Australian boxing great Jeff Fenech wants Tim Tszyu back in the ring by late November – and has already drawn up battle plans for his shot at national sporting history.
Only six weeks on from upsetting American superstar Errol Spence Jnr, Tszyu is now readying to sit down with Fenech in coming days and finalise a return to action, most likely before Christmas.
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Speaking with Fox Sports Australia this week, Fenech stressed that, while no opponent has yet been named, it will be Tszyu who has the final say on who he fights.
Currently, the clubhouse leaders remain Jermell Charlo and WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara.
Elsewhere, the Marrickville Mauler also likened his growing partnership with Tszyu to that of his famed relationship with Hall of Fame trainer, Johnny Lewis – and with a grin, suggested the pair could silence the “idiots” and create national boxing history.
Should Tszyu fight, and beat, Lara next, the 31-year-old would join an elite list of Aussies with titles in multiple divisions, including Fenech, Liam Paro, Danny Green and Anthony ‘Choc’ Mundine.
While Fenech has no preference on who Tszyu fights, the prospect of cornering him to win gold in a second weight class is obviously enticing.
“I’d love for Timmy to win world titles in two weight divisions,” the four-division world champion said. “To be with him for that, yeah, incredible.
“But whoever Tim chooses, I’ll put a plan in place.
“We’ve already been planning around a couple of opponents and I know he and [No Limit promoter] Matt Rose have some things going on.
“Ever since the Spence fight, Tim has been away. So we’ll be sitting down in the next week to nail it all out. Nothing has been finalised yet, but he and Matt have a plan and I’m happy to work with that.
“Tim is the boss. I work for him.”
Asked about fighting Lara, who at 42 is the oldest reigning world champion, and Fenech continued: “Well, I’ve looked at his age and I’ve looked at his fighting … [laughs] and Lara fights nothing like a guy who is 42.
“He’s just so skilful, so dominant.
“And the reason Lara has the record he does, it’s because he makes people fight his fight.
“He dictates, and makes you fight the way he wants you to.
“So my job is to make sure that doesn’t happen. Get Lara wondering what Tim is going to do.”
Fenech confirmed he was also working on a game plan for Charlo, who Tszyu called out via Instagram over the weekend.
“And with Charlo, you’re always one punch away from losing the fight,” Fenech warned. “He’s a great puncher, a great finisher.
“Both the brothers are.
“The Charlos could be losing a fight through all eight rounds, then they hit you with one punch and turn everything around.
“It’s why early on when I was still commentating for Main Event, I wasn’t confident that the Tim I was seeing then – or with the team surrounding him – that he could go and do the job against Charlo.
“But I know now, he’ll have the right plan.
“And with the right plan Tim Tszyu can beat Charlo … he can beat anybody.”
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So as for a proposed return date?
“Initially, there was talk about Tim not fighting until next January,” Fenech explained. “But that’s almost six months after Spence, and I want to get Tim back in there sooner.
“Especially given the changes we’re making.
“So now there has been talk about the end of November. And once Tim returns from his break, that gives us 11 weeks which is plenty.
“And whoever our opponent is, we have to make them fight our fight
“Because when Tim is making rival fighters adapt, I don’t believe any of them can beat him.”
Back in July, Tszyu went and earned the biggest scalp of his career when, fighting before a large Sydney crowd, he earned an emphatic decision win over Spence as the betting outsider.
Asked about the doubters that surrounded Tszyu before the Spence win, and some of the questions that followed – including if he should’ve finished the US great – and Fenech conceded critics would always be there.
Fenech also reminded that there had been plenty of doubt around his own partnership with Tszyu, and if the aligning of Australia’s two greatest boxing names would work.
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“But look, you always get idiots talking,” Fenech shrugged. “And, of course, whoever we fight next, the doubters will still be there.
“Even after Tim beat Spence, people were saying different things.
“But I’ll tell you now, Errol Spence only fought the way he did that afternoon because Tim made him.
“Honestly, he couldn’t do anything else.
“Understand too, Spence not only came here to win, but was convinced he was winning.
“That’s why he called out in the first place.
“But Timmy didn’t allow that to happen.
“And while there was still some hesitation in that fight, I believe all the hesitation will be gone for the next one.
“Because it isn’t a case of ‘is Jeff showing me the right thing?’ anymore. That doubt is gone.
“Obviously it was going to be there at the start. That’s natural.
“But there were certain truths I spoke about and Tim knows that what I’ve said is right.
“I believe he can be so much better than he was.
“And there is still plenty more to change.
“But against Spence, the best thing that happened was he believed in what I said.
“We changed a lot.
“I think we’ll be a much better team for this next fight.
“What Tim and I are doing now, it feels like back when I was with Johnny Lewis. This is a relationship built of trust and you can feel that in training.”