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Tim Tszyu eyeing Australian boxing return in September

3 minute read

Four months after losing his WBO super welterweight belt, Tim Tszyu is set to fight again in Australia with American Erickson Lubin a potential opponent.

Tim Tszyu.
Tim Tszyu. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Tim Tszyu is set to fight on home soil again with America's Erickson Lubin looming as a potential opponent.

Four months after surrendering his WBO super welterweight belt, Tszyu is set to return to the ring on September 22 for an IBF world title eliminator.

The venue and Tszyu's opponent have yet to be locked in but Lubin, who sits above the Sydneysider in the IBF super welterweight rankings, is the frontrunner.

Other potential opponents include American Jesus Ramos Jr, Puerto Rico's Xander Zayas and Jack Culcay of Germany.

Tszyu returns to Australia after his Las Vegas debut in March resulted in his first defeat in 25 fights.

The 29-year-old fell short of emulating his legendary father Kostya as a unified world boxing champion after a split-decision loss to Sebastian Fundora.

Tszyu had started brightly against the towering American but was forced to battle on without full vision after he walked into Fundora's elbow, opening up a gruesome gash on his head.

Such was the severity of his head wound his bout with Vergil Ortiz Jr, slated for August in Los Angeles, had to be cancelled on medical grounds.

Sporting a healed scar in the shape of a V on his head, Tszyu said he was looking for "vengeance" in his September match.

"It's not reannouncing (myself). It's taking my throne back," Tszyu said on Thursday in Sydney.

"The division is scattered at the moment. There's belts everywhere.

"I was on the trajectory of being at the top and these things happen. 

"It's my job now to take the throne back, one by one, fight by fight.

"I'm not going to just sit there and wait. I want to go out there and get these fights. 

"These are the big fights to make and for the next couple of years I will be reigning this division until Nikita comes up and I'll go off to middleweight."

Brother Nikita will take on fellow Australian Koen Mazoudier on August 28, with the venue yet to be decided.

The fight will be the younger Tszyu's first since defending his Australian super-welterweight title against Danilo Creati.

"For some reason, I'm picturing some sort of like Spartan vibes where we're both in this life or death situation," Tszyu said of his fight against Mazoudier.

"I just know that when we're going to be in a room together, we're both going to be trying to kill each other and we're going to be doing it with a smile. 

"It's going to be a beautiful act of violence."

The Tszyu brothers will head back to Las Vegas for training camps in preparation for their respective bouts.

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