By: Sean Crose
Tim Tszyu was looking to make a comeback Sunday in Australia. After dropping two fights in a row in 2024, the former red hot titlist had seen his career and reputation take a hit. Yet as he stepped into the ring at the Newcastle Entertainment Center in Australia to battle American Joey Spencer, Tszyu appeared at ease while Aussie anthem “Land Down Under” played throughout the arena. For a man with his career potentially on the line, Tszyu certainly looked comfortable in front of his Australian countrymen. His junior middleweight bout with Spencer was the main even of a PBC card and was scheduled for ten.
The first round saw the 24-2 Tszyu and the 19-1 Spencer begin cautiously. Both men knew how to end a fight early, after all. Tszyu applied pressure in the second, moving forward and sticking out his jab. Spencer, on the other hand, continued to remain patient, though he slipped and hit the mat in the closing moments of the chapter. Tszyu turned up the pressure in the third, throwing and landing impressive combinations. Spencer began firing on his own as the round progressed, but Tszyu looked to be the faster of the two fighters.
Tszyu proceeded to land blistering combinations in the fourth. By the final minute of the round, Spencer had transitioned from a game competitor to a bruised and beaten punching bag. Spencer’s team wisely stepped in and threw in the towel before the American took any more damage. “I proved it to everyone in the world,” a jubilant Tszyu said afterward. “I’m back baby, I’m back.” A potentially huge fight with Keith Thurman was brought up in the post fight interview. “Sign the contract, big boy,” Tszyu said with a smile. “Sign the contract!”
One look at Spencer’s bruised and bloody face told viewers all they needed to know about the quality of Tszyu’s comeback fight. While Spencer wasn’t considered a top notch opponent, he wasn’t considered a second rate fighter, either. Sure enough, before the weekend the man was seen as a potential rising star. He simply couldn’t keep up with Tszyu, however. As has been said, “there’s levels to this game.” Now Tszyu can look ahead to bigger things. A fight with Thurman would certainly be interesting. Thurman, long one of the best welterweights in the sport, is arguably past his prime due to much inactivity. With Tszyu still arguably getting back on his feet, however, there could be a huge curiosity factor in play.
