LAST NIGHT, Tim Tszyu looked like his old self, putting back-to-back losses firmly behind him with a commanding fourth-round victory over Joseph Spencer. The former WBO super-welterweight champion returned to Australia, specifically the Newcastle Entertainment Centre in Broadmeadow, Newcastle – affectionately dubbed “Tszyu-castle” during fight week.
The last time Tszyu came home after fighting in America, he arrived with a points win over Terrell Gausha, marking a successful Stateside debut in Minneapolis three years ago. This time, the circumstances were starkly different.
Two defeats – first to Sebastian Fundora and then a brutal three-round thumping from IBF champion Bakhram Murtazaliev – had raised serious questions for the 30-year-old. A loss to someone of Spencer’s calibre and relative inexperience could have derailed any hopes of challenging the world’s best at 154 pounds. For Tszyu’s supporters, however, this fight offered no cause for concern.
After a tentative opening round from both fighters, Tszyu seemed to realise he had little to fear. In the second, he closed the distance with intent, though without landing many decisive shots. Spencer, sensing danger, tried to fire back with a significant blow to halt Tszyu’s advance but was countered sharply, drawing the first roar from the partisan crowd. Spencer’s attempted body shots landed, but Tszyu responded with authority, signaling that cameos wouldn’t suffice on a night tailor-made for the Australian to reassert himself.
Switching to a southpaw stance late in the second, Spencer appeared to be grasping at straws – a tactical shift perhaps born of desperation rather than strategy. By the end of the round, a slight graze marked his right temple. During the break, he and his trainer (and father) Jason Spencer exchanged tense words, with eight rounds still looming ahead.
Spencer’s career began on a promising note, debuting on a card headlined by Danny Garcia and Brandon Rios, alongside talents like David Benavidez and Yordenis Ugas. The 25-year-old Michigan native has featured on several high-profile shows, but his step-up against the menacing Jesus Ramos – a current world title contender – ended in a seventh-round defeat.
Against another elite 154-pounder in Tszyu, Spencer began to look out of his depth as the third round unfolded. He wasn’t throwing enough, likely aware that opening up would expose him to Tszyu’s thudding power, which has delivered 18 stoppages in 25 wins.
Tszyu unleashed a two-handed assault as Spencer closed in again, landing an uppercut followed by a whipping left hook. He began dictating Spencer’s movement, pushing him toward the ropes. Back in the center, a three-punch flurry showed Tszyu had rediscovered his mojo. Spencer’s lone reply, a right behind the ear, lacked conviction.
The fourth began with Spencer briefly flashing his hand speed, landing a screwshot. But why had it taken nine minutes to show his potential? The spark jolted Tszyu into action, momentarily revealing the recklessness that cost him against Murtazaliev. Tszyu’s trademark hooks soon took over, delighting the crowd and recalling the form he’d shown before his messy loss to Fundora ended his world title reign.
Spencer’s own left hook landed feebly, prompting Tszyu to deliver a masterclass in execution – two cracking hooks and a right hand that echoed like a slap. A soul-shaking uppercut followed, then a damaging body shot that left Spencer wincing in visible pain.
What came next was an onslaught of over 20 shots. Not all connected, but those that did more than compensated. Trapped in “Tszyu-castle,” Spencer faced a nightmare as Tszyu dished out a sustained beating. The underdog threw back out of necessity, with referee Chris Condon closely watching the increasingly beleaguered fighter.
More scything hooks and uppercuts made it a matter of “when,” not “if,” Tszyu would prevail. Spencer’s head rocked side to side under the barrage. At 2:18 of the fourth, Jason Spencer had seen enough and threw in the towel. A split second later, as Spencer turned away, Tszyu landed one final shot for good measure.
Sporting a damaged right eye, Spencer will have learned a harsh lesson: much more is required to crack the upper ranks at 154 pounds. For now, that level seems distant. Tszyu, meanwhile, returned with a flourish, doing exactly what was expected of him.
The disasters of 2024 are now in the rearview mirror, lessons absorbed. If he can sustain this form – and shore up his defensive vulnerabilities – another world title is well within reach. To claim it, though, he may need to return to America, leaving behind home comforts to banish the demons of last year once and for all.
