TIM TSZYU fired a message to one of his super-welterweight rivals following his emphatic victory over Joseph Spencer.
In front of an expectant, pro-Tszyu crowd at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre, the Aussie star returned to form with a fourth-round TKO win. It was a trademark performance from Tszyu – one his fans had grown accustomed to before his losses to Sebastian Fundora and Bakhram Murtazaliev derailed his momentum.
The 30-year-old admitted in his post-fight interview with Kayo PPV commentator Ben Damon that there was “a bit of pressure” heading into his 27th bout. Coming off consecutive defeats, Tszyu was determined to safeguard the family legacy – 50 wins on Australian soil without a loss.
“Fifty and 0, what else was there? I couldn’t take a third consecutive loss,” he said. “I hope I learned, I hope I taught people that if you drop to the floor and when shit hits the fan, you can always get back up and rise to the top.”
Reflecting on his defeat to Murtazaliev, Tszyu added, “I learned from my mistakes. You don’t go in like a hothead from the first round and abandon everything.” That hard-earned lesson now fuels his climb back to the summit.
The former WBO champion showed against Spencer that the scars of his disastrous 2024, mental or otherwise, were gone. With his sights set on becoming a two-time world champion at 154 pounds, Tszyu’s plans may soon end up with facing Keith “One Time” Thurman.
Originally slated to face the former unified welterweight champion in March 2024, Tszyu lost that opportunity when Thurman, moving up to super-welterweight, withdrew due to injury. Fundora stepped in, upsetting Tszyu and seizing both the WBO and vacant WBC titles.
Meanwhile, Thurman ended a three-year hiatus last month in Australia, stopping Brock Jarvis in the third round. Calling out Tszyu, who was guest commentating on the fight, Thurman declared his willingness to return Down Under to face the local hero.
“I just raised the bar on you, Tszyu,” Thurman said in his post-fight interview with Damon. “This is three years of inactivity, you see what I do. I’m looking forward to fighting anybody in the world of boxing. If that [Tszyu] contract manifests, you know what Keith Thurman do. Send the contract, I sign it, I’ll be happy to make the fight happen.”
Last night, Tszyu seized his own TV moment to hit back. “Sign the contract, big boy, sign the contract,” he said. “If the fans want it, we can bring a mega-show to Australia. You know who to contact, and we’ll do a big show here.”
The stage is set for a blockbuster showdown as Tszyu looks to reclaim his place among the elite.
