Long before there was a signed contract or a date for the blockbuster showdown, Tim Tszyu already knew he wanted to fight Errol Spence Jnr.
The Aussie has revealed the rivalry with the former unified welterweight king first became a little bit personal back in 2022, when Spence publicly dismissed him as “trash” before doubling down by saying he’d bet $10k against him ahead of his fight with Tony Harrison.
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Tszyu never forgot it.
Now, almost four years later, Tszyu finally gets the chance to get his hands on The Big Fish when he faces the American superstar on July 26 in Sydney.
Speaking this week, the former world champ admitted Spence’s comments had stayed with him ever since.
“Ever since he started talking smack on Twitter and saying Harrison was going to beat me and bagging me out and calling me trash,” Tszyu told Shaun Porter on The PorterWay Podcast.
“I was like, ‘You know what? I really want to get this guy.’
“I’m not the guy that talks bad about people – it’s not me. But I’ve always had this thing against Errol.”
At the time, Tszyu was still unbeaten and on his way up, while Spence sat atop the sport as one of boxing’s pound-for-pound kings.
While Spence publicly wrote the Sydneysider off, Tszyu answered with his fists, stopping Harrison with a 9th round TKO.
Asked what his mindset towards Spence is right now, Tszyu was blunt.
“I want to hurt him,” he said.
“Do damage.”
Since then, however, plenty has changed.
The American superstar was brutalised by Terence Crawford before disappearing from the ring for three years.
Yet despite the inactivity and questions about what version of ‘The Truth’ will show up in Sydney this week, Tszyu says he isn’t expecting damaged goods.
“I’m expecting the Errol Spence that was fighting Kell Brook back in the day,” he said.
“But we will see.
“These are questions for him to answer.”
Porter later described Spence’s trademark southpaw pressure as being “like a train” that simply keeps rolling forward.
Asked about that style, Tszyu pointed to one weapon as potentially giving him the most grief.
“He’s very monotone, but he’s very good at that,” he said.
“It drowns you.
“He’s got a very stiff jab and the jab is consistent. I think that’s going to be the hardest part.
“But this fight is going to be a relentless style from me – I’m going to bring the heat and see if he can match it.”
Asked if there was any temptation to try and box the American, Tszyu simply grinned and shook his head.
“We are going straight in,” he said.
“I feel like stylistically this is the fight that everyone wants to see. This is a fan-friendly type of fight. Two big names in the sport, so I feel like it’s one for the fans.
“But also for myself, this is the fight I’ve always dreamt about, always wanted, it’s always been on my hit list…
“Im going to come in red-hot and really just go for his head straight away.”
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Still, there is one obvious question
Crawford’s one-sided schooling of Spence is the only defeat of the American’s career.
Has it exposed a blueprint for Tszyu to follow?
“He [Spence] was really exposed,” said Tszyu.
“But that was Terence Crawford. What Terence Crawford does with all his fighters is crazy.
“But it does show that he’s human as well. There’s no such thing as invincibility and Terence Crawford proved that.”
“Daddy’s shadow” Spence fires at Tszyu | 10:36
Spence, however, believes he’s also spotted flaws in Tszyu’s game.
Speaking with Main Event Australia’s Jonathan Brown last week, the Texan insisted The Phoenix’s recent losses had revealed openings he intends to exploit.
“I’ve noticed his losses. I definitely see the weaknesses and the openings,” Spence said.
“He has a new coach now and I think they’re going to change the game plan up a little bit. If not, I think it might go the same way as his other fights where he gets stopped.”
Asked if he was predicting a stoppage, Spence replied:
“They don’t call me ‘Man Down’ for no reason.”