Jeff Fenech has declared his Tim Tszyu boycott over – albeit with a key dressing room caveat.
It comes as the Hall of Famer has also questioned why Team Tszyu would already agree to terms over a $15 million bout with Errol Spence Jnr, likening it to mistakes made in the fighter’s past.
Tszyu vs Nurja | Sunday 5 April from 11am AEST | Tim Tszyu looks to continue his boxing resurgence as he takes on Albanian Denis Nurja. | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.
Speaking with Fox Sports Australia this week, Fenech has also opened up on the “long conversation” he’s has had with ‘The Phoenix’ as he readies for Sunday’s headliner against an undefeated Denis Nurja.
Elsewhere, the Australian fight great also offered a polite “no comment” when asked about Tszyu’s new Cuban coach Pedro Diaz, stressing he wants only positivity around a fighter “who when properly prepared can beat anyone”.
Over the weekend, it was confirmed Tszyu’s promoters No Limit have already agreed to terms on a huge bout with US superstar Spence.
Yet in a bid to get himself ready for the challenge, Australia’s longtime pay-per-view king has chosen to first roll the dice with a ‘warm up’ bout against Nurja, a world ranked Albanian who is undefeated in 20 appearances.
And in a further fight week twist, Fenech has also now confirmed himself in possession of tickets for the Wollongong Entertainment Centre card — which also includes the likes of Sam Goodman, Callum Peters, and new Australian crossover sensation, Nelson Asofa-Solomona.
Speaking recently, Tszyu stressed he wants Fenech to be ringside on fight night.
It follows the Aussie boxing great’s shock decision back in December to boycott Tszyu’s first fight under a new team including Diaz – a man who has been involved with 20 world champions and as many Olympic medallists.
Tim Tszyu pictured with Jeff Fenech at Jeff’s home in Five Dock in September last year. Picture: Rohan KellySource: The Daily Telegraph
At the time, Fenech said the decision was due not only to how Tszyu was being trained, but after also having been given “zero input” into the preparations – and despite having initially been touted as a team consultant.
Yet when asked this week about attending Tszyu’s Easter Sunday bout, Fenech replied: “Yes, I’ve got tickets … and I’ll more than likely be there”.
The four-time world champ quickly added, however, that he was not looking to be part of the corner, and wouldn’t enter Tszyu’s dressing room before the fight.
While plenty of Australian fight fans have urged for Fenech to become more hands on with Tszyu, the 61-year-old said his attendance on Sunday will be as a friend.
“I won’t go in the rooms, no,” he stressed. “I don’t want to give the wrong vibes.
“I’m Tim’s friend.
“And with the right preparation I think he can beat anyone.
“What I’ve said about his trainer, that’s my opinion.
“You know what I’ve said, and you’ve also seen the pair of them working together.
“But as Tim’s friend, I don’t want any negativity around this fight.
“And I really do think the guy [Diaz] is doing everything he can to make Tim Tszyu better.
“And I really hope he can – that’s my message.”
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Fenech said his only real concern was the decision by Team Tszyu to have already agreed to terms on a Spence fight in either July or August – with Las Vegas the clubhouse leader to play host.
While Tszyu is a $1.13 favourite with bookies for Sunday’s showdown – and Nurja wound out to almost seven bucks – Fenech warned that nothing good ever comes from talking about what’s coming with a win not yet earned.
Fenech added that while not putting Nurja in the same league as Murtazaliev, he would still be ensuring Tszyu look no further than the Wollongong bout, and has told the fighter as much this week.
“I’ve already had a long talk to Tim,” Fenech said.
“And why I’ve said to him, ‘let’s just get this job done’.
“Because right now, there isn’t anything that’s next for him.
“If Tim doesn’t win, there is no Errol Spence.
“And that’s why I wouldn’t be talking about Errol Spence, why I wouldn’t be signing contracts or making agreements, nothing.
“You say, of course a $15 million fight sounds great.
“But that’s not my focus right now.
“My message is, just let him win this f***ing fight.”
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While he may be a betting longshot, Albania’s Nurja is still on an unbeaten run of 20 straight wins.
The 32-year-old also arrives Down Under having already fought in six different countries as a professional, and is also ranked at No.12 with the WBA.
“Which is why it’s so important Tim stays focused on the right things,” Fenech stressed.
“Because while a fighter can tell you they’re focused, it becomes really difficult with so many outside rumblings.
“And I don’t care who you are, when you’re hearing different things, when you’re being asked to sign off on different things … it can all be problematic.
“I can still remember back to before Tim’s fight with Bakhram Murtazaliev in Florida, when he and Keith Thurman run into each other prior to the weigh-ins and started talking about making a fight.
“To let Tim be there arguing with Thurman, it was f***ing stupid.
“You could see [on fight night] too, that Tim hadn’t been told what to be careful of with Murtazaliev.
“His team thought he was going to kill that guy.
“Murtazaliev wasn’t given respect.
“The people around Tim said he was invincible, didn’t give him the right preparation.
“Nobody told him, ‘you make mistakes against this guy, you suffer’.
“And he suffered.
“Which is why there’s only one person Tim needs to be focused on, and that’s the guy he’s fighting this Sunday.”