Tszyu’s big admission over defeat as Aussie comes face-to-face with US opponent for first time

Australia’s Tim Tszyu has vowed to never again fight “like a c***head” — or try to finish a world class opponent within two rounds — as he faced off against exciting American prospect Joey Spencer for the first time.

Less than three weeks out from his hyped Australian comeback, Tszyu also talked perceived “weak spots”, US superstar Keith Thurman and laughed off questions about his mental state – “I’m alright, man … don’t stress” — as he readies to face Spencer in Newcastle on Sunday, April 6.

Tszyu vs Spencer | SUN 6 APRIL 11AM AEDT | Tim Tszyu makes his highly anticipated return to the ring as he looks to push himself back into world title contention against Joey Spencer.| Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.

Jetting into Australia last Friday, the quietly-spoken Spencer also looked in outstanding shape as he worked out for a large media contingent inside Sydney’s Bondi Boxing Club, then warned afterwards he is ready to come into Tszyu’s backyard “and take what he has”.

Indeed, despite his standing as Australian boxing’s pay-per-view king, ‘The Soul Taker’ is coming into his latest No Limit headliner off the back of consecutive world title losses – against Sebastian Fundora and Bakhram Murtazaliev.

In the latter of those, Tszyu was dropped four times in three rounds by the big punching IBF super welterweight champ – with younger brother Nikita eventually throwing in the towel.

Asked on Wednesday what he had learned from the Murtazaliev loss, Tszyu replied: “To not go in like a c***head.

“Keep it nice and smart.”

And as for why he went in like said c-head?

“Because I thought I could take him out in two rounds,” the Sydneysider conceded.

“That’s what was going through my head, ‘this guy isn’t going to go past two rounds’.

“I came in with that intensity (but) a professional fight isn’t two rounds.

“It’s 12 rounds.

“And I have to be smarter.”

Soon after, Tszyu continued of the loss: “Looking back, it was a little mistake made.

“If it went six, seven rounds, even further, who knows what would have happened?

“So for me, it’s about not making that mistake.”

Told Spencer, during his bag work, had been throwing plenty of left hooks – the same punch Murtazaliev had gained such success with against him – the 30-year-old simply shrugged and smiled.

“They’re all going to be targeting the weak spot – that they think,” he said. “It is what it is.”

Certainly Spencer looked strong while training for those cameras keen to capture the 24-year-old’s first public face off with the fighter dubbed ‘The Soul Taker’.

Speaking with Fox Sports Australia, Spencer revealed that weeks of preparing on Australian time in his tiny Michigan hometown of Linden had meant he was immediately acclimatised when jetting into Sydney.

Despite having their flights delayed by 48 hours, and being forced to layover in Chicago, the two-time PBC Prospect of the Year looked in outstanding physical shape as he hit the heavy bag’s inside Bondi Boxing Club.

The fighter revealed he has also flown two US sparring partners in for the last days of camp in what, with a win, will see him catapulted into a potential world title fight Stateside.

For Tszyu, a win will almost certainly see him pitched into a July headliner against Thurman, who is fresh off his own brutal KO win against fellow No Limit fighter, Brock Jarvis.

Quizzed on Thurman’s performance, Tszyu said: “I thought he did well, came out swinging.

“First round, you could tell he was a bit older.

“And he fought Brock Jarvis, no offence.

“It’s two different levels, between world calibre and Brock Jarvis … but I think he did well.”

Spencer, meanwhile, knows a win will catapult him into his own realm of huge fights Stateside.

“This is a great opportunity,” he said.

“It’s not every day you get to fight somebody in the to 10, a former world champion, somebody with as good a name as Tim.

“This is something I dreamed of as a little kid.

“To go fight someone in their backyard and take what they have”.

Asked about Tszyu’s most recent fight against Murtazaliev, Spencer said: “We like to look at the fights he has performed best in.

“Not necessarily the couple of fights he’s lost.

Tszyu vs Spencer | SUN 6 APRIL 11AM AEDT | Tim Tszyu makes his highly anticipated return to the ring as he looks to push himself back into world title contention against Joey Spencer.| Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.

“It’s not that there isn’t anything that can be taken from those.

“But we’re preparing for the best version of Tim, the most dangerous version.

“So yeah, I’ve looked at (the Murtazaliev loss), but I don’t take much from it.”

So as for which Tszyu win impressed him most?

“He’s had a lot of good wins,” the American continued, mentioning both the Brian Mendoza and Tony Harrison bouts of 2023.

“He handled them really well.

“That was impressive.

“And he’s had a few good ones before that, so we’ll see.”

Tszyu, meanwhile, also stressed that, despite the severity of his most recent loss, he had no lingering mental issues.

“Mentally I’m alright, man,” he said, smiling at the media crowded around him.

“Don’t stress.

“It’s all good from this side.”

Tszyu also dubbed the impending Spencer showdown as “the most important fight of my life”.

And why?

“I’ve got so much to prove,” he said.

“I know what I bring, what I possess.

“It’s about showing that.

“Letting the world know that we never left.”

Soon after, he continued: “There is so much on the line.

“So much to look forward to.

“This one feels different.”

Tszyu also said he had enjoyed preparing out of Sydney for this bout after spending so much of last year in Las Vegas.

“It’s been good being at home,” he said.

“Having a lot of familiar faces for sparring.

“In Australia, we’ve got plenty of talent here and it’s been good sparring with a lot of up and comers from right around Australia.

“I’m blessed.

“This is big time boxing – the cream of the crop – and I’m glad to be doing it here in Australia.”