Tim Tszyu plans to fight before the conclusion of 2025 in an attempt to test his relationship with his new trainer, Pedro Diaz.
Australia’s Tszyu responded to his defeat in July by Sebastian Fundora in their rematch for the WBC junior-middleweight title by separating from his uncle and long-term trainer Igor Goloubev, and after trialing several alternatives – Rudy Hernandez and Abel Sanchez among them – he recruited Cuba’s Diaz, perhaps best known for his association with the retired Miguel Cotto.
It had previously been suggested by those in his new team – Diaz completes the picture that also includes Jeff Fenech, Mike Altamura and Darcy Ellis; Tszyu had also separated from his previous manager Glen Jennings – that he would rebuild steadily following a damaging run of three defeats in four fights, but the 31 year old’s confidence in his time spent in Miami under Diaz has made him keen to fight again as soon as he can.
Altamura was previously announced as Tszyu’s “matchmaking strategist”, but Tszyu explained that his matchmaking will be a “joint effort” that also involves Diaz, and one that is on the verge of its first test.
“Fingers crossed, we can secure something in the next couple weeks,” Tszyu said. “Hopefully I’m able to fight by the end of the year, or if it’s [early] next year…
“I’m with my new coach, man, so I’m eager to show what I’ve been putting in.”
Tszyu’s co-promoters Premier Boxing Champions are overseeing an appealing Amazon Prime pay-per-view on December 6 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas that already features Isaac Cruz-Lamont Roach Jnr, Erislandy Lara-Janibek Alimkhanuly and Stephen Fulton-O’Shaquie Foster, which in turn represents his likeliest fight date in 2025.
No Limit, who also promote Tszyu, has a Main Event pay-per-view date in Brisbane, Australia, on January 16 led by the all-Australian 157lbs catchweight fight between Tszyu’s brother Nikita and Michael Zerafa, and the IBF welterweight title eliminator between Liam Paro and Paddy Donovan, but Tim Tszyu’s profile in his home country makes an undercard fight there less plausible.
Declan Warrington has been writing about boxing for the British and Irish national newspapers since 2010. He is also a long-term contributor to Boxing News, Boxing News Presents and Talksport, and formerly the boxing correspondent for the Press Association, a pundit for BoxNation and a regular contributor to Boxing Monthly, Sport and The Ring, among other publications. In 2023, he conducted the interviews and wrote the script for the audio documentary “Froch-Groves: The Definitive Story”; he is also a member of the BWAA.
