Australia’s newest crossover king Nelson Asofa-Solomona has made an ominous statement in Wollongong before a punch has been thrown.
‘Big Nasty’ has arrived for his showdown at Wollongong Entertainment Centre Entertainment with Jarrod Wallace wearing a balaclava.
The six-foot-six former Melbourne Storm enforcer, who weighed in at 134.46kg for this bout, looked like an executioner as he entered the arena.
Minutes later, Wallace could be seen entering the building, cutting a much more relaxed figure.
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.
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At the press conference for the fight on Thursday, Wallace fired the first serious shots by sledging Big Nasty about his departure from the Storm.
“He’s big, but there’s plenty of flaws. (Melbourne Storm coach) Craig Bellamy saw them,” he said.
“That’s why they sacked him.”
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In response, Asofa-Solomona offered a simple “no-comment” but admitted on Main Event later he was somewhat-stunned by the attack from his rival.
The sledging continued at the weigh-in, when NAS made fun of Wallace’s weight.
Wallace claimed that those extra kegs were needed – pointing out how he is almost 10kg heavier than when stopped in their first bout, an exhibition, in 2023.
As revealed by Fox Sports Australia, a win for NAS today will likely set up a showdown with former Souths star George Burgess on Nikita Tszyu’s upcoming headliner against exciting, young Spaniard Oscar Diaz – with early May the expected date.
GOODMAN’S FIERY INCIDENT
It’s been a fiery build-up between Sam Goodman and Rodrigo Ruiz ahead of their super bantamweight bout — and it just ramped up a notch.
Prior to the fight, Ruiz’s camp took issue with Goodman’s wraps, specifically claiming the Aussie started his preparation early.
According to Ben Damon, what followed was a “pretty fiery” confrontation between the two camps.
“Did a little bit, I don’t know why they are sending members of their team in early if we aren’t meant to wrap up,” Goodman said.
“They sent a member of their team in as usual, we started wrapping up and they are saying we (did) it early.
“They are just trying to cause drama, they sent in some w****r who I punched the piss out of his son a bunch of times in sparring so they are probably just dirty on that.
“It is what it is.”
Goodman revealed the bad blood could stem from a sparring session several years ago, when a fighter was paid for eight rounds and pulled out after four.
Even when the Aussie offered to not punch for the remaining rounds.
Bold world title prediction as Tszyu makes big $15m US call
Tim Tszyu is ready to show the world exactly why he will upset Errol Spence Jnr in a $15 million blockbuster, stressing new Cuban coach Pedro Diaz has him far more prepared now than when the pair were first slated to throw down in 2024.
The declaration comes as American boxing great Paulie Malignaggi has also suggested 2026 could prove a huge year for both Tszyu boys, declaring both Tim and Nikita capable of world title reigns.
Almost two years to the day since Tszyu lost his first shot at Spence – dropping a bloody war with Sebastian Fundora – Australia’s longtime pay-per-view king is suddenly within one win of the US superstar again.
Should ‘The Phoenix’ win his Easter Sunday headliner against undefeated Albanian Denis Nurja, he then goes straight into a huge Spence showdown, with suggestions No Limit will look to bring the American Down Under in July or August.
Should that happen, Sydney would be the most likely host, however there have also been suggestions Spence would prefer the bout in either Las Vegas or his own hometown of Dallas, Texas.
All of which comes as Malignaggi has declared Tszyu capable of working his way back to a second title run, while also declaring younger brother Nikita’s style capable of putting him up among the most exciting fighters in the sport.
Currently in Australia to work the Easter Sunday card for Main Event, Malignaggi added ‘The Butcher’ is also built for a run at middleweight glory, branding the undefeated Sydneysider “like a heavy piece of iron”.
Speaking about Tim Tszyu meanwhile, Malignaggi stressed the fighter was right to take a warm up before Spence, and suggested it could prove the difference when they eventually throw down.
And as for the former WBO super welterweight champ winning gold again?
“Tim is definitely world class,” Malignaggi said, “and can definitely become world champion again”.
Meanwhile, Tszyu has told Fox Sports Australia that he is far more ready for Spence now, thanks to his work with Diaz, who has trained over 20 world champions, and as many Olympic medallists, than he would’ve been the first time around two years ago.
“Oh definitely,” Tszyu said when quizzed on his readiness for the man he was initially slated to fight had he beat Thurman.
“A lot has happened with me since we were first supposed to fight.
“I’ve learned a lot over that time. Changed a lot.
“There has been a lot of growth and I’m in a far more comfortable position now, both stylistically and mentally.”
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Tszyu added the KO loss to Bakhram Murtazaliev had been a turning point.
“Obviously the fight itself, I wasn’t happy with it,” he said. “Had to adjust some things.
“And there was a period of time after that fight where I enjoyed a lot of growth.
“For me, the biggest change came after switching camps. Having always done things a certain way, and now changing it up … that’s where the biggest change has come from.”
Certainly the next few months shape as a huge time for the Tszyu boys.
As revealed by Fox Sports Australia on Wednesday, Nikita is also returning to the ring in early May against exciting, young Spaniard Oscar Diaz – which doubles as his first showdown against a top 15 international rival.
It’s a fight that excites Malignaggi.
“Because from what I’ve seen with Nikita, he has an Arturo Gatti-esque mindset,” he said.
“It’s balls to the wall, get up off the canvas, you knock him down he’s going to come back raging.
“And, yeah, he’s still a little lacklustre defensively, just like Gatti, but he also makes up for that with tenacity and power.
“And when you’ve got a guy like Arturo Gatti, you’ve got to match him a little carefully. But Gatti also won world titles.
“And if Nikita Tszyu is able to win a world championship I think he can be one of the more exciting fighters in the sport.”
Soon after, Malignaggi continued: “When I worked Nikita’s fight in January, I put my hands on him and went ‘whoah, I don’t wanna get hit by this kid’.
“Sometimes, you just put your hands on someone and can feel the strength.
“That’s what I got from Nikita.
“Again, it was ‘whoah’.
“Because it feels like the kid is made or iron, but in an old school way.
“He hasn’t got that new body builder look where they’re shredded.
“No, he’s just a piece of heavy iron.
“And when he swings at you he hurts you.”
So can he reach greater heights than Tim?
“It’s hard to say,” the Main Event analyst continued. “As far as who is better? I don’t know.
“They’ve both got different styles, different mindsets in the ring.
“It’s funny because while they’re brothers, they both have a very different approach inside the ring.
“Obviously Tim has already shown he’s world class. And I do think Nikita can be world class, too.
“I think a lot of it will come down to what the (super welterweight) division looks like when Nikita reaches that world class level.”