Ergo, the Grozny-born Murtazaliev was expected to bag a purse of $333,150 for the fight, as did Culcay. Nevertheless, the total payouts for each fighter respectively would've likely been higher, owing to bonuses, perks, etc. that fighters generally receive.
Tim Tszyu is the son of Russian-Australian boxing legend, Kostya Tszyu. Tim's brother, Nikita Tszyu, is also a boxer. Tim boasts a pro boxing record of 24 victories and one defeat, with 17 of his wins coming via KO/TKO.
Tszyu's last fight saw him put the WBO super welterweight championship at stake against Sebastian Fundora in March 2024. It also had the vacant WBC super welterweight championship up for grabs. He suffered a gruesome cut mid-fight, which many believe adversely affected his performance.
The closely-contested fight that went the distance ended with Fundora defeating Tszyu via split decision and bagging the WBO and WBC super welterweight belts, which he still possesses. Tszyu's reign as the WBO 154-pound champion ended, and he lost his undefeated status as well.
Prior to the Tszyu-Fundora matchup, NY Fights highlighted a report by the Australian Associated Press (AAP), stating that Tszyu was to bag a $10 million guaranteed payout for it. It was reportedly expected to be the biggest purse any Australian fighter had earned for a single fight. Moreover, per NY Fights, Fundora's estimated payout was to be $3 million. Any additional bonuses/perks were unclear.
Most of the aforementioned purses/payouts are estimated/reported figures and aren't officially confirmed. Based on the past payouts, the Bakhram Murtazaliev vs. Tim Tszyu fight is likely to see Tszyu receive the bigger share of the purse despite him being the challenger and Murtazaliev being the champion.
Tim Tszyu eyes return to the win column after missing out on potential money fight against Terence Crawford
Earlier this year, the belief was that Tim Tszyu could set up an even bigger payday against American boxing legend Terence Crawford. Per Fox Sports Australia in March 2024, Tszyu's manager Glen Jennings asserted that a possible Crawford-Tszyu showdown's value would be around 25 million USD (38 million AUD), with the Australian likely taking home at least 10 million USD.
Regardless, Tim Tszyu lost to Sebastian Fundora. Meanwhile, Terence Crawford defeated Israil Madrimov via unanimous decision to capture the WBA and interim WBO super welterweight titles in August 2024.
Speaking to Fox Sports Australia's Main Event TV, Tszyu recently reaffirmed that he's focused on his upcoming fight against Bakhram Murtazaliev. 'The Soul Taker' further confirmed that his father Kostya Tszyu and brother Nikita Tszyu will be in attendance for the high-stakes title clash.
Check out Tim Tszyu's comments below: