Tim Tszyu (25-2, 18 KOs) confirmed that he’s nonetheless an elite-level fighter, obliterating Joey Spencer (19-2, 11 KOs) by a fourth-round TKO on Saturday evening of their junior middleweight headliner on the Newcastle Leisure Centre, in Newcastle, Australia.
Spencer, 24, made the identical mistake tonight that he did in his loss to Jesus Ramos in 2023, and the previous WBO junior middleweight champion Tszyu made him pay for it within the fourth spherical. Spencer shelled up close to the ropes, which is the fallacious factor to do in opposition to Tim.
Tszyu took benefit of it by unloading a flurry of pictures, ensuing within the referee stopping the competition after Spencer turned his again and walked away like he was quitting. Within the closing barrage, Tim couldn’t miss together with his pictures. Spencer was a sitting duck, standing stationary and protecting up.
Tune-Up or Mismatch?
This was presupposed to have been a extra aggressive struggle to organize Tszyu for a potential struggle in opposition to Keith Thurman or one of many related huge names at 154, like WBC and WBO champion Sebastian Fundora, or a rematch with IBF champ Bakhram Murtazaliev.
I don’t know that you could name this a correct tune-up for Tszyu to organize him to face these sorts of abilities. Spencer was so inept tonight that he didn’t seem like a world-class-level fighter, and it’s important to consider that was the only purpose why Tszyu’s promoters picked him out. If he’s going to struggle Fundora or Bakhram, he wants an actual tune-up.
If Tszyu needs a rematch with Bakhram, he ought to concentrate on preventing Serhii Bohachuk subsequent as a result of he has the identical form of crushing energy. He could be the perfect opponent to organize Tim for a rematch with the IBF champ.
Spencer was preventing all fallacious. He regarded like he was attempting to emulate Murtazaliev’s type of preventing, however he didn’t have the form of energy the Russian fighter had. If he might punch like him, it could have labored effectively tonight.
Tszyu fought the identical actual approach he did in opposition to Bakhram, however he didn’t have to fret about big pictures. Spencer was touchdown, however he didn’t have the form of energy that he wanted to get away together with his type.
