Former world champion Sergio Mora has taken a brutal swipe at Tim Tszyu, branding him “damaged goods” – despite getting the job done over the weekend.
Australia’s longtime pay-per-view king returned to the ring on Easter Sunday, securing a dominant decision victory over previously unbeaten challenger Denis Nurja in Wollongong.
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With the win, Tszyu tees up a blockbuster mega-fight against former unified welterweight champ Errol Spence Jr. later this year.
“Me and Errol Spence is going to be one hell of a fight,” Tszyu said after the fight.
“It’s a banger. You know how I am? I don’t take a backward step. If he wants to meet me at the front, bring it on.
“You know what they say – catch the big fish. Let’s go fishing.”
Despite winning every round against Nurja and almost finishing him a couple of times during the bout – Mora believes the fight raised some big red flags.
“I didn’t like what I saw,” he told Chris Mannix on the Boxing Mannix and Mora podcast.
“I did not like one minute, one round of what I saw with Tim Tszyu…
“There was no snap in his punch. There was no spite in his punches.
“He was [previously] a spiteful puncher with that right hand. He had concise combinations whenever he had someone hurt.
“He had Nurja hurt a couple of times, he had him down. He couldn’t pull the trigger.
“He doesn’t have the umph behind the punch anymore because that’s what happens when you get knocked out, when you get beat up – you start to doubt your power, doubt yourself…
“Tim Tszyu is damaged goods and he’s this close to being a shot fighter.”
Tim Tszyu punches Denis Nurja during their WBO International super middleweight title bout.Source: Getty Images
The comments will sting the Sydneysider, who has built a reputation on his ability to finish fights, but has been recently developing other parts of his game with new Cuban coach Pedro Diaz.
Spence has been out of action since his brutal 2023 loss to Terence Crawford, but Mora still believes “The Truth” has enough left in the tank to finish the Aussie.
“Errol Spence beats Tim Tszyu,” Mora said.
“I believe Tim Tszyu is a sucker for southpaws. Of course everyone is a sucker when you’re dealing with Sebastian Fundora…
“But with Bakhram [Murtazaliev], he’s not a southpaw, but he was hurting Tszyu, and putting him down, with a southpaw combination.
“From the orthodox stance he would throw the 2 [right cross] and then the 1 [left jab] powerhand — that’s pretty much a 1-2 from the left-handed stance.
“Errol Spence would beat and knock out Tim Tszyu – even with three years of inactivity because he has defence.
“Tim Tszyu keeps his head in the line of fire.”
Tim Tszyu sports a cut during his fight against Denis Nurja.Source: Getty Images
HALL OF FAMER IMPRESSED WITH TSZYU
Meanwhile, Tszyu has received a vote of confidence from world-renowned boxing trainer Robert Garcia.
Garcia, who has coached over a dozen world champions, says he’s tipping “The Phoenix” to defeat Spence.
“Tim Tszyu performed well, went the distance, had good counterpunching,” said the Hall of Famer on the Boxing Scene Today podcast.
“I was happy with his performance … I think it was good to go the distance.”
Garcia says that there’s a big question mark over Spence, however.
“Errol Spence might not have anything left,” said Garcia.
“And that’s probably what I think – that he doesn’t have much left. And if I was forced to make a prediction right now, I think Errol Spence has nothing left and it’ll be Tim Tszyu [winning].”
Garcia went on to make the point that Spence might be choosing not to have tune-up fights because it’s too big a risk for him to spoil the lucrative showdown with Tszyu.
“He might get beat and expose that he’s done and nobody is going to want to see him anymore,” he said.
“He wants to wait for the huge payday and that’s it. Hopefully I’m wrong.”
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TSZYU MAKES BOLD SPENCE PREDICTION
It comes as Tszyu has been talking about exactly how he plans to handle Spence when the pair meet.
In an interview withThe Last Standpodcast, the Aussie says he will beat Spence in a way similar to how Fundora recently dispatched Keith Thurman.
“Look what happened with Thurman,” said Tszyu.
“Errol Spence is sort of in that [same] generation, and that’s what I want to do and expect to do against him.
“Let’s bring the new with the old now.”
US fight writers have also weighed in on the looming bout. Writing for Forbes, Brian Mazique said that Spence would be a major name for Tszyu to add to his scalps.
“Tszyu still has a lot to prove after tough losses to Fundora and Bakhram Murtazaliev. A win over Spence would add a big name to his conquered list,” Mazique wrote.
“Spence needs to get back in the swing of things. Beating Tszyu would suggest he is a legitimate threat at 154 pounds.
“With likely more than three years of ring rust to shake off, Spence will have a noteworthy test on his hands. But considering where both men are in their careers, this seems like a fight that makes sense.”