'Massive risk': Why Tim Tszyu's next fight is not the gamble it's cracked up to be

Tim Tszyu will need to beat undefeated Albanian fighter Denis Nurja in Wollongong to get his shot against American Errol Spence later in the year.

Promoters No Limit announced on Tuesday morning that Tszyu will face No.12 ranked Denis Nurja in Wollongong on April 5 at the WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong.

The card will also feature Nelson Asofa-Solomona taking on fellow ex NRL star Jarrod Wallace.

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A win over Nurja (19-0) will see Tszyu qualify for the Spence fight, which could be the biggest payday of the Sydney fighter's career.

"Nurja is 20-0, ranked number 12 in the world and he's dangerous," No Limit's George Rose said.

"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."

Rose does a splendid job promoting his fighters, including the Tszyu brothers, yet if you do a bit of digging around about Nurja, you'll realise this fight is not as big a gamble as it sounds.

Of the 20 wins Nurja, 31, has recorded, he's landed 9 KOs, which suggests he's not much of a punching threat.

His punches have good form, but he tends to throw one-out shots rather than throwing combinations, if his highlights are anything to go by.

He is ranked No.12 at super welterweight by the WBA.

Tszyu is currently ranked No.7 by the WBC and No.8 by the IBF; he is also ranked No.3 at middleweight by the WBO.

Nurja last entered the ring in February, and scored a KO win over Jose Gregorio Marcano, who holds a 17-13-1 record.

In 2025, Nurja fought three times, all in Albania's capital Tirana, and all against low-level opposition. He's never fought outside of Europe.

He outpoined Refik Tarhan, who holds an 8-4 record, over six rounds. He also defeated Kiryl Samadurau (14-5) with a TKO in round 5. In an unflattering result, he also beat a fighter, who held a record of four wins, four losses and four draws, by decision.

While a lot of the reporting states that Tszyu asked his team to find the toughest opponent possible, it's clear his team have one eye on the Spence fight.

It would be malpractice from his team if Tszyu faced anyone who posed a genuine threat before such a big-money fight.

And considering he left his old team due to the battering he suffered in the Fundora and Murtazaliev fights, it would be fair to say No Limit is taking the safe approach.

Spence hasn't fought since his 2023 defeat to Terence Crawford, when he was dropped three times and stopped in their battle for the undisputed crown.

Spence is ripe for the picking, and Tszyu's team knows that. Tszyu's last opponent, Anthony Velazquez, was also undefeated but had never fought outside the US.

Tszyu was barely troubled by Valezquez and Nurja sits in that same category.

At 31, Tszyu may only have a few good years left in the sport and he needs consecutive wins to keep his career alive.

It's highly doubtful his team would put him in harm's way before potentially the highest grossing fight of his career against Spence.