It’s not great news for Tim Tszyu or Aussie fight fans, with former world champ Brian Norman Jr. reckoning the man in Tszyu’s path is already firing on all cylinders.
Norman, who has been training alongside Errol Spence Jr., says the former unified welterweight king is “sharp” and “on point” as he gears up for his long-awaited return against Australia’s pay-per-view king.
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And that’s not what many expected.
At 36, coming off a brutal loss to Terence Crawford, multiple car accidents and nearly three years out of the ring, Spence has been tipped by many to be a diminished version of the man who once dominated the division.
But according to Norman, “The Truth” hasn’t gone anywhere.
“The boy is on point – the boy is sharp,” Norman told the Last Stand Podcast.
“We went on a run together, five miles, halfway through we started talking.
“To me boxing is 90 per cent mental and he was telling me where his head is at…
“Whoever he is fighting next is in trouble.”
Now working with top trainer Ronnie Shields – who has guided legends including Pernell Whitaker, Vernon Forrest and Evander Holyfield – Norman says Spence isn’t easing his way back into the sport.
He’s the one pushing the pace.
“When he came into the gym, his main thing was to outwork everyone,” Norman said.
“He’s 36, he took three years off, he’s supposed to be the older guy, the older cat. With the car wreck and everything that happened to him, he’s supposed to be off his game.
“But no, he’s still pushing the pace. Not just pushing it, but looking sharp while doing it.
“That break he had… He needed it. Now he’s got a bigger reason to do everything.”
Many pundits believe “The Phoenix” holds the edge heading in, having stayed active with recent fights against Denis Nurja and Anthony Velazquez.
Tszyu himself has even taken a cheeky swipe at Spence, joking the American “looks fat” and might need a tune-up before they throw down.
Norman says it won’t matter.
“Like I said, it’s all about where your head is at and how your mentality is,” he said.
“I feel like Spence has been here plenty of times before, and we all know he should have been moved up in weight class anyway.
Errol Spence and Tim TszyuSource: FOX SPORTS
“I feel like everything Spence has done has been a benefit.”
And how does he see the blockbuster showdown unfolding?
“I think it’s going to be a great fight,” he said.
“But I feel like the program that we’ve got going on over here will be entirely too much for Tim.”
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Meanwhile, American trainer Lionel “Lonnie B” Thompson has revealed he would prefer not to see Spence Jr. take on Tszyu in his comeback fight.
“Tim Tszyu is a lot to bite off for a first fight coming off his destruction to Terrence Crawford,” he told FightHype.
“If I had to pick, I’d lean more towards Tim Tszyu…
“Me, I don’t want to see Spence fight again. It’s emotional for me because I’m a fighter. I would rather Spence go out with that right there [the Crawford fight] and remember him for being great in his time…
“I don’t want to see him lose to Tim Tszyu or even get stopped by Tim Tszyu.”
When asked whether he could see that outcome unfolding, Thompson didn’t rule it out.
“Going off his last fight, seeing him getting hit and not taking shots well, I could see it happening.
“Not as detrimental as Crawford did, but I could see maybe something like that happening.”
Spence’s longtime former trainer Derrick James was also quizzed on the matchup.
While he didn’t go into too much detail, James said he still hopes his former fighter goes well – but made it clear he’ll need to be smart about it.
“Tim Tszyu is a very tough fighter,” he told FightHype.
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“And you’ve got to be able to use your feet and box him, because if not he’s going to try and bang you out.
“So you’ve got to be prepared for that.”