Tim Tszyu will attempt to snap his two-fight losing streak in his crucial comeback clash against Joey Spencer on April 5th on PBC on Prime Video at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre in Newcastle, Australia. The former WBO junior middleweight champion Tszyu (24-2, 17 KOs) faces Spencer (19-1, 13 KOs) in the 12-round main event. The event starts at 9:00 p.m. ET.
Tszyu’s Setbacks
Before last year, this fight would have been a walk in the parker for Tszyu. However, after a round knockout loss to IBF 154-lb champion Bakhram Murtazaliev last October and his 12-round split decision defeat against Sebastian Fundora the previous year in March, nothing is sure about the Spencer clash. Tszyu still has the punching power to make this an easy fight for him if his chin holds up against Spencer. However, the punishment Tim sustained in his four-knockdown, third-round KO loss to Murtazaliev raises doubts about whether his chin will hold up under the firepower of the 24-year-old Spencer on April 5th. Tszyu needs a win to face Keith Thurman later this year in a lucrative clash in Australia. The former WBC and WBA welterweight champion Thurman, 36, already did his part, knocking out Brock Jarvis in the third round last week on March 12th in Sydney.
Although he looked old and slow compared to the Thurman that fans remembered from his best years, he still showed that he could punch and would be a threat to Tszyu if the fight happened.
“Tim Tszyu does not take easy fights,” said George Rose, CEO of No Limit Boxing. “He could’ve taken a softer option, but that’s not who he is. He wanted the toughest challenge available, and that’s exactly what Joey Spencer brings to the table. Spencer is a two-time PBC Prospect of the Year, he has devastating power and he’s looking to make a massive statement in the super welterweight division. This is an all-risk fight for Tim, but that’s the only way he operates…Joey Spencer is coming to rip everything away from Tim, and that’s what makes this fight absolutely unmissable.”
