Tim Tszyu vs. Sebastian Fundora payouts: Australian set to make record money on short-notice fight that could lead to Terence Crawford showdown

The highly anticipated Tim Tszyu vs. Sebastian Fundora boxing match is set to go down this weekend and the Australian will reportedly earn the highest-ever sporting purse in national history.

Tszyu was initially meant to defend his WBO light middleweight title against Keith Thurman. However, the American was forced to withdraw from the fight due to a bicep injury that he suffered during training. Fundora stepped in on short notice to replace Thurman. He will now fight Tszyu for his title and the vacant WBC title.

According to reports, the Australian boxer's purse is expected to break records. Per Australian Associated Press (as reported by talkSPORT), Tszyu is set to make a whopping $10 million for accepting the short-notice opponent. This amount is considerably more than the existing record, held by golfer Cameron Smith who made $6.5 million for winning LIV Golf London in 2023.

With a win, Tszyu could potentially set himself up with a shot at Terence Crawford, widely considered the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, for another bumper $10 million purse. Crawford has exercised his right as WBO champion to be named mandatory challenger to the winner of Tszyu-Fundora.

While Fundora's payout is unknown, the Mexican pugilist can be expected to earn a hefty bounty for accepting the fight on short notice.

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Tim Tszyu plans to channel his inner "Mike Tyson" against Sebastian Fundora

Tim Tszyu recently opened up about his upcoming fight against Sebastian Fundora and outlined his plan to "do a Mike Tyson" on his opponent. The 29-year-old Australian is training and acclimating for his bout in Las Vegas.

During a recent conversation with Boxing Scene, Tszyu predicted a statement victory for himself and explained how he's inspired by prime Tyson's willingness to face anyone at any time. He said:

"I live by that – never retreat. I fear no one. I would go into any fight, it doesn’t matter – two weeks, 12 days, tall guy, whoever they put in front of me. I’ve just got to adapt, change and take over... Mike Tyson did a lot of things in his prime, so hopefully I can do a Mike Tyson on him."