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A spokesperson for No Limit has also since confirmed the change.<\/p>\n
Given Spence has not fought in three years, there are suggestions the former welterweight king has grown increasingly concerned about getting down to the initially agreed catchweight limit of 158 pounds \u2013 especially given he hasn\u2019t yet arrived in Australia.<\/p>\n
The new weight will also be four pounds, or almost two kilos, heavier than what was initially discussed between the camps during preliminary talks late last year<\/a>.<\/p>\n It was during a chat about said catchweight on Wednesday where Fenech revealed Spence was now demanding the fight take place at middleweight, saying: \u201cThey\u2019re wanting to go up two pounds, want the fight at 160.<\/p>\n \u201cBut OK, Tim Tszyu is a big kid. I remember his father Kostya used to put up to 20 pounds back on after weighing in. And his son is the same.\u201d<\/p>\n Errol Spence and Tim TszyuSource: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n Think Spence is battling to get down after three years out of the sport?<\/p>\n \u201cWho knows?\u201d the four-time world champion shrugged. \u201cBut by July 26 we\u2019re hoping Spence will be battling to get up.\u201d <\/p>\n As a result of the change, Tszyu will be fighting at his heaviest in nine years.<\/p>\n In fact, he will be hitting the scales heavier than in all but three of his earliest fights as a professional, which took place way back in 2017.<\/p>\n The shock increase will undoubtedly become a huge, and intriguing, part of fight week discussions for what shapes as the biggest test of the Australian\u2019s career.<\/p>\n Already, American analyst Malignaggi has told Fox Sports Australia that while Tszyu is undeniably world class, he may not have the physicality required to compete against the world\u2019s greatest middleweights.<\/p>\n \u201cIs he big enough to be a middleweight?\u201d the former champ said earlier this year. \u201cLooking at him, I\u2019m not sure \u2026 it\u2019s tricky\u201d.<\/p>\n In fact, Malignaggi said Tszyu\u2019s younger brother Nikita would be more likely to thrive a weight higher.<\/p>\n As revealed by Fox Sports Australia back in May, both Tszyu and his promoter Matt Rose jetted into Las Vegas to finalise a bout that was then subsequently announced in an MGM Grand press conference.<\/p>\n Yet complications arose late over the issue of weight.<\/p>\n Understandably, Tszyu and his team had always wanted \u2013 and expected \u2013 the bout take place at super welterweight, which is 154 pounds (69.9kg).<\/p>\n Before signing off however, Team Spence insisted the fight be jumped up to the middleweight limit of 160 pounds (72.57kg).<\/p>\n As a result, Rose held an emergency meeting with executives from Spence\u2019s promotional team, PBC, and eventually settled on a catchweight of 158 pounds (71.67kg).<\/p>\n Given the importance of weight to any fight, the meeting initially went for over three hours without resolution, with the two parties then hooking up again by phone early this morning when, finally, a catchweight was agreed upon.<\/p>\n While the back-and-forth got heated at times, it is understood both parties remained respectful given both parties were so determined to make the fight happen.<\/p>\n READ MORE:<\/p>\n \u2018You wanna spar?\u2019: Spence offers to throw down with Tszyu in tense TV moment<\/a><\/p>\n