Tszyu vs Diaz | Wednesday 6 May from 7pm AEST | Nikita Tszyu continues his rise in boxing as he takes on Spain\u2019s undefeated Oscar Diaz. | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.<\/a><\/p>\n And that\u2019s not what many expected.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n But according to Norman, \u201cThe Truth\u201d hasn\u2019t gone anywhere.<\/p>\n \u201cThe boy is on point \u2013 the boy is sharp,\u201d Norman told the Last Stand Podcast<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe went on a run together, five miles, halfway through we started talking.<\/p>\n \u201cTo me boxing is 90 per cent mental and he was telling me where his head is at\u2026<\/p>\n \u201cWhoever he is fighting next is in trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n Now working with top trainer Ronnie Shields \u2013 who has guided legends including Pernell Whitaker, Vernon Forrest and Evander Holyfield \u2013 Norman says Spence isn\u2019t easing his way back into the sport.<\/p>\n He\u2019s the one pushing the pace.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen he came into the gym, his main thing was to outwork everyone,\u201d Norman said.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s 36, he took three years off, he\u2019s supposed to be the older guy, the older cat. With the car wreck and everything that happened to him, he\u2019s supposed to be off his game.<\/p>\n \u201cBut no, he\u2019s still pushing the pace. Not just pushing it, but looking sharp while doing it.<\/p>\n \u201cThat break he had\u2026 He needed it. Now he\u2019s got a bigger reason to do everything.\u201d<\/p>\n Many pundits believe \u201cThe Phoenix\u201d holds the edge heading in, having stayed active with recent fights against Denis Nurja and Anthony Velazquez.<\/p>\n Tszyu himself has even taken a cheeky swipe at Spence, joking the American \u201clooks fat\u201d and might need a tune-up before they throw down.<\/p>\n Norman says it won\u2019t matter.<\/p>\n \u201cLike I said, it\u2019s all about where your head is at and how your mentality is,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like Spence has been here plenty of times before, and we all know he should have been moved up in weight class anyway.<\/p>\n Errol Spence and Tim TszyuSource: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like everything Spence has done has been a benefit.\u201d<\/p>\n And how does he see the blockbuster showdown unfolding?<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s going to be a great fight,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cBut I feel like the program that we\u2019ve got going on over here will be entirely too much for Tim.\u201d<\/p>\n READ MORE<\/p>\n \u2018HE\u2019S DANGEROUS\u2019: Meet the US gun picked to fight Aussie next big thing and why it\u2019s raised eyebrows<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018SOMETHING HE HAD TO DO\u2019: Kostya sacrifice Nikita isn\u2019t willing to make as world title plot revealed<\/a><\/p>\n Meanwhile, American trainer Lionel \u201cLonnie B\u201d Thompson has revealed he would prefer not to see Spence Jr. take on Tszyu in his comeback fight.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/poster-fallback.png\"\/)
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