Tim Tszyu is set to face Errol Spence Jr. at middleweight in Sydney this Sunday, with promoter George Rose backing the Australian’s move to 160 pounds. Rose believes the weight increase will favor Tszyu against the former unified champion.
The bout marks a significant step up in division for Tszyu, who moves up from junior middleweight to take on one of the most established names in modern boxing. Speaking to Jai McAllister Boxing ahead of the contest, Rose acknowledged the magnitude of the task while emphasizing his belief in the Australian challenger.
“I believe in Tim, and I always have. I know this is the toughest fight, the toughest opponent that he’s ever faced. Errol Spence Jr. is a future Hall of Famer. He’s an absolute beast.”
Spence enters the fight looking to rebuild after losing his unified welterweight titles to Terence Crawford in 2023. Despite that loss, Rose considers Spence to remain among boxing’s elite performers, meaning Tszyu must deliver a disciplined tactical performance to earn the win.
“Don’t get me wrong, he’s going to have to work for it. He is going to have to work for it and really fight a very smart fight to get the win, but I believe that Tim is going to beat Errol Spence on Sunday,” Rose stated.
While the step up to 160 pounds is intended to suit Tszyu’s physical frame, Rose insists physical advantages alone will not suffice against an opponent with Spence’s pedigree.
“For Tim Tszyu to beat him, fighting at 160 benefits him, but Tim Tszyu will have to be the best version that we’ve ever seen of Tim. I think that’s what we do have.”
Rose highlighted Tszyu’s physical condition and mental focus as key factors heading into Sunday’s event in Sydney.
“I think that he’s very strong right now. I think that he’s very confident, and the strength and confidence, I think, are two big things that are going to help him get this win,” Rose added.
A victory in Sydney would provide Tszyu with a career-defining win and strengthen his position in the middleweight ranks. For Spence, defeating Tszyu in Australia would offer an immediate route back toward top-level prominence following his first career defeat.
