Tim Tszyu vs. Denis Nurja | Prime Video - April 5, 2026

[Ruthless-RKO]

Tim Tszyu returns April 5 against Albania's unbeaten Denis Nurja

Tim Tszyu will make his first appearance in Wollongong, headlining a No Limit card on April 5 as he seeks to build momentum with bigger fights in the offing.

Tszyu begins his 2026 against Albania's unbeaten hopeful Denis Nurja on April 5 at the WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong, Australia as a mooted summer bout with Errol Spence remains in the pipeline.

Tszyu, rated No. 7 by the WBC and No. 8 with the IBF at 154 pounds, is taking on the WBA's No. 12-ranked contender in a 157-pound catchweight clash.

Former IBF junior middleweight world champion Tszyu (26-3, 18 KOs) made his debut under Miami-based trainer Pedro Diaz with a comfortable but workmanlike 10-round points win over Anthony Velasquez on December 17.

After this, the 31-year-old doubled down on wanting to remain active after a difficult career spell saw him lose thrice in 17 months, contemplate his sporting future and question his abilities among world-class opposition.

Italy-based Nurja (20-0, 8 KOs) )has never been beyond six rounds in his eight-year career, and this opportunity marks only his third scheduled 10-round contest. Tszyu believes his agemate's resume can deceive detractors.

"He presents a challenge, big amateur pedigree, eight national titles, fought at the world championships at IBA level. He's been in there and mixed it with a lot of great fighters, so I'm motivated, inspired and focused," he told Fox Sports Australia.

"I am 20-0 for a reason and did not build that record by playing it safe. People are talking about Tim's comeback but I am the one standing in-front of him. I respect what he has done in the sport but believe this is my moment, I am coming to Australia to win," Nurja said in a press release.

During a livestream announcing the fight on their social platforms, No Limit Boxing CEO George Rose said fans will see an improved version of Tszyu as he grows more accustomed to life training away from home comforts in Miami.

"This is his second training camp with his new team, we'll see even more growth. We saw glimpses in the previous fight, you'll see even more now, all that time in Miami enjoying the life but really working hard while he's there, I think we'll see where he's headed to, as he heads down the path to becoming a world champion all over again."

In a press release, the 42-year-old repeated the old adage fight fans know too well.

"This is a massive statement for Australian boxing. Tim is one of the sport's biggest stars and there are massive opportunities ahead for him, but none of that happens if he doesn't get through Denis Nurja."

"Nurja is 20-0, ranked number 12 in the world and he's dangerous. Most fighters are looking for the easy way to their next fight, but that's never been Tim Tszyu. It's a massive risk, but that's why fight fans love him."

Elsewhere on the bill, one-time WBA featherweight world title challenger Sam Goodman (21-1, 8 KOs) faces a tricky test with an IBF junior featherweight title eliminator against Rodrigo Ruiz (23-1, 17 KOs) at his natural weight.

Former rugby league player Nelson Asofa-Solomona (1-0, 1 KO) is back once more after a first-round finish of Jeremy Latimore on the Nikita Tszyu-Michael Zerafa undercard, facing fellow ex-pro Jarrod Wallace.

Adelaide middleweight Callum Peters (5-0, 5 KOs) and Sydney lightweight Ahmad Reda (8-0, 6 KOs) are among those slated for action as their stock steadily grows, while Charlie Kazzi-Blair Geraghty pits unbeaten youngsters together at junior welterweight on a busy undercard.

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Tim Tszyu’s next foe named ahead of potential Errol Spence fight

Denis Nurja will not only stand across from Tim Tszyu – but he also will stand between Tszyu and a planned fight with Errol Spence.

Nurja was announced today for the second chapter of Tszyu’s latest comeback, according to Fox Sports Australia. They will headline on April 5 in Wollongong, New South Wales, about an hour south of Tszyu’s home in the Sydney suburb of Rockdale. The report also named a few undercard fighters, including former featherweight title challenger Sam Goodman.

Nurja, 20-0 (9 KOs), is a 31-year-old from Albania. He is ranked No. 12 at 154lbs by the WBA. Nurja won three times in 2025, all in his home country’s capital of Tirana, and all against low-level opposition. He outpointed a 4-4-4 foe over six rounds, took out the 13-3 Kiryl Samadurau in five rounds, and notched a six-round unanimous decision over the 8-4 Refik Tarhan. Most recently, Nurja needed just three minutes to dispatch the 17-13-1 Jose Gregorio Marcano in February of this year.

"I am 20-0 for a reason and I did not build that record by playing it safe," Nurja said in a press release. "This is the biggest opportunity of my career and I am ready for it. People are talking about Tim’s comeback, but I am the one standing in front of him. I respect what he has done in the sport, but I believe this is my moment. I am coming to Australia to win.”

Tszyu, 26-3 (18 KOs), is a 31-year-old former junior middleweight titleholder whose reign with the WBO belt ended in March 2024 via split decision in a bloody battle with Sebastian Fundora. Tszyu fought most of that match with a nasty gash on his scalp that sent heaps of crimson down his face.

There was no such excuse for Tszyu’s next bout, a three-round drubbing to then-IBF titleholder Bakhram Murtazaliev in October 2024. Tszyu started to rebuild with a fourth-round stoppage of Joey Spencer last April, then signed for a rematch with Fundora with the WBC belt on the line. Their sequel this past July was far less competitive; Tszyu remained on his stool after seven rounds.

In his last outing, Tszyu shut out the 18-0-1 Anthony Velazquez in December. Tszyu is currently ranked No. 7 at junior middleweight by the WBC and No. 8 by the IBF; he is also ranked No. 3 at middleweight by the WBO.

Spence, 28-1 (22 KOs), hasn’t fought since losing his three welterweight world titles to Terence Crawford, getting stopped in the ninth-round of their July 2023 match for the undisputed championship at 147lbs.

"There are some massive opportunities ahead, but none of that matters unless I get through this fight," Tszyu said in a press release. "My full focus is on Easter Sunday and the job in front of me. I want to get back to the top of the division and fight for world titles again, and this is the first step."

[Ruthless-RKO]

Tim Tszyu vs Denis Nurja set for April 5th in Wollongong

Tim Tszyu will face undefeated but unheralded Denis Nurja ahead of a planned showdown with Errol Spence Jr

Fox Sports Australia brings word that Tim Tszyu’s first fight of 2026 will pit him against unbeaten Albanian Denis Nurja on April 5th in Wollongong, Australia.

Tszyu (26-3, 18 KO), the former WBO super welterweight champion, is still recuperating from a disastrous 1-3 skid that saw him drop a competitive decision to Sebastian Fundora marred by a grievous cut, get blown out of the water by Bakhram Murtazaliev, and bow out after seven in a rematch with “Towering Inferno.” He rehabbed a bit last December with a clear decision over Anthony Velazquez and looks to be facing another rehab opponent here.

Tszyu make a lot of Nurja’s (20-0, 9 KO) amateur background in the article, but doesn’t have much of a body of work in the pro ranks. He’s never gone past six or faced anyone of note, largely sticking to gimme fights in his home country. He did have a 2023 fight with Placido Ramirez that got cut short when ““[f]ans entered the ring and hit Ramirez” and is somehow ranked no. 12 with the WBA, though, so there’s that at least.

Should Tszyu get past Nurja , he’s reportedly got a date with Errol Spence Jr later this year.

Per FSA, the card will also feature “top-ranked Sam Goodman, Olympian Callum Peters and former NRL star Nelson Asofa-Solomona.” You’ll recall Asofa-Solomona from his crushing uppercut knockout in his pro debut last month.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/boxing/bre ... 8a2abaff4e

[giacomino]

Nurja has built his record on terrible opposition. Tim ought to smoke him within five. Hopefully Spence is next

[gregregegg]

Nice lil home game getting some confidence back befor Spence… sounds good to me.

Hopfuly Spence stays inactive.

[gilgamesh]

Nice lil home game getting some confidence back befor Spence… sounds good to me.

Hopfuly Spence stays inactive.

Spence having been retired will 100% have done a cycle with PED's. I figure almost any fighter who "retires" for a year or 2 and then comes back did it for that reason.

[MPW]

Nurja has built his record on terrible opposition. Tim ought to smoke him within five. Hopefully Spence is next

Nurja's been successful against "limited" competition, which can make it difficult to determine his real skill level. Does he fight to the level of his competition and do enough to win or is that his actual level? However, given only 9 stoppage wins in 20 victories, I don't think the Albanian has the power to keep Tszyu off him for the duration of the bout. But that also begs the question, what kind of punch resistance does the Aussie have left?

[giacomino]

Nurja has built his record on terrible opposition. Tim ought to smoke him within five. Hopefully Spence is next

Nurja's been successful against "limited" competition, which can make it difficult to determine his real skill level. Does he fight to the level of his competition and do enough to win or is that his actual level? However, given only 9 stoppage wins in 20 victories, I don't think the Albanian has the power to keep Tszyu off him for the duration of the bout. But that also begs the question, what kind of punch resistance does the Aussie have left?

All true, you never know what somebody’s got until they fight somebody.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Tim Tszyu vs. Denis Nurja to stream on Amazon’s Prime Video

Boxing fans in the United States and some other countries will be able to watch Tim Tszyu’s next fight as it takes place live in Australia.

Tim Tszyu vs. Denis Nurja, which will be held in Wollongong, New South Wales, will stream on Amazon’s Prime Video, according to a press release. The show will start at 9 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, April 4, which will be 11 a.m. in Wollongong on Sunday, April 5.

For audiences in Australia, the card is a pay-per-view available on Kayo Sports and Main Event.

Tszyu, 26-3 (18 KOs), is a 31-year-old former junior middleweight titleholder whose reign ended in March 2024 via split decision in a bloody battle with Sebastian Fundora.

He’s gone 2-2 since then, getting pummeled for three rounds by then-IBF titleholder Bakhram Murtazaliev in October 2024; stopping Joey Spencer last April; remaining on his stool after seven rounds with Fundora this past July; and shutting out the 18-0-1 Anthony Velazquez in December.

Nurja, 20-0 (9 KOs), is a 31-year-old from Albania. In 2025, he outpointed a 4-4-4 foe over six rounds; took out the 13-3 Kiryl Samadurau in five rounds; and notched a six-round unanimous decision over the 8-4 Refik Tarhan. Most recently, Nurja needed just three minutes to dispatch the 17-13-1 Jose Gregorio Marcano in February of this year.

Tszyu vs. Nurja will be contested at a contractually agreed-upon weight limit of 157lbs. If Tszyu wins, he’s expected to move on toward a clash with former unified welterweight titleholder Errol Spence Jnr.

Also on this show, Sam Goodman, 21-1 (8 KOs), will face Rodrigo Fabian Ruiz, 23-1 (17 KOs), in an IBF junior featherweight title eliminator; and a battle of unbeaten middleweight prospects will feature Callum Peters, 5-0 (5 KOs), against Delio Anzaqeci Mouzinho, 4-0 (4 KOs).

[Ruthless-RKO]

They're catering for US fans

[Ruthless-RKO]

Tim Tszyu embraces new style under Pedro Diaz: ‘I believe in my skills’

Tim Tszyu traveled across the world for his latest camp, only to make the return home to Australia for his next start. But if what he says is true, it won’t be back where he started – and it will all have been worth it.

Tszyu was in Sydney on Wednesday for a media workout ahead of his April 5 bout against Denis Nurja at WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong, coming off eight weeks of work at Pedro Diaz’s Mundo Boxing gym in Miami. The apparent goal for fighter and coach: tear down the old Tszyu and build him back complete, leaving no stone unturned.

“This camp has been completely different because I’ve had to learn different things, different methods, game plans, technical stuff and tactical stuff,” said Tszyu, 26-3 (18 KOs). “Looking back on some of my old sparring, I was sometimes a sitting duck. I can see that now. I’ve seen the lessons, and it’s about improving and developing a new style. That’s why I took this fight. I believe in my skills, I know what I’m capable of and the world is in my hands, so I’m going to take it with both hands.”

The clear impetus behind the rebuild is Tszyu’s recent 1-3 streak, bookended by losses to Sebastian Fundora. The trouble began in March 2024, when an accidental elbow from Fundora unleashed a bloody torrent from Tszyu’s forehead in their junior middleweight unification, impeding Tszyu’s vision and complicating an already tricky fight against the angular 6ft 6ins slugger.

A fluke circumstance? It didn’t seem so when, nearly seven months later, Tszyu was stopped by Bakhram Murtazaliev in Orlando. After a get-right win over Joseph Spencer back home in Australia last July, Tszyu submitted to the ultimate test in a rematch with Fundora – and it couldn’t have gone more wrong. After he was dropped in the first round, Tszyu was progressively battered and, after the seventh, failed to answer the bell.

When Tszyu made the decision to change teams, the work with Diaz began.

“The boxing fundamentals,” Tszyu said. “It’s quite simple. It’s working the front hand, not trying to get hit, not trying to go for the scrap all the time, but also having that dog in you if you need it.

“I’ve shown, as they say, cojones all the time, and when it gets rough and dirty, I know when to bring it out. I know I’ve got that up my sleeve at all times. But do I need to expose it in Round 1 straight away? No, I don’t. It’s all about timing. When to expose the cojones, when to go deep and dirty. I’m still the same old Tim Tszyu, of course, but I feel like you need to keep learning.”

A 10-round decision win over Anthony Velasquez last December seemed a step in the right direction. Diaz was available for only a portion of that camp, but he and Tszyu had already begun making progress on unpacking the fighter’s new skills and style.

“[Velasquez] was a great fight for Tim,” Diaz said. “He was able to show new tools and prove that he is not just someone who goes into the ring to fight. He showed that he can box as well. He worked very well with his lead hand and he went 10 rounds at a very high level. Tactically, he showed the work we have been doing. He has grown a lot, and I think he still has exciting things to show the boxing world.”

Albania’s Nurja, 20-0 (9 KOs), is a step back up for Tsyzu – though still shy of the top tier at 154lbs. Rather than rushing back in, guns blazing – cojones fully exposed, so to speak – Tszyu is taking a more calculated, measured approach moving forward.

“I think he is doing a great job,” Diaz said. “I want to see the work from training come through in the fight, and for him to show the world that he still has a lot to offer in boxing. With good preparation, every opponent is dangerous. But we are confident in the work we have done.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Fight Week!!

[Ruthless-RKO]

Tim Tszyu considering potential future at 160lbs – after fighting Errol Spence

Tim Tszyu is open to a permanent move to middleweight after his fight on April 5 with Denis Nurja.

The Australian fights for the second time since the defeat at 154lbs by Sebastian Fundora that precipitated the overhaul of his team that is being led by his new trainer, the Cuban Pedro Diaz.

In their first fight together in December, Tszyu convincingly outpointed Anthony Velazquez at a catchweight of 157lbs, and Sunday’s contest with Albania’s Nurja – at the WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong, Australia – is at 160.

With the WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames revealing plans to move to 168lbs and Janibek Alimkhanuly, previously the champion of the WBO and IBF, stripped of his IBF title and suspended by the WBO for a year after testing positive for the banned substance meldonium, the picture at middleweight is perhaps increasingly appealing for those established at junior middleweight, widely recognised as the most competitive weight division in the world.

The plan for the 31-year-old Tszyu – who still hopes to next fight Errol Spence at 154lbs – is to reassess his progress and his options again after Sunday, but even in the event of fighting Spence his future may yet prove at 160lbs.

“The discussion point, initially, was just coming into Velazquez, and even this fight, not to be burning down to the weight of 154lbs,” Mike Altamura, Tszyu’s co-manager, told Boxing Scene. “We wanted to give Tim a bit of a weight reprieve. But obviously, with so much of the landscape changing, and with Tim being in the position he’s at in his career, if the right opportunities present at 160 or 154 we’d be in a position to take a look at either.

“I’m sure Tim doesn’t mind not being able to cut as tough as he would fighting at 154, like any fighter. Bit by bit we’ll assess what the best options are, moving forward.

“At middleweight what we see is the changing landscape. The IBF new champion being determined soon; WBO interim champion forthcoming; Janibek, effectively, out for a year. Of course, there’s other opportunities too. [Carlos] Adames; [WBA champion Erislandy] Lara. Good fighters. Decent names at the weight class. From our perspective, we’ll continue discussing the options going forward, with Tim’s promoter No Limit, and see what looks to be the best opportunity on the other side. The biggest and best fights that present there for him.

“It’s always smart, regardless of if there’s discussion points of a fight on the horizon – and [Spence is] still a fight we’re in deep discussions to finalise – to keep working towards bigger-picture things. Activity’s key with Tim. Nurja is a good opponent; very credible; well ranked in the WBA, and he’s unbeaten. He’s 20-0; rough and rugged, and very game, and he’s gonna be coming to keep Tim honest and present a challenge if Tim’s not on his game, so Tim needs to be sharp and look to reflect and display the tools we know he’s been working on in camp with Pedro Diaz.

“This outing was imperative to give Tim and Pedro another chance to continue to build their synergy, especially en route to what we see as a super fight in the latter part of the year. I know that Tim has prepared like he’s facing the greatest challenge of his career.”

Plans for Tszyu to fight Spence – they have a long-term rivalry – became public knowledge in the days before the victory over Velazquez in Tszyu’s home city of Sydney. The 32-year-old Nurja, incidentally, is fighting outside of Europe for the first time.

“On the other side of [Nurja], it’s either a super fight, a world-title opportunity, Spence, of course, and if nothing were to materialise in all of those aspects, keep ticking the boxes, stay patient, stay active, stay busy,” Altamura explained. “I really believe from last camp to this and the next camp, going forward, Tim will continue to be growing and adapting under the guidance of Pedro Diaz.

“They’ve got a really good understanding and he’s given Tim a new lease of life, in terms of his belief; his enjoyment, and his motivation to really build his way back to championship level.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Tim Tszyu faces the moment, and Denis Nurja, eyes straight ahead

Former junior middleweight titleholder Tim Tszyu finally stood toe-to-toe with Denis Nurja at Tuesday’s media workout, ahead of their upcoming middleweight clash – and what seemed to stand out to him most was that, for once, his opponent didn’t stand out.

At 5ft 8½ins, Tszyu has fought 6ft 6ins “Towering Inferno” Sebastian Fundora twice in the past two years and hasn’t so much as matched the height of an opponent in nine fights since winning a unanimous decision over Takeshi Inoue (5ft 8ins) in 2021. But on Tuesday, Tszyu faced off with Nurja at Bondi Boxing gym in Sydney and, this time around, stood eye-to-eye with his foe.

“Finally, someone my height,” said Tszyu, 26-3 (18 KOs). “Usually I’m looking up, so it’s nice to have someone your own height. Nurja seems ready, which is good. At least he’s here nice and early.”

It’s anyone’s guess whether pre-fight measurements or arrival times will have any effect whatsoever on the outcome of Saturday’s main event at WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong, Australia. More likely, it will be Tszyu’s first full training camp with trainer Joel Diaz and Nurja’s inexperience at the world level that dictate terms.

Sydney’s Tszyu, who for weeks had been putting in work at Diaz’s gym halfway across the world in Miami, is just glad to be standing on his native soil again.

“It’s unbelievable to be back home in Australia,” he said. “I’m loving being back home. Australia is always going to be home for me. Even though I’m traveling nonstop and putting myself in uncomfortable positions at times, being back home is comforting.”

Tszyu, with Diaz’s influence, is still in the process of building himself back – and, he hopes, beyond – the fighter he was before literally running into Fundora for the first time in March 2024, when an errant elbow sliced open Tszyu and led to a bloody, half-blind points loss that few saw coming.

He is just 2-3 in his past five fights, including a stoppage loss to Bakhram Murtazaliev in October 2024 and another defeat – this time a knockout – against Fundora in their rematch last July. Tszyu has since taken apart Anthony Velasquez in a 10-round whitewashing, and Nurja, 20-0 (9 KOs), is essentially the next stop on his comeback tour. In fact, there has already been open dialogue about Tszyu next facing Errol Spence Jnr in an interesting crossroads showdown of pound-for-pound fighters who have fallen on somewhat hard times.

Nurja isn’t interested in hearing about Tszyu’s potential future dates.

“I understand these thoughts,” Nurja said Tuesday, “but he still has to pass through me before thinking about Errol Spence Jnr, which is no easy task.

“It’s better not to talk about what’s next or the plans before a fight. We have a lot of plans we want to carry out and don’t want to give away anything.”

To be fair, Tszyu’s attention seems fully trained on the task at hand.

“The word annihilation has been in my head and repeated in my head for the last seven weeks,” he said. “That’s all I want to do. My whole purpose right now is just to annihilate.”

After starting his career 24-0, with quality wins over Terrell Gausha, Tony Harrison, Carlos Ocampo and Brian Mendoza – against whom he defended a 154lbs title – Tszyu’s recent stumbles seem to have focused his thoughts, or at least given him, at age 31, a far greater appreciation of the fragility of a livelihood in boxing.

“Everything is at risk – your whole career,” Tszyu said. “That’s what you do in this sport. You put everything on the line every time. The biggest risk is not just losing, but your health. You’re always one punch away, so I prepare strong every time because I know what’s ahead.

“I wouldn’t say I fear losing, but it’s not a good feeling and it’s not something I want to experience again. My motivation throughout this training camp, and in life right now, is victory by any means necessary.

“I need to win. And the win comes from the way I want to do it.”

[MPW]

I'm definitely curious about this one. I think the bout is more of a barometer to determine where Tszyu is at than anything else.

Can Tszyu stay disciplined and remain true to the new style? Will he revert to the old version of himself when - and if - adversity hits? Although it's not really his style, can Nurja force him into a brawl? Can the Albanian flourish if he does make it a firefight? What kind of punch resistance does Tszyu still have? Can Nurja even manage to test his chin?

[Ruthless-RKO]

Tim Tszyu and Denis Nurja make weight

Tim Tszyu has spent all week – and many months, frankly – discussing the state of his career and his upcoming fight against Denis Nurja, and the former junior middleweight titleholder may be all talked out.

On Friday, the fighters weighed in without incident for Saturday’s middleweight main event clash at WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, and with only four words from Tszyu:

“Let’s get it on.”

Tszyu, 26-3 (18 KOs), a native of Sydney, Australia, weighed in at 71.19kg, while Nurja, 20-0 (9 KOs), an Albanian now fighting out of Italy, checked in at 71kg.

Tszyu continues to build back from a disastrous 1-3 stretch that saw him lose his title (and an opportunity to unify) in a split decision to Sebastian Fundora in March 2024 and fall by stoppage to Fundora in their rematch 16 months later.

Although unbeaten, Nurja is also untested, having never fought beyond the sixth round and never faced an opponent remotely near Tszyu’s class.

In the co-main bout, Australia’s Sam Goodman, 21-1 (8 KOs), will face Argentina’s Rodrigo Fabian Ruiz in a junior featherweight title eliminator. Goodman weighed in at 55.30kg and Ruiz at 55.28kg.

Full weigh-in results are as follows:

Middleweights – 10 rounds
Tim Tszyu (71.19kg) vs Denis Nurja (71.00kg)

Junior featherweights – 12 rounds
Sam Goodman (55.30kg) vs Rodrigo Fabian Ruiz (55.28kg)

Heavyweights – four rounds
Nelson Asofa-Solomona (134.46kg) vs Jarrod Wallace (119.56kg)

Middleweights – eight rounds
Callum Peters (71.96kg) vs Delio Anzaqeci Mouzinho (72.12kg)

Light heavyweights – 10 rounds
Paulo Aokuso (79.22kg) vs Kittipong Jian Hao Ho (79.22kg)

Junior welterweights – 10 rounds
Charlie Kazzi (62.94kg) vs Blair Geraghty (63.22kgs)

Super middleweights – 10 rounds
Max Reeves (75.64kg) vs Francis Waitai (75.76kg)

Junior middleweights – five rounds
Dharringarra Trewhella (67.54kg) vs Dominic Bailey (68.18kg)

[Ruthless-RKO]

Tim Tszyu says ‘everything is at risk’ vs. Nurja as Spence looms

Tim Tszyu can’t afford another misstep following a shaky two-year stretch.

Tszyu (26-3, 18 KOs) will make his middleweight debut this weekend against little-known Albanian contender Denis Nurja (20-0, 9 KOs) at the WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong on Sunday Australian time on Kayo Sports and Saturday US time on Prime Video.

If the -1100 betting favorite Tszyu gets past Nurja as expected, a fight against former unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. (28-1, 22 KOs) should be in store for this summer.

“Nurja seems ready, which is good. I need to win, and the win comes from the way I want to do it,” Tszyu said during his media availability this week. “This is the rise. I feel like I did fall apart. I am putting the wheels back in motion. I’m gunning straight back to that No.1 spot, and whoever is in the way of that, they’re in danger.”

Tszyu was riding high in 2024 as the WBO junior middleweight champion. But he met his match in March of that year against Sebastian Fundora. The 31-year-old New South Wales native was on the losing end of a split decision and grueling bloodbath against Fundora.

Tszyu didn’t take much time to reset, fighting then IBF 154-pound titleholder Bakhram Murtazaliev just seven months later, only to get dropped four times and brutally stopped in three rounds.

Tszyu briefly regained form with a four-round stoppage win against Joseph Spencer last April but fell short again in a rematch versus Fundora in July, getting dropped and quitting in his corner after seven rounds.

“I wouldn’t say I fear losing, but it’s not a good feeling, and it’s not something I want to experience again,” said Tszyu. “My motivation throughout this training camp, and in life right now, is victory by any means necessary.

“I’ve changed myself to a certain extent, but I just can’t wait to get in there and bang on, let the dog come out. All of them watch the Bakhram fight. I sleep with my right hand on my chin. I’m well aware that’s what they are thinking – throwing the left hook. They think it’s my kryptonite. I just want to point it out. I’m very well aware of it.”

Tszyu last fought in December and scored a shutout 10-round unanimous decision win against Anthony Velazquez.
While Nurja appears to be nowhere near the level of threat that Fundora and Murtazaliev presented, Tszyu realizes the potential danger that could be in store with a shaky performance.

“Everything is at risk – your whole career. That’s what you do in this sport. You put everything on the line every time,” said Tszyu. “The biggest risk is not just losing, but your health. You’re always one punch away, so I prepare strongly every time because I know what’s ahead.

“You’ve got to put it all on the line. We’re in this sport for a short, minimal amount of time, and you’ve just got to make the most of every opportunity.

“The word annihilation has been in my head and repeated in my head for the last seven weeks. That’s all I want to do. My whole purpose right now is just to annihilate.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

Date: April 5, 2026
Location: WIN Entertainment Centre - Wollongong, NSW, Australia
Time: 9 pm ET | 6 pm PT | 11 am AEST | 2 am BST

TV/Stream
USA: Prime Video
Australia: Main Event, Kayo Sports | Price: $59.95 AUD

Main Card

WBO International Middleweight Championship - 157 Pound Catchweight
Tim Tszyu vs. Denis Nurja

12 Round IBF Super Bantamweight Title Eliminator Bout
Sam Goodman vs. Rodrigo Fabian Ruiz

4 Round Heavyweight Bout
Nelson Asofa-Solomona vs. Jarrod Wallace

10 Round Middleweight Bout
Callum Peters vs. Delio Anzaqeci Mouzinho

Preliminary Card

8 Round Super Lightweight Bout
Charlie Kazzi vs. Blair Geraghty

WBO Oriental Super Middleweight Championship
Max Reeves vs. Francis Waitai

IBF Pan Pacific Light Heavyweight Championship
Paulo Aokuso vs. Kittipong Jian Hao Ho

5 Round Welterweight Bout
Dharringarra Trewhella vs. Dominic Bailey

[amwsnw]

I have Goodman up 6-2 or 5-3 but very competitive bout

[Les Norton]

Nurja is little more than a punching bag, he makes Tszyu look like a much better fighter than he really is.

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

Tim Tszyu makes another team overhaul, hires Jeff Fenech as trainer

For the second time in less than six months, former WBO junior middleweight champion Tim Tszyu is making wholesale changes.

This surprising update comes as plans are heating up for the 31-year-old contender to settle on a date and location for his proposed matchup with former unified welterweight champion Errol Spence in July.

Tszyu (27-3, 18 KOs) spoke with optimism for the future after choosing Miami-based trainer Pedro Diaz in October, having trialed a handful of stateside-based coaches prior.

Adopting the Cuban style of boxing raised questions about their suitability and whether he was regressing, given Tszyu's aggressive pressure tendencies preceding his unsuccessful Sebastian Fundora rematch last July.

The old adage is that it takes time, acclimating to a new trainer and the way they work. That Diaz isn't a fluent English speaker didn't help his cause, nor did expensive long-distance travel for Miami camps away from his wife Alexandra help settle matters.

Former three-weight world champion Jeff Fenech, a 2002 International Hall of Fame (IBHOF) inductee, has often been vocal about Tszyu's defensive deficiencies and unimpressed with what he felt was an erratic supporting cast.

The 61-year-old originally joined the former champion's team in an advisory role after the previous shakeup, while Mike Altamura and Darcy Ellis were named co-managers.

Now though, it appears he'll take full control of matters and the pair have reportedly begun some 'minor planning sessions' in the past few days before a meeting Friday to discuss him also becoming manager too.

On the appointment, Fenech has told multiple outlets he's excited to get to work and aid Tszyu's mental state.

"My first job is getting him mentally prepared; the physical part's gonna be easy 'cause Tim's one of the hardest trainers that I've ever seen. If we get him mentally right first, everything will fall into place," he told Boxing Scene.

Fenech continued, saying the former champion must watch, break down and understand film study from his two Fundora defeats and the Bakhram Murtazaliev beatdown before working on sharpening areas where he leaves himself defensively vulnerable to avoid being a hittable target going forward.

He named Australian junior welterweight Hass Hamdan (10-0, 3 KOs) as one of Tszyu's incoming sparring partners, while confirming trainer Basil Nassis will help him do pad work everyday, among other new team additions.

"Tim asked me to help him and that's all I want to do, we'll go into camp and work, he'll come out a completely different person," he told Ahmad Elhawli of Raw Sports Media.

Although Spence hasn't boxed for three years, worldwide acclaim remains about his achievements as a long-reigning world champion. Fenech was complimentary of the 36-year-old, currently training with Ronnie Shields, in previewing how much that fight means to a former beltholder seeking a way back to world-level contention.

"Errol is one of the best fighters of the last decade, something truly special. I think this is a huge test for Tim because he's wanted this and for him to take it, especially after his two [three] losses, it says so much about his character, instinct, it's going to be very interesting, one of the most exciting fights in Australia for many years."

Reports this week claim the Queensland government has held talks with Tszyu's promoter, No Limit, looking to stage the country's biggest boxing event since Jeff Horn upset Manny Pacquiao at Suncorp Stadium in July 2017.

Cbus Super Stadium, a 27,000-capacity venue on the Gold Coast has been named as a potential landing spot, should they manage to win hosting rights.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Tim Tszyu explains why his partnership with Jeff Fenech is 'sporting history in the making'

Australia's Tim Tszyu alluded to moments of unhappiness with previous trainers as he explained why he has chosen his esteemed countryman Jeff Fenech to be his new coach. The biggest reason, however, would appear to be the very simple, and important, matter of being closer to home.

Tszyu, 27-3 (18 KOs), was two years ago one of the most reliable, and promising, titlists in the sport. Unbeaten heading into a March 2024 encounter with Sebastian Fundora, a bout he was widely expected to win, Tszyu endured a horrific cut to his forehead early in the bout and went on to lose a split decision after 12 rounds. What was presumed an aberration then threatened to become a habit.

After losing his comeback bout, a ballsy but ill-judged matchup with Bakhram Murtzaliev that ended inside three rounds, the junior middleweight would defeat the overmatched Joseph Spencer before losing again to Fundora in a rematch. That marked the end for his original training team, led by his uncle Igor Goloubev, and in came Cuba’s Pedro Diaz.

Though Tszyu, 31, has won twice since – 10-round points victories over Anthony Velazquez last December and Denis Nurja in April – they did little to shake the feeling that the rot had set in. Tszyu now contends that training in Miami, where Diaz is based, only added to the muddled feelings in his mind.

It was not an easy decision but he knew, from experience, that it was one he had to make.

“Was it hard? Yes, of course,” Tszyu told Fox Sports. “But the last time I went through it and I was young and I felt it [being wrong], I just kept my mouth shut and I kept going through. Why do stuff if it makes you unhappy? I don’t have to second guess; if I believe something now, I just do it, without thinking. I’ve got to make myself happy.

“I remember when I came into the ring, with no distractions, happy physically and mentally, that’s when my best performances were. It’s starts to become head noise and you question little things. It becomes a problem.

“There was a lot happening in the last camp. In all honesty, I wanted to spend a lot of time here in Australia [but] I spent a long time away from home, like two times two months away from home.

“Before I left, Jeff and I had a little chat and he said, ‘when you feel uncomfortable and in a position you don’t want to be in, just pack it up and go.’ And I sort of felt that a little bit, a little bit homesick. No one was doing anything bad, it was just me [missing] home. I thought I can’t do any more time away and I’m going to ask Jeff [to train me]. This was three or four weeks before the fight.

“It was hard, you don’t talk to your wife, the time difference is crazy… As soon as the fight finished, I knew I needed to stay home to be more present.”

Tszyu is expecting to next face Errol Spence Jnr, out of action since a comprehensive 2023 loss to Terence Crawford, and in Fenech – a former three-weight world titlist and one of the finest of all 1980’s fighters – he feels he’s at last met his perfect match.

“I know what type of training Jeff provides and the style he brings,” Tszyu explained. “The comfort that he made me feel was something that I needed. I had that with Pedro in Miami, but I was just away from home.

“We haven’t started camp yet, we’re still waiting for the [Spence] fight to be 100 per cent confirmed, and then we’re good to go. This combination, the Tszyus and the Fenechs, is something that’s going to be remembered, not just in boxing history but in sporting history, because it’s been a long time in the making.

“I know what I need to bring to this fight. I need to bring ruthlessness. When you talk about Australian boxing, and Australian relentlessness, you’re talking Jeff Fenech. One of my favorite trainers of time has been Emanuel Steward, all of his fighters that came through and all that he teaches, and to have someone like that, who has passed on his knowledge to Jeff. There’s a lot of legacy there to be learned.”

It was expected that Fenech, who has trained the likes of Mike Tyson, Vic Darchinyan, Danny Green and Sakio Bika, would also take on the role of managing Tszyu but the fighter did not confirm that to be the case.

“The number one job is to be my coach, someone that looks after me, mentally and physically,” said Tszyu. “I like his energy and it’s great to have that; someone that sticks by you, it’s refreshing.”