American superstar Errol Spence Jnr has thrown a huge twist into Sunday week’s Australian blockbuster against Tim Tszyu, demanding yet another weight change for what is being billed as the nation’s biggest ever fight card.
Speaking with Fox Sports Australia on Wednesday morning, Tszyu’s coach Jeff Fenech revealed the hyped July 26 showdown will now take place at the middleweight limit of 160 pounds (72.6kg).
Tszyu v Spence Jr. | Sunday July 26 from 11am AEST | Tim Tszyu takes on the biggest name in his career so far – future hall-of-famer Errol Spence Jr, in a can’t miss event for boxing fans around the world. | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.
A spokesperson for No Limit has also since confirmed the change.
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 – especially given he hasn’t yet arrived in Australia.
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.
It was during a chat about said catchweight on Wednesday where Fenech revealed Spence was now demanding the fight take place at middleweight, saying: “They’re wanting to go up two pounds, want the fight at 160.
“But 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.”
Errol Spence and Tim TszyuSource: FOX SPORTS
Think Spence is battling to get down after three years out of the sport?
“Who knows?” the four-time world champion shrugged. “But by July 26 we’re hoping Spence will be battling to get up.”
As a result of the change, Tszyu will be fighting at his heaviest in nine years.
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.
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’s career.
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’s greatest middleweights.
“Is he big enough to be a middleweight?” the former champ said earlier this year. “Looking at him, I’m not sure … it’s tricky”.
In fact, Malignaggi said Tszyu’s younger brother Nikita would be more likely to thrive a weight higher.
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.
Yet complications arose late over the issue of weight.
Understandably, Tszyu and his team had always wanted – and expected – the bout take place at super welterweight, which is 154 pounds (69.9kg).
Before signing off however, Team Spence insisted the fight be jumped up to the middleweight limit of 160 pounds (72.57kg).
As a result, Rose held an emergency meeting with executives from Spence’s promotional team, PBC, and eventually settled on a catchweight of 158 pounds (71.67kg).
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.
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.
READ MORE:
‘You wanna spar?’: Spence offers to throw down with Tszyu in tense TV moment
US superstar’s blunt admission on Aussie legend… before unloading on Tszyu
Yet now, the weight has changed again.
While Tszyu could still conceivably make the super welterweight limit – especially if, say, a world title fight were offered — he has most recently taken on undefeated internationals Anthony Velazquez and Denis Nurja at catchweights – hitting the scales for both at 71.3kg and 70.8kg respectively.
Yet despite winning both fights comfortably, questions were raised about the Australian’s inability to finish either opponent.
Since winning the WBO world title, Tszyu has also since been stopped twice super welterweight, albeit against the elite duo that is Sebastian Fundora and Bakhram Murtazaliev.
However, those results have posed questions about how he might handle the power of Spence at middleweight.
While the American superstar rose to fame in the welterweight division, his push to now fight two divisions higher is understood to be centred around that sole loss of his storied career – a brutal 2023 beating by Terence Crawford.
“Daddy’s shadow” Spence fires at Tszyu | 10:36
There have long been suggestions in the aftermath to his Crawford fight that Spence’s poor performance came off the back of being severely drained making the limit one more time.
His team were also quoted in the fallout stating that any rematch would have to be a division higher.
Add to that his three years out of the ring, and it becomes increasingly apparent that ‘The Truth’ feels he will have an advantage over Tszyu at middleweight.