Tszyu returns against Spencer in Australia homecoming fight
Former junior middleweight titlist looks to shake off back-to-back losses
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Former WBO junior middleweight titleholder Tim Tszyu will look to get his career back on track when he squares off with Joey Spencer in a return to his home country of Australia following back-to-back losses in the United States, No Limit Boxing announced on Monday.
Tszyu and Spencer will meet in the afternoon of April 6 in the main event of a pay-per-view card on Main Event and Kayo Sports in Australia at Newcastle Entertainment Centre in Newcastle, Australia. The fight will top a PBC on Prime Video non-PPV event in the United States, where it will be prime time on April 5.
Tszyu last fought in Australia in October 2023 and won a unanimous decision over Brian Mendoza in his first title defense after being elevated from interim titleholder status.
But it has been downhill since for Tszyu in a rough 2024 in which he lost his title to Sebastian Fundora by split decision in a gory bloodbath last March and then got run over in a one-sided third-round knockout loss challenging IBF titleholder Bakhram Murtazaliev in October.
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“This is my redemption tour,” Tszyu said. “I’m coming back stronger, hungrier, and ready to prove a point. There’s no easing back in, no tune-up fights; just straight into the fire with a very, very good fighter in Joey Spencer. He’s a real fighter, a dangerous opponent, and exactly the kind of challenge I crave.
“Fighting back home in Australia, and especially in Newcastle, makes this one even more special. It’s been too long, and I can’t wait to step into that ring, feel the energy of a home crowd again and bring it for my fans.”
Last March, Tszyu was due to defend the WBO title against former unified welterweight titlist Keith Thurman on pay-per-view in the first PBC event of its deal with Prime Video. But when Thurman suffered a torn biceps 12 days before the fight, Tszyu accepted Fundora, who was on the undercard, as a late replacement.
They put on a tremendous battle at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, but it was a grizzly one. Tszyu badly broke Fundora’s nose in the second round and it bled profusely but that was nothing compared to what happened later in the round when Tszyu ducked to avoid a punch and drove his head directly into Fundora’s left elbow. The impact opened a horrific and deep cut on the top of Tszyu’s head and he bled profusely for the rest of the fight.
Fundora would go on to win a split decision to take Tszyu’s WBO 154-pound title and win the vacant WBC crown.
Tszyu returned to challenge Murtazaliev seven months later in Orlando, Florida, in the main event of PBC’s first non-pay-per-view event on Prime Video and suffered a shockingly one-sided KO loss to Murtazaliev, who dropped him four times — three times in the second round and once in the third — en route to a punishing knockout.
Now Tszyu (24-2, 17 KOs), 29, who is the son of Hall of Fame former undisputed junior welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu, returns to the ring against Spencer (19-1, 11 KOs), 24, of Fenton, Michigan, who is a distinct step down in opposition compared to Tszyu’s recent opponents.
“Tim Tszyu does not take easy fights. He could’ve taken a softer option, but that’s not who he is,” No Limit Boxing promoter George Rose said. “He wanted the toughest challenge available, and that’s exactly what Joey Spencer brings to the table. Spencer is a two-time PBC prospect of the year, he has devastating power, and he’s looking to make a massive statement in a division stacked with names like (Terence) Crawford and Fundora.
“It's an all-risk fight for Tim, but that’s the only way he operates. If you think this is going to be a walk in the park, think again. Joey Spencer is coming to rip everything away from Tim.”
Spencer was a tremendously hyped PBC prospect before Jesus Ramos knocked him out in the seventh round in March 2023, but he has won three fights in a row since, albeit against lesser opposition. The fight with Tszyu will be by far the most significant of his seven-year pro career.
“I’ve watched Tszyu for a long time — his style, his mentality,” Spencer said. “The guy’s a real warrior. He’s the kind of fighter who doesn’t back down. He takes on all comers, no excuses, just gets in there and fights.
“You look at what he’s done — switching opponents, taking risks. He’s built for this. That’s the type of fighter I respect. But I’m coming to take him out. I’m not here to just share the ring with him. I’m coming to win. Period.”
As reported by Fight Freaks Unite last month, should Tszyu defeat Spencer and should Thurman (30-1, 22 KOs), 36, of Clearwater, Florida, who is ending a nearly three-year layoff caused primarily by injuries, defeat Australia’s Brock Jarvis (22-1, 20 KOs), 27, on March 12 at Hordern Pavilion in Sydney, Australia, they have already agreed to fight each other next in a fight pegged for this summer to headline a non-PPV in the U.S.
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I agree
Complete and total mismatch, I reckon it will build Tim’s confidence a bit but other than that it’ll be a glorified sparring session…Joey is not now nor will he ever be at the level of a top 20 fighter. 🥊🥊🥊