Tim Tszyu made it back-to-back wins after dominating Denis Nurja for a shutout unanimous decision on Saturday at the WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong, Australia.
With the victory, Tszyu sets up a mega-fight against former unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. in the summer.
Advertisement
“Me and Errol Spence is going to be one hell of a fight,” Tszyu (27-3, 19 KOs) said Saturday night. “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.”
Spence has not fought in the almost three years since he lost to Terence Crawford in their historic July 2023 bout for the undisputed welterweight championship. Spence was linked with a showdown against Sebastian Fundora for much of 2024, but the bout failed to materialize.
Reports out of Australia suggest that a bout between Spence and Tszyu is already agreed upon, with a date and location still to be finalized.
Advertisement
It’s currently unclear how the cut suffered by Tszyu on Saturday could affect the timeline of the fight, which was tentatively scheduled for July or August. Although the damage occurred on Tszyu’s cheek rather than near his eye, the cut was deep.
The cut spurred Tszyu on in Round 4. The Australian — who is the son of the legendary Kostya Tszyu —had more urgency after suffering facial damage, and it led to a knockdown just seconds later. Tszyu rocked Nurja (20-1, 9 KOs) with a left hook and sent him to the canvas after two more rights connected.
Tszyu continued to hammer with heavy shots, but Nurja managed to weather the storm and see the bell. Tszyu dominated the fifth and sixth sessions, hurting the Albanian to the body and having plenty of success with his uppercut. Nurja was rocked in the final 20 seconds of the sixth stanza, courtesy of a crushing right from Tszyu.
Advertisement
In Round 7, however, the pace started to slow, and it appeared as if Tszyu had taken his foot off the gas. The final few rounds appeared more like a sparring session than a fight. Tszyu — aware that Nurja no longer posed a viable threat — seemed content with going through the rounds, working on his game and taking in valuable ring time before a big fight later in 2026.
Tim Tszyu was in total control against Denis Nurja on Saturday night.
(Jeremy Ng via Getty Images)
Tszyu did hurt Nurja one final time in the contest. In the closing 10 seconds of the bout, Tszyu dislodged the Albanian’s mouthpiece with a heavy right hand, which sealed a shutout victory for the Aussie, who is now two fights clear of his stoppage loss to Fundora for the WBC super welterweight title in July.
All roads now lead to Tszyu vs. Spence in the summer.
Advertisement
Check out complete Tszyu vs. Nurja results and highlights below, as well as Uncrowned’s play-by-play of the entire main card.
Fight card
Middleweight: Tim Tszyu def. Denis Nurja via unanimous decision (100-88, 100-88, 100-88)
Super bantamweight: Sam Goodman def. Rodrigo Fabian Ruiz via unanimous decision (115-113, 116-112, 118-110)
Heavyweight: Nelson Asofa-Solomona def. Jarrod Wallace via third-round TKO | Watch video
Middleweight: Callum Peters def. Delio Anzaqeci Mouzinho via second-round TKO | Watch video
Light heavyweight: Paulo Aokuso def. Kittipong Jian Hao Ho via first-round TKO | Watch video
Live coverage is over44 updates
Sat, April 4, 2026 at 9:41 PM PDT
Darshan Desai
Tim Tszyu dominates Denis Nurja to win every round on the scorecards (100-88 x3).
A fight between Tszyu and Errol Spence Jr. in the summer could be next.
Sat, April 4, 2026 at 9:39 PM PDT
Darshan Desai
Uppercut breaks the guard from Nurja in the opening minute, followed by a right. His best work in several rounds. Nurja has come out strong in this final round. He landed again with the uppercut. Now, Tszyu will walk him down. Body shot. An uppercut scores for Tszyu this time. Heading into the final minute. Nurja is backed up by a combination. Tszyu lands a short uppercut on the inside — and another. Tsyzu ROCKS Nurja with a right hand. Nurja’s mouthpiece has been dislodged.
10-9 Tszyu, 100-88 Tszyu
Sat, April 4, 2026 at 9:35 PM PDT
Darshan Desai
Into the penultimate frame of a very one-sided fight. It appears as if Tszyu could force a stoppage if he wanted, but is happy to just go through the rounds.
Tszyu hurts Nurja with a right early. Tszyu connects to the body. He finds success with the jab just before the two-minute mark. Tszyu is trying lots of different moves, almost as if he’s practicing things. A right backs up Nurja. Left uppercut breaks the guard, followed by another power shot.
10-9 Tszyu, 90-79 Tszyu
Sat, April 4, 2026 at 9:27 PM PDT
Darshan Desai
Tszyu opens the seventh with a one-two. Uppercut through the middle. Tszyu shoe shines at close quarters. Nice right uppercut on the inside for Tszyu. A right hand sends Nurja onto the ropes. This contest is becoming more one-sided by the round, as a combination breaks the guard again.
Nurja loses a point for holding.
10-9 Tszyu (-1 Nurja), 70-61 Tszyu
Sat, April 4, 2026 at 9:22 PM PDT
Darshan Desai
The pair exchange rights in the opening 30 seconds. Tszyu lands hard to the body. Tszyu is starting to open up. Nurja looks disoriented. Tszyu throws a combination of uppercuts. Another barrage of shots from the Aussie. This is a beatdown. Two body shots land now. One-two down the middle. A left hook forces Nurja to hold. And now a body punch. Nurja’s corner might want to look at pulling their man out because Tszyu is hurting Nurja every time he lands and Nurja cannot win this fight. HUGE right and Nurja is rocked. 17 seconds to go. Tszyu goes for the finish but the bell will save Nurja.
10-9 Tszyu, 60-53 Tszyu
Sat, April 4, 2026 at 9:18 PM PDT
Nurja opens Round 5 with a combination. Tszyu looks for a left hook again — similar to the one that scored a knockdown. Body shot connects for Tszyu. Another hook rips the midsection. Nurja is hurt to the body early in the second minute. Nurja seeks refuge on the ropes. Terrific uppercut from Tszyu. Into the final minute. Tszyu lands again to the body. Nurja walks into a counter right-hand. One-two lands. Body shot follows. Dominant frame for Tszyu. And a combination ends it.
10-9 Tszyu, 50-44 Tszyu
Sat, April 4, 2026 at 9:14 PM PDT
A clash of heads in the first minute of Round 4 caused a cut underneath Tszyu’s eye. It’s a bad cut. It won’t be too troublesome for Tszyu tonight, but it isn’t a good sign for his planned bout against Errol Spence Jr. in the summer.
Tszyu may now look to force a stoppage. Immediately, he starts to force Nurja onto the ring ropes. Big left hook from Tszyu. Two more right hands go in as Nurja is crumbling down. Knockdown scored for Tszyu with a minute left to go in Round 4. Tszyu is looking for a finish. Big shots are winging in from the Aussie. Huge uppercut. A left hook lands. More power shots are pouring in. Tszyu continues to hammer in big punches. Nurja is hurt again by a hook. Two more uppercuts force Nurja to hold until the bell.
10-8 Tszyu, 40-35 Tszyu
Sat, April 4, 2026 at 9:08 PM PDT
Darshan Desai
Nurja opens Round 3 with a right-hand downstairs. Tszyu breaks the guard with a right and follows up with a combination. Nice counter right scores. Nurja comes back, but so does Tszyu. A one-two drives Nurja backward. The same combination seconds later breaks the guard. Body shot goes in. He will chop down with the right. Nurja lands on the inside, but now Tszyu makes him eat some power shots. Final minute coming up — and it’s the one-two down the middle again from Tszyu. Body shot finds the target. Nurja is game, though, and keeps firing back.
10-9 Tszyu, 30-27 Tszyu
Sat, April 4, 2026 at 9:03 PM PDT
Darshan Desai
Nurja knocks back Tszyu’s head with a jab to open Round 2. Tszyu fires at the torso with a right. Tszyu begins to back the Albanian up and increase the pressure. Uppercut-body shot combination with the left hand from the Aussie. A pair of rights partially connect. Nurja is off balance as Tsyzu finds a home for a left hook and a right. Tszyu forces Nurja onto the ring ropes. He lands a one-two down the middle. Uppercut lifts up the chin. Three-piece now. Nurja eats a short right.
10-9 Tszyu, 20-18 Tszyu
Sat, April 4, 2026 at 8:58 PM PDT
Darshan Desai
Tszyu and Nurja exchange jabs early in this one. They are feeling each other out in the first minute.
Tszyu now adds the right behind his jab and then stabs at the body. Nurja connects with a left hook. Back to the body with the jab goes Tszyu.
One-two lands for Tszyu in the final minute. Tszyu connects again with the right. He stabs the body again. The jab from Tszyu knocks back the head of the Albanian.
10-9 Tszyu
Sat, April 4, 2026 at 8:52 PM PDT
Darshan Desai
We are ready for tonight’s main event bout!
Sat, April 4, 2026 at 8:44 PM PDT
Darshan Desai
Tim Tszyu faces Denis Nurja in the middleweight main event.
Tszyu (26-3, 18 KOs), the former WBO super welterweight champion, fought three times in 2025, defeating Joseph Spencer and Anthony Velazquez but losing to Fundora in a rematch in between those wins.
Nurja (20-0, 9 KOs) enters the bout unbeaten but is unheralded. The Albanian, now based in Italy, looks to pull off a major upset in his first appearance outside of Europe.
WOLLONGONG, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 04: Denis Nurja faces off against Tim Tszyu during the offical weigh in at WIN Entertainment Centre on April 04, 2026 in Wollongong, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
(Mark Metcalfe via Getty Images)Sat, April 4, 2026 at 8:34 PM PDT
Darshan Desai
Sam Goodman defeats Rodrigo Ruiz by unanimous decision (115-113, 116-112, 118-110) in their IBF title eliminator.
WOLLONGONG, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 04: Sam Goodman stands on the scales during the offical weigh in at WIN Entertainment Centre on April 04, 2026 in Wollongong, Australia. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
(Mark Metcalfe via Getty Images)Sat, April 4, 2026 at 8:32 PM PDT
Darshan Desai
Ruiz misses with a couple of power shots in the first minute. Goodman is using his fleet footwork to make Ruiz fall short. Body shot for Goodman. Goodman is content with just seeing this round out and getting a decision because he is not keen to engage in these final three minutes. Ruiz, purely off activity, may have nicked the twelfth frame.
10-9 Ruiz, 117-111 Goodman
Sat, April 4, 2026 at 8:28 PM PDT
Darshan Desai
Two rounds to go. A short left hook from Goodman to open the frame. Goodman is forcing Ruiz backward in a slow-paced opening minute. Nice right from the Aussie. Body shot hammered in by Goodman. Another one finds a home, followed by the hook upstairs. Brilliant body shot from Goodman in the final minute. Ruiz looks to be badly hurt downstairs. Good work on the inside from Goodman. The Australian crowd cheers him on as he looks to force a stoppage.
10-9 Goodman, 108-101 Goodman
Sat, April 4, 2026 at 8:24 PM PDT
Darshan Desai
Round 9 was another good one for Goodman. The Aussie has separated himself from Ruiz in the last few rounds.
Three to go. Left hook gets through for Ruiz, and he chops down with a right. Another right looked to land. Goodman knocks back the head with a right. A short left uppercut has Ruiz ROCKED! The Australian crowd is rallying behind Goodman to force a stoppage.
An uppercut connects again. Goodman is backing Ruiz up and overwhelming him physically. A lot of punches are landing on the inside.
10-9 Goodman, 98-92 Goodman
Sat, April 4, 2026 at 8:16 PM PDT
Darshan Desai
Goodman begins the eighth frame behind his left hand jab. Nice left-hand liver shot. And a right hand. Ruiz returns fire to the body. Clean right scores for Goodman. Ruiz is missing or landing on the guard with a lot of his attacks, while Goodman is keeping it simple behind the jab and connecting. Three-punch combination to end the eighth.
10-9 Goodman, 78-74 Goodman
Sat, April 4, 2026 at 8:11 PM PDT
Darshan Desai
A pair of rights connect for Goodman. Goodman attempts to follow up downstairs. Ruiz lets a combination go. Goodman is marching forward, trying to back the Argentine up. Body shot lands for the Australian. Back comes Ruiz. Ruiz lands a left hand. Body shots fired from Goodman on the inside.
10-9 Goodman, 68-65 Goodman
Sat, April 4, 2026 at 8:07 PM PDT
Darshan Desai
Right-hand connects for Goodman to open Round 6. Ruiz eats another right. The Aussie follows up downstairs and then finds a left hook to the chin. More good work from Goodman on the inside with the left hook.
A combination forces Ruiz backward. Now, a flurry from Ruiz on the inside. Nice left hook from Goodman in the final minute. Goodman returns to the body with the left hook. Ruiz seems to be affected by that work downstairs. Ruiz has some success with an uppercut.
10-9 Goodman, 58-56 Goodman
Sat, April 4, 2026 at 8:03 PM PDT
Darshan Desai
Nice right-hand connects for Goodman, and then a left hook around the guard. Ruiz threw at the same time, but without the accuracy or impact.
Four-punch combination lands for the Aussie. Ruiz fires to the body in response. The pair will trade at the halfway point in the center of the ring. Good bodywork from Goodman now.
A couple of left hooks from Ruiz to end the fifth frame.
10-9 Goodman, 48-47 Goodman