The comeback tour for Tim Tszyu (26-3, 18 KOs) continues ‘Down Under’ this weekend, with the former WBO super welterweight champion set to meet Denis Nurja (20-0, 9 KOs) at the WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong on Sunday (Australian Eastern Standard Time).
Gunning for a second win since his definitive loss to rival Sebastian Fundora in June 2025, the 31-year-old will be looking to showcase the improvements he has made since moving to the stable of famed trainer Pedro Diaz late last year. Specifically, Tszyu has highlighted his commitment to correcting the past defensive vulnerabilities that have had a devastating impact.
“I’ve changed myself to a certain extent,” he told the media at Thursday’s No Limit Boxing press conference. “I sleep with my right hand on my chin. I’m well aware that’s what they are thinking. Throwing the left hook. They think it’s my kryptonite. I just want to point it out. I’m very well aware of it.”
By contrast, Nurja, currently ranked at 12 in the WBA’s middleweight standing, has approached the bout in a manner typical of a fighter not only competing on foreign shores, but against a highly-fancied opponent in their backyard. Respectful and with his mind on the task in front of him, the Albanian’s hopeful nature is itself a sign that he knows he is expected to serve the purpose of giving Tszyu a problem to solve over 10 solid rounds. Still, flipping the script remains his objective.
“I have a lot of respect for Tim, but I’ve come here to win,” Nurja said. “The win would be a massive step in my career. It would be the culmination of 20 years of training, 20 years of sacrifice. Such a gift for me.”
Although many believe the fight, and the vacant WBO inter-continental middleweight title as a result, is Tszyu’s to lose, boxing is known to throw the odd curveball from time to time. As such, it is worth pondering whether we may see an Easter miracle of the pugilistic kind.
A Spence Payday Beckons, But What Serves Tszyu Best – Knockout or Shutout?
Much of the chatter surrounding Sunday’s event has not centered on the bout itself, but instead on what it might lead to. Reports first emerged in February linking Tszyu to a mid-year showdown with former unified welterweight champion Errol Spence, and it has been this potential meeting that has come to dominate much of the lead-up to the Nurja fight, where a multitude of views have been expressed.
On the one hand, some believe that an emphatic, dominant, and definitive win, whether that be by knockout or a complete one-sided battering, makes for a more attractive fight against Spence. One analyst leading this charge is former two-weight world champion, Paulie Malignaggi.
“I think the better you look on Sunday, the bigger the Spence fight becomes,” Malignaggi told Jai McAllister, Boxing & MMA. “You want to make the Spence fight more anticipated? You want to make people excited for it? You want to make their mouth water for that big match-up? You have to put on a big performance.
“Just a win, I think, obviously gets him the Spence fight. How big the Spence fight becomes is in the hands of Tim.”
Then there’s a more conservative school of thought, one that values seeing Tszyu develop above all else. The Australian somewhat started this trend in his last fight, though a few boxes were left unchecked. While the wide 10-round unanimous decision over Anthony Velazquez was marked by Tszyu’s commitment to his jab and ability to maintain composure for the duration, questions still arose regarding his defensive head movement.
For that reason, some want to see progression before any talk of a highlight reel knockout, let alone a fight with Spence. If the words of Diaz are anything to go by, they’ll get just that. “We are always working on the best tools he can use to get the best result,” the trainer told the media last Thursday. “He is a fast and strong boxer, but we have worked a lot on his defense, his angles, his lateral movement, and his lead hand.”
Could Nurja be the ultimate disrupter?
All of the speculation and subsequent planning of the Spence fight will amount to nothing should Sunday’s result not be a favourable one, a scenario that isn’t exactly foreign to the Tszyu journey.
Cast an eye back to 2024, and what was meant to be a showcase fight quickly turned into a disaster when he was brutally stopped by Bakhram Murtazaliev inside three rounds. Conventional wisdom, in the form of tape study, suggests the same shouldn’t happen again, however. While Nurja has proved to be a heavy body puncher, he does have a tendency to keep his hands low when engaging in exchanges at close range. Defensively, he has been shown to favour blocking punches with his gloves over utilizing head movement and angles.
Even the best laid plans have run afoul of boxing’s trickery in the past, though, and fighters widely regarded as limited have broken the barriers set upon them by critics to not only secure an underdog win, but disrupt already agreed-upon fights with bigger stakes.
In October 1993, Michael Bentt took just 90 seconds to knock Tommy Morrison out of his guaranteed $8 million payday with Lennox Lewis, taking the WBO heavyweight title in the process. Lewis himself would be on the receiving end eight years later, when a thudding right hand from Hasim Rahman delayed his megafight with Mike Tyson. In each of these cases, the victor was believed to have no chance of coming out on top.
Granted, Nurja doesn’t carry the punching power of these aforementioned heavyweights, and despite an impressive undefeated record, has never fought past the six-round mark. But, having fought across Europe and now making the trip to his seventh country for a fight, he does possess a familiarity with fighting on the road and has the opportunity of a lifetime in front of him. Grabbing it with both hands appears to be a task that is easier said than done, yet history shows it isn’t outside the realm of possibility.
Tim Tszyu vs Denis Nurja Prediction
While it can be expected that Nurja will be willing to take risks from the outset, Tszyu should have no trouble establishing his desired range early on before turning the screws late to secure a stoppage between rounds seven and nine.
Tim Tszyu vs Denis Nurja Betting Odds
Per BETUS, Tim Tszyu is the favorite at -1600, and Denis Nurja is the underdog at +120.
Tim Tszyu: TKO/KO -330; Decision +275
Draw: +2000
Denis Nurja: TKO/KO +1600; Decision +1800
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