Tszyu’s chance to eclipse legendary father as title shot confirmed
Updated . First published at
Australian boxing superstar Tim Tszyu will look to achieve something his legendary father Kostya never did, when he takes on Erislandy Lara for the WBA middleweight title on home soil in November.
Coming off a victory over Errol Spence Jr in front of a packed Aussie crowd earlier this year, Tszyu will now have the chance to chase a second divisional title against the tough veteran Lara, with a venue and date yet to be announced.
Tim Tszyu will fight for the WBA middleweight crown in November. Getty Images
If he defeats Lara, the 31-year-old would join Jeff Fenech and Liam Paro as the only Aussie boxers to win world titles in two weight classes.
To help him reach that milestone, Tszyu has enlisted Fenech’s expertise in his camp, which paid off in a victory over American legend Spence.
“Having Jeff Fenech in my corner means everything,” Tszyu said.
“He knows exactly what it takes to win titles at multiple weights, and he’s in my ear every single day. Liam Paro already did it this year, now it’s my turn.
"I've carried the Tszyu name my whole life. It's a privilege and it's pressure. This is my chance to write a chapter that belongs to me, and it's the legacy defining moment of my career."
Tszyu, who called out the Cuban champion from the ring immediately after defeating Spence Jr in July, embraces the magnitude of the upcoming bout.
“Lara is an great champion,” Tszyu continued.
“He’s slick, he’s clever and stylistically he’s very hard. He’ll want to turn this into a chess match but I’ve never taken the easy road. I want the man with the belt, and I’ll drag him into a fight he doesn’t want.”
No Limit boss George Rose described the middleweight showdown as a fight “a decade” in the making and was also quick to acknowledge that many fighters have actively avoided fighting the southpaw, but not Tszyu.
“This is a monster – an Australian superstar against a boxing legend, for a historic world title fight, on home soil. You don’t get many fights like this in a career, and I promise you nobody will want to miss it,” Rose said.
"I won't sit here and tell you this will be easy. Lara is a nightmare for anyone. He's a genius in there and he's spent a decade making the best in the world look silly.
“Plenty of big names have found reasons not to fight him. Tim wanted him and called for him by name. He wants legacy and the time is now.
“Nobody in this sport works harder and has show the determination to prove people wrong than Tim. When his hand gets raised as a two weight world champion, Australia is going to go absolutely mental.”
Lara fought another Aussie star, Michael Zerafa, two years ago on the undercard of Tszyu’s bloody title defeat against Sebastian Fundora.
While an exact date and venue are yet to be announced for the November clash, the Gold Coast is currently rumoured to be the front-runner.
