Tim Tszyu is closing in on the fight his father Kostya never had the chance to make.
The 31-year-old Australian is set to challenge Erislandy Lara for the Cuban’s WBA middleweight title in Australia, the governing body’s belt at 160 pounds and the shot that would carry Tszyu beyond his father’s single-weight legacy.
Kostya Tszyu unified the light-welterweight division but won every world title of his career at 140 pounds. Tim already captured the WBO super-welterweight belt in 2023 before losing it to Sebastian Fundora. Beating Lara would make him the first Tszyu to win world titles in two weight classes.
A 43-year-old Cuban in the way
Lara is a problem no amount of pedigree solves. The 160-pound WBA champion is currently the sport’s oldest reigning world champion, a southpaw with four decades of amateur and professional ring craft who last defended his title in December with a two-knockdown decision over Johan Gonzalez.
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Boxing News Online describes him as “a highly-skilled southpaw with deceptive power” whose age and low activity have kept him out of pound-for-pound conversations, but whose style still frustrates younger, bigger punchers.
No Limit Boxing CEO George Rose, who manages Tszyu, confirmed last month that talks were advanced.
“We’ve had great discussions with Lara’s team and I feel like something is close,” Rose told Boxing News Online.
“I’d love for Timmy to win world titles in two weight divisions.”
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Kostya’s career capped at 140 pounds
Kostya Tszyu’s career ended at light-welterweight. Attempts to move up were cut short by injuries and, eventually, retirement in 2005. Tim’s path has gone the other way: up through super-welterweight to middleweight, where he says he has settled.
Tszyu beat Errol Spence Jr. in July in a middleweight bout that sent the former unified welterweight champion into retirement. It was his first fight at the 160-pound limit and the one that convinced his camp Lara was the next target.
“At 160 I feel strong, I feel sharp and I feel dangerous. Middleweight is my division now. Spence was just the appetiser,” Tszyu said.
“I’ve carried the Tszyu name my whole life. It’s a privilege and it’s pressure. This is my chance to write a chapter that belongs to me, and it’s the legacy defining moment of my career.”
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Promoters eye year-end announcement
Promoters have not announced a date, host city, venue or broadcaster. Boxing News 24 reported on 13 October that “promoters expect to announce the date, location, ticket information and broadcast details in the coming weeks,” with the bout targeted for before year’s end in Australia.
