TURKI Alalshikh has shown interest in collaborating with Bakhram Murtazaliev even prior to the unbeaten IBF junior middleweight champion’s impressive victory over Tim Tszyu on Saturday night.
The chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority and Murtazaliev share deep religious roots as devout Muslims. Notably, Murtazaliev holds a prominent title in the same 154-pound division as Terence Crawford, a fighter Alalshikh has notably supported since venturing into the boxing industry a year ago.
Following Murtazaliev’s remarkable four-knockdown performance against Tszyu, Alalshikh’s admiration for Murtazaliev grew significantly. This was particularly relevant as Alalshikh had engaged in a very public dispute with Tszyu earlier this summer. However, unless Alalshikh secures a Murtazaliev-Crawford bout, it is likely that the 26-year-old Murtazaliev will continue his partnership with Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions (PBC).
With an impressive record of 23 wins (17 by knockout), Murtazaliev is not contractually tied to Tom Brown, PBC’s primary promoter. Although his last five fights have been staged under the PBC umbrella, Murtazaliev and his team appreciate the support they have received from Brown and PBC since he became the IBF’s mandatory challenger for its 154-pound belt nearly five years ago.
PBC has previously compensated Murtazaliev and promoter Main Events with four six-figure packages to allow former IBF champion Jermell Charlo to participate in title unification bouts against Jeison Rosario and Brian Castano (twice), as well as a high-profile matchup with Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez. During this period, Murtazaliev fought four times against opponents who were considered modest, but this arrangement earned both him and Main Events over $1.5 million.
Murtazaliev’s headline victory over Tszyu served as the main event for PBC’s inaugural non-pay-per-view show on Amazon’s Prime Video, held in Orlando, Florida.
Kathy Duva, CEO of Main Events, stated, “PBC has a slew of good opponents for him to fight. Working with them has been a pleasure, and we would be happy to continue this collaboration. However, if a major fight opportunity arises in the Middle East, we will consider that as well. A fight with Crawford would certainly give us pause, but if not, we’re likely to remain with PBC.”
Erickson Lubin (26-2, 18 KOs), a long-time partner of PBC, is currently the top contender for Murtazaliev’s IBF belt. Lubin turned down the chance to fight Murtazaliev this past Saturday due to recovering from a hand injury.
Tszyu, ranked fourth at 24-2 (17 KOs), accepted the title shot against Murtazaliev. This opportunity came six months after his 12-round split-decision loss to Sebastian Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KOs) on March 30 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Tszyu had suffered a deep cut on his head, which significantly influenced the outcome of that bout.
In stark contrast, Murtazaliev’s victory against Tszyu was decisive. He knocked Tszyu down three times in the second round and once more in the third, leading to Tszyu’s trainer, Igor Goloubev, throwing in the towel to end the fight. Notably, Tszyu was a 7-1 favorite against Murtazaliev, who managed to defend his title successfully for the first time.
Looking ahead, the winner of the upcoming bout between Fundora (who holds the WBC and WBO belts) and former IBF/WBA/WBC welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. (28-1, 22 KOs) early in 2025 may also provide an attractive matchup for Murtazaliev next year. Additionally, Murtazaliev might contemplate a clash with Charlo (35-2-1, 19 KOs) in pursuit of a title unification fight if other opportunities don’t materialize.
Murtazaliev’s future in the boxing world seems promising, with various potential fights on the horizon.
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