Tim Tszyu got the confidence-builder he needed, fighting in his home country against an overmatched opponent and stopping Joey Spencer in the fourth round Sunday (local) at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre in Newcastle, Australia.
Tszyu, a former junior middleweight titleholder, won for the first time in three fights – and for the first time in nearly a year and a half.
“I proved it to everyone in the world,” Tszyu said afterward. “I’m back, baby. I’m back.”
This was the first fight back for Tszyu after a disastrous 2024 in which he lost twice. He dropped his world title in the first defeat and was dropped to the canvas repeatedly in the second.
That was quite a downfall for someone who had entered last year as one of the top junior middleweights, seeking to take over as the face of the weight class in the absence of Jermell Charlo.
Tszyu was supposed to challenge Charlo in January 2023 for the undisputed championship at 154lbs. That fight was postponed when Charlo broke his hand in training camp. Once Charlo returned, he opted to move up two weight classes to face Saul “Canelo” Alvarez for the undisputed super middleweight championship in September 2023.
Charlo has not yet stepped back in the ring since his loss to Canelo. His four world titles were vacated and picked up by other fighters at 154lbs. Tszyu acquired one of them, the WBO belt, and had wrapped 2023 by defending it with a unanimous decision over Brian Mendoza.
Tszyu was supposed to defend that title against Keith Thurman in March 2024. But when Thurman pulled out because of an injury, Sebastian Fundora stepped in. The WBC added its vacant belt into the mix for the winner. And for two rounds, it appeared as if Tszyu was going to beat Fundora and leave as a unified titleholder. Except at the end of the second round, Tszyu’s head accidentally collided with Fundora’s elbow, opening a horrible cut that sent blood pouring down Tszyu’s face and affected his vision.
Had Tszyu’s corner persuaded the ringside physician to stop the fight then, or at any point in the third or fourth rounds, the fight would have been ruled “no contest” and Tszyu would have retained. They instead allowed Tszyu to continue on. Fundora was himself contending with an injured nose, but he was able to utilize his height and skills to take advantage of his compromised opponent. Fundora won a split decision and both belts.
Tszyu hoped to return quickly for another big fight against another tough foe. But he had to pull out of a collision with Vergil Ortiz Jnr due to his cut not having healed enough. Tszyu wound up returning in October, challenging IBF titleholder Bakhram Murtazaliev. Tszyu was knocked down four times in eight minutes, losing a third-round technical knockout.
So it was not a surprise that Tszyu began the rebuilding process against the likes of Spencer, a prospect who turned pro in 2018 at 17 years old but who got a reality check in March 2023, when he was stopped in seven rounds by contender Jesus Ramos Jnr. Spencer had won three fights since then, but the 25-year-old from Michigan had not yet succeeded in these upper echelons.
If Tszyu was going to return to those echelons, then the 30-year-old would need to start his journey back with a dominant win against Spencer.
The first round was cautious for both men. Tszyu was the aggressor, exerting pressure with his feet but not as much with his hands. Spencer tended to back or circle away, occasionally jumping in with a single shot before moving farther out of range.
“I learned from my mistakes. You don’t go in like a hothead from the first round,” Tszyu said.
For the second round, Tszyu utilized his jab more often. Spencer continued to seek opportunities to lace in quick, individual punches. When Spencer attempted a left hook to the body, however, Tszyu was able to land a good counter. Spencer, meanwhile, also used his opponent’s aggression against him, scoring with an uppercut as Tszyu came forward.
Tszyu was able to close the distance in the third – and take advantage of it. He let loose with a flurry halfway through the round. At another point, Tszyu maneuvered Spencer to the ropes, did good work and then stepped away when Spencer tried to retaliate.
Tszyu and Spencer exchanged blows in the opening moments of the fourth. The remainder of the round – and the fight – belonged to Tszyu. He opened up with uppercuts and body shots, plus plenty of hooks and crosses as well. Spencer’s face was visibly marked up, with swelling and bruising underneath both eyes.
Tszyu could tell that Spencer was on his way out, and he let loose with an extended barrage. Spencer tried to fend Tszyu off, or perhaps the referee, with a few shots. That only briefly paused the onslaught, only briefly delayed the inevitable. Tszyu kept throwing and, at last, Spencer’s corner threw in the towel with 42 seconds left in the round.
The win brought Tszyu to 25-2 (18 KOs), while Spencer fell to 19-2 (11 KOs).
Afterward, Tszyu was asked about a fight with Thurman, the 36-year-old former unified welterweight titleholder from Florida who at last returned to the ring last month after a three-year layoff. That fight took place in Sydney, Australia, and saw Thurman dispatch Brock Jarvis in three rounds to move to 31-1 (23 KOs).
The winner of Tszyu-Thurman won’t have proven that they can still compete in the talented junior middleweight division, but their big names and what would be two recent wins could land them a major opponent nonetheless.
“Sign the contract, big boy,” Tszyu said. “Sign the contract.”
On the undercard:
– In a rematch, heavyweight Liam Talivaa stopped Brandon Grach in the fifth round. They had first fought in November 2023, with Grach knocking out Talivaa in the second round. With this revenge, Talivaa moved to 7-1 (2 KOs), while Grach fell to 3-1 (2 KOs). Afterward, Talivaa said there is no need for a rubber match with Grach.
– Endry Saavedra put Mikkel Nielsen away in the eighth round of their middleweight bout. Saavedra, who fought Cesar Mateo Tapia to a draw on the undercard of Tszyu’s loss to Murtazaliev in October, improved to 17-1-1 (14 KOs). Nielsen fell to 13-3 (5 KOs).
– Koen Mazoudier won a unanimous decision over Dan Hill in a junior middleweight fight. The scores were 100-89, 99-90 and 98-91. Mazoudier is now 13-4-1 (5 KOs). Hill is now 7-2 (3 KOs).
– Former middleweight title challenger Andrei Mikhailovich lost in his first fight back since getting stopped by Janibek Alimkhanuly last October. Mikhailovich dropped a split decision to Blake Wells by scores of 59-55, 58-56 and 56-58. Mikhailovich fell to 21-2 (13 KOs), while Wells improved to 12-2 (5 KOs).
– Cody Beekin defeated Ryan Daye via fifth-round TKO in a middleweight bout. Beekin is now 8-2 (5 KOs). Daye is now 6-1 (5 KOs).
– Isaias Sette won a unanimous decision over Brent Walton in a welterweight bout. All three scorecards read 48-46. Sette improved to 3-3-1 (1 KO), while Walton fell to 3-2 (2 KOs).
– Callum Peters stopped William Lenehan in the fourth round of their light heavyweight fight. Peters is now 2-0 (2 KOs). Lenehan is now 1-1 (0 KOs).
– And in his pro debut, junior welterweight Cooper O’Connell scored a fourth-round TKO against Benjamin Amos. O’Connell is now 1-0 (1 KO), while Amos is 1-1 (0 KOs).
