Australia's Tim Tszyu alluded to moments of unhappiness with previous trainers as he explained why he has chosen his esteemed countryman Jeff Fenech to be his new coach. The biggest reason, however, would appear to be the very simple, and important, matter of being closer to home.
Tszyu, 27-3 (18 KOs), was two years ago one of the most reliable, and promising, titlists in the sport. Unbeaten heading into a March 2024 encounter with Sebastian Fundora, a bout he was widely expected to win, Tszyu endured a horrific cut to his forehead early in the bout and went on to lose a split decision after 12 rounds. What was presumed an aberration then threatened to become a habit.
After losing his comeback bout, a ballsy but ill-judged matchup with Bakhram Murtzaliev that ended inside three rounds, the junior middleweight would defeat the overmatched Joseph Spencer before losing again to Fundora in a rematch. That marked the end for his original training team, led by his uncle Igor Goloubev, and in came Cuba’s Pedro Diaz.
Though Tszyu, 31, has won twice since – 10-round points victories over Anthony Velazquez last December and Denis Nurja in April – they did little to shake the feeling that the rot had set in. Tszyu now contends that training in Miami, where Diaz is based, only added to the muddled feelings in his mind.
It was not an easy decision but he knew, from experience, that it was one he had to make.
“Was it hard? Yes, of course,” Tszyu told Fox Sports. “But the last time I went through it and I was young and I felt it [being wrong], I just kept my mouth shut and I kept going through. Why do stuff if it makes you unhappy? I don’t have to second guess; if I believe something now, I just do it, without thinking. I’ve got to make myself happy.
“I remember when I came into the ring, with no distractions, happy physically and mentally, that’s when my best performances were. It’s starts to become head noise and you question little things. It becomes a problem.
“There was a lot happening in the last camp. In all honesty, I wanted to spend a lot of time here in Australia [but] I spent a long time away from home, like two times two months away from home.
“Before I left, Jeff and I had a little chat and he said, ‘when you feel uncomfortable and in a position you don’t want to be in, just pack it up and go.’ And I sort of felt that a little bit, a little bit homesick. No one was doing anything bad, it was just me [missing] home. I thought I can’t do any more time away and I’m going to ask Jeff [to train me]. This was three or four weeks before the fight.
“It was hard, you don’t talk to your wife, the time difference is crazy… As soon as the fight finished, I knew I needed to stay home to be more present.”
Tszyu is expecting to next face Errol Spence Jnr, out of action since a comprehensive 2023 loss to Terence Crawford, and in Fenech – a former three-weight world titlist and one of the finest of all 1980’s fighters – he feels he’s at last met his perfect match.
“I know what type of training Jeff provides and the style he brings,” Tszyu explained. “The comfort that he made me feel was something that I needed. I had that with Pedro in Miami, but I was just away from home.
“We haven’t started camp yet, we’re still waiting for the [Spence] fight to be 100 per cent confirmed, and then we’re good to go. This combination, the Tszyus and the Fenechs, is something that’s going to be remembered, not just in boxing history but in sporting history, because it’s been a long time in the making.
“I know what I need to bring to this fight. I need to bring ruthlessness. When you talk about Australian boxing, and Australian relentlessness, you’re talking Jeff Fenech. One of my favorite trainers of time has been Emanuel Steward, all of his fighters that came through and all that he teaches, and to have someone like that, who has passed on his knowledge to Jeff. There’s a lot of legacy there to be learned.”
It was expected that Fenech, who has trained the likes of Mike Tyson, Vic Darchinyan, Danny Green and Sakio Bika, would also take on the role of managing Tszyu but the fighter did not confirm that to be the case.
“The number one job is to be my coach, someone that looks after me, mentally and physically,” said Tszyu. “I like his energy and it’s great to have that; someone that sticks by you, it’s refreshing.”
