Six world titles on the line in two-month Aussie boxing bonanza

Aussie boxing is about to kick off a monster two months that will include a Tim Tszyu stadium fight on the Gold Coast.

No Limit Boxing on Wednesday unveiled the date and venue for Tszyu’s title fight against Erislandy Lara, locked in at Gold Coast’s Cbus Super Stadium on Sunday, December 13. The stadium is where the NRL’s Titans call home and holds about 28,000 fans for a football game.

It will be the third time Tszyu has fought in a stadium, and the first boxing event at such a venue in Australia since George Kambosos Jr took on Devin Haney at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium in 2022.

It will be the first card held at a stadium in Queensland since Jeff Horn famously beat the legendary Manny Pacquiao at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium in 2017.

“This event needed bigger than the (Gold Coast) Convention Centre, and there is none bigger on the Gold Coast than Cbus Stadium,” No Limit boss Matt Rose said.

Tszyu’s middleweight world title fight against Lara was confirmed several weeks ago but a date and venue had not been locked in.

He will headline a stacked card that includes Aussie up and comer Brock Jarvis facing Tszyu’s old nemesis Jermell Charlo.

Read more

Polarising Aussie on verge of shock world title fight after Tszyu disaster

“I kept pushing the (No Limit) boys, Gold Coast, Gold Coast, Gold Coast,” Tszyu said on Wednesday.

“This is my third stadium show… I’m truly grateful for it.”

Gold Coast Convention Centre was the scene of one of Aussie boxing’s greatest triumphs in recent years, when Jai Opetaia fought through a shattered jaw to beat Mairis Briedis and win the IBF world cruiserweight title in 2024.

Opetaia will fight the day prior to Tszyu’s bout, as he takes on American heavyweight legend Deontay Wilder in Cardiff, Wales.

Those are just two of the star-studded cards featuring Aussie fighters over November, December and into January.

The boxing bonanza kicks off in Sydney on Friday night when Paul Gallen comes out of retirement to fight fellow former NRL player Nelson Asofa-Solomona.

That pair fronted a fiery media conference on Wednesday and will fight over five rounds on Friday night.

Then on Monday (AEDT), Queensland superstar Skye Nicolson defends her WBC belt in Texas when she takes on Japanese great Miyo Yoshida.

Nikita Tszyu – the younger sibling of Tim, nicknamed The Butcher – makes his American professional debut in Arizona on December 6, a week before his brother headlines the Gold Coast event. Nikita Tszyu’s opponent is yet to be confirmed.

Liam Paro, a No Limit stablemate of the Tszyu brothers, is poised to lock in a title fight with American legend Haney, which is rumoured to be taking place in December.

And on January 9, little-known Aussie fighter Skye Falzon will take on legendary Amanda Serrano in the latter’s final bout before retiring.

They will headline an MVP card in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

At the same time, polarising Aussie boxer Michael Zerafa is eyeing a shock world title fight against Yoenli Hernandez, after the latter was ordered by the WBO to fight the Victorian.

Negotiations for that bout must be finalised before November 23, so Zerafa will likely join the Australian fight fest in either December or January.

Major Aussie fights locked in

November 6: Paul Gallen vs Nelson Asofa-Solomona

November 9: Skye Nicolson vs Miyo Yoshida (WBC world title)

December 6: Nikita Tszyu vs TBC

December 12: Jai Opetaia vs Deontay Wilder

December 13: Tim Tszyu vs Erislandy Lara (WBA world title)

January 10: Skye Falzon vs Amanda Serrano (WBO world title)

Fights still to be confirmed

Liam Paro vs Devin Haney (WBO and IBF world titles)

Michael Zerafa vs Yoenli Hernandez (WBO world title)