A fired up Tim Tszyu has slammed Errol Spence’s decision to spar with his old opponent Brian Mendoza ahead of their July 26 blockbuster.
Tszyu has also lashed ‘The Truth’ for using the fight as an excuse to come to Australia for a holiday.
Spence hasn’t fought since a one-sided 2023 defeat to Terence Crawford, and isn’t taking a warm-up fight ahead of the multimillion dollar showdown.
Instead, he has drafted in Mendoza as one of his main sparring partners.
Tszyu dominated ‘La Bala’ in October 2023, scoring an impressive unanimous decision victory on the Gold Coast, and was shocked to see Spence sparring him.
“That’s bad. I’ll be honest, that’s bad, bro,” Tszyu told Code Sports. “Me and him are two completely different styles.
“I wouldn’t be sparring Mendoza to fight me, that’s for sure.
“It’s giving him fake confidence. I sparred Mendoza as well when he was in Las Vegas.
“It’s nothing. He won’t do anything.
“He’s gonna be in a state of shock when it comes to fight night if he’s been sparring Mendoza, that’s for sure.”
Tszyu isn’t concerned that a former opponent and one-time sparring partner is now helping his rival.
It just plays into the Australia vs America rivalry.
“It’s the US, they’re all with each other, it’s fine,” Tszyu said. “It’s just them against us.
“That’s all it is.”
The super-confident Spence backs the level of preparation Mendoza will give him as he prepares for his first fight under new coach Ronnie Shields.
“Brian Mendoza is a good fighter and a very good sparring partner,” Spence said. “I’m feeling good, training hard and super focused.
“I’m leaving no stone unturned.
“I love Ronnie’s style, I love how he implements the gameplan.
“It’s been night and day to different fights I’ve had.”
Spence is bringing his family to Sydney, and plans on sticking around for a holiday after beating Tszyu and sending his career into a tailspin.
“I’m kinda sad we’re coming in the winter time when it’s chilly,” he said. “We might stay a few days afterwards (for a holiday).”
Tszyu slammed Spence’s mindset, saying he isn’t taking the bout seriously.
“He’s cocky,” he said. “He thinks I’m a walk in the park.
“He thinks I’m easy. He thinks I’m trash. Those are his words.
“But he’s not taking it seriously.
“He might be going to training and all that, but I can tell he’s not taking it seriously.
“He’s planning his holidays, and I’m ready to give him a reality check.
“It doesn’t matter how much money you’ve made in your career, and it doesn’t matter what you’ve gone through.
“It’s that 36 minutes of that time that you live in the moment that all the reality of your training comes out.
“There’s no hiding then.”
Tim Tszyu vs Errol Spence Supercard – July 26
Tim Tszyu vs Errol Spence
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