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Top Trainers Discuss Thurman vs Tszyu & ‘Rolly’ vs Cruz

Originally posted on Fights Around The World
By Abraham Gonzalez | Last updated 3/13/24

As we move closer to March 30, headlined by Keith Thurman vs. Tim Tszyu at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV, Premier Boxing Champions hosted a virtual roundtable with two well-respected trainers. Calvin Ford and Kevin Cunningham were brought to the livestream to assess the main event and the co-main, which features Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero facing Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz.

See what these top trainers had to say about the two fights headlining the event.

CALVIN FORD, Trainer of Five-Time World Champion Gervonta Davis

“I think Thurman moving up in weight could benefit him. He knows that Tim is coming to get him, and that makes it a chess match.

“If I was training Keith I’d focus on conditioning and putting a lot of bodies in front of him. He knows what he needs to do to win the fight, it’s just that lay off that he needs to overcome.

“Thurman isn’t a showcase fight for anyone. You can see that he’s confident from his interviews. It’s just about him performing on that night. We’ve gotta see how he can handle the pressure. Legacies and careers are on the line.

“I think that Rolly against Pitbull fight can go either way. They’re both trying to show the hard work they’ve put in since they’ve lost. They’re only gonna be as good as their training camps allow them to be on fight night. Who can endure the other guy’s power and land the cleanest shot is what’s gonna determine the fight.

“I think Thurman needs to test that power of Tszyu. You have to see if he can really hit. I don’t think Tszyu has faced a mover like Thurman.

“Rolly has to work on things to keep Pitbull off of him, while Pitbull can just go in there and be himself. I’m going with Pitbull because I think the style of the fight suits him best.”

KEVIN CUNNINGHAM, Trainer of Top Super Welterweight Contender Erickson Lubin

“Thurman against Tszyu is an interesting matchup because you have a veteran who’s been less active against a young hungry champion. Tszyu is strong and poised. Each fight I watch, he gets better and better from a technical standpoint. It’s a tough fight, but if Keith Thurman has the legs, he can run Tszyu into a power shot. I think it could be a hard fight for Thurman.

“I’d prepare Thurman to use his strengths, which are the lateral movement and his legs. He boxes well with good power. So we’d be boxing and keep Tszyu in the center of the ring. You know Tszyu will be aggressive, so I’d try to use his aggression against him. I really think he has the power to hurt Tim Tszyu.

“If I were training Tim Tszyu I’d be applying pressure and try to break down Thurman to the body. Thurman is moving up in weight and has had trouble with body shots in the past, so we’d definitely test that bread basket.

“There’s gonna be opportunities for Rolly to catch Pitbull coming in. He needs to use his reach, range and footwork. He can definitely have success if he does. We all know that Pitbull is coming straight at you. We’ll see if that’s the right recipe to defeat Rolly. He’s gonna be in Rolly’s wheelhouse all night long, but Pitbull might be able to stream roll him.

“I think Pitbull is gonna overwhelm Rolly and win by decision or late stoppage. Rolly has to catch Pitbull with something earlier on in the fight.”

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ABOUT THURMAN VS. TSZYU & ROLLY VS. PITBULL

The stacked inaugural four-fight PBC Pay-Per-View available on Prime Video is topped by two-time world champion Keith “One Time” Thurman dueling rising star and reigning world champion Tim Tszyu in the main event plus 140-pound world champion Rolando “Rolly” Romero and Mexican star Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz meeting in the co-main event on Saturday, March 30 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The pay-per-view will also see Cuban star and reigning WBA Middleweight World Champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara defend his belt against No. 1 rated mandatory challenger Michael Zerafa, plus all-action super welterweight sensation Sebastian “The Towering Inferno” Fundora will meet fast-charging contender Serhii Bohachuk for the vacant WBC Super Welterweight World Championship in the pay-per-view opener.

The card marks the debut event for PBC Pay-Per-View available through Prime Video 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 will also be able to continue to access the telecast through traditional cable and satellite outlets.

For more information visit www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow #ThurmanTszyu and #RollyPitbull, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotions, on Instagram @PremierBoxing and @TGBPromotionss or become a fan on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions

This article first appeared on Fights Around The World and was syndicated with permission.

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