The championship bout between Tim Tszyu and Erislandy Lara has been confirmed to take place in Australia. The date and venue are yet to be determined.
- Australia’s former WBO super welterweight champion Tszyu (28-3, 18 KOs) looks to win a title in a second weight class.
- Cuba’s two-division champion Lara (32-3-3, 19 KOs) is the reigning WBA middleweight champion and is set to make the fifth defense of his belt.
The matchup was initially reported in September as potentially taking place before Christmas. On Tuesday, Tszyu’s promoter, No Limit Boxing, confirmed the bout, although no further details have been provided.
Tszyu, 31, was last in action in July, when he defeated Errol Spence Jr. by unanimous decision to earn his third win in a row.
Two-division champion Lara, 43, hasn’t fought since last December, when he scored a unanimous decision over Johan Gonzalez to make the fourth successful defense of his title.
‘Spence was just the appetiser’
“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,” Tszyu said in a press release.
“Lara is a great champion. He’s slick, he’s clever and stylistically he’s very hard. He’ll want to turn this into a chess match, but I’ve never taken the easy road. I want the man with the belt, and I’ll drag him into a fight he doesn’t want.”
“At 160 I feel strong, I feel sharp and I feel dangerous. Middleweight is my division now. Spence was just the appetiser.”
“Having Jeff Fenech in my corner means everything. He knows exactly what it takes to win titles at multiple weights, and he’s in my ear every single day. Liam Paro already did it this year, now it’s my turn.”
- Event details, including the undercard, ticket and broadcast information, are expected to be announced shortly.