The worst kept secret in boxing was Tim Tszyu’s supposed next opponent.

Erickson Lubin no longer walks around with a perfect record, but he’s put in enough work over the years to prove that he’s one of the best 154-pounders around. That was solidified once he grabbed a somewhat controversial win over Jesus Ramos Jr. a few short months ago.

From there, conclaves were allegedly held between both camps. Nothing was concrete but Tszyu was convinced that his next dance partner was just a signature away. But, for reasons that aren’t exactly clear, talks broke down.

Tszyu, 29, wasn’t surprised when he was given the news. Actually, he saw it coming.

“It’s typical you know,” Tszyu told a group of reporters. “They start getting cold feet so what do I do? The show goes on.”

As Tszyu alludes to, the show will certainly go on. Officially, he'll fight for just the second time in America against Keith Thurman on March 30th, at a catchweight of 155 pounds.

At first, Tszyu (24-0, 17 KOs) spent countless hours in the gym preparing and sparring against opponents who had a similar style to Lubin. Thurman though, fights nothing like Lubin. From their stances to the way they go about their business in the ring, it’s completely different.

Reprogramming himself to take on a right-hander is a bit vexing from Tszyu’s point of view. However, Thurman, at least once upon a time, was as popular as they come in the sport. Inactivity, nevertheless, has crippled him and dimmed his star power. Still, when juxtaposing them, Tszyu believes he went from a solid contender in Lubin to someone who can truly grab the attention of fans everywhere.

“I been prepping for a southpaw for about seven weeks now so I been going pretty hard now but I'm a little more happier that it’s Keith Thurman. Bigger name, caliber of fight bigger.”