Denis Nurja will not only stand across from Tim Tszyu – but he also will stand between Tszyu and a planned fight with Errol Spence.

Nurja was announced today for the second chapter of Tszyu’s latest comeback, according to Fox Sports Australia. They will headline on April 5 in Wollongong, New South Wales, about an hour south of Tszyu’s home in the Sydney suburb of Rockdale. The report also named a few undercard fighters, including former featherweight title challenger Sam Goodman.

Nurja, 20-0 (9 KOs), is a 31-year-old from Albania. He is ranked No. 12 at 154lbs by the WBA. Nurja won three times in 2025, all in his home country’s capital of Tirana, and all against low-level opposition. He outpointed a 4-4-4 foe over six rounds, took out the 13-3 Kiryl Samadurau in five rounds, and notched a six-round unanimous decision over the 8-4 Refik Tarhan. Most recently, Nurja needed just three minutes to dispatch the 17-13-1 Jose Gregorio Marcano in February of this year.

"I am 20-0 for a reason and I did not build that record by playing it safe," Nurja said in a press release. "This is the biggest opportunity of my career and I am ready for it. People are talking about Tim’s comeback, but I am the one standing in front of him. I respect what he has done in the sport, but I believe this is my moment. I am coming to Australia to win.”

Tszyu, 26-3 (18 KOs), is a 31-year-old former junior middleweight titleholder whose reign with the WBO belt ended in March 2024 via split decision in a bloody battle with Sebastian Fundora. Tszyu fought most of that match with a nasty gash on his scalp that sent heaps of crimson down his face.

There was no such excuse for Tszyu’s next bout, a three-round drubbing to then-IBF titleholder Bakhram Murtazaliev in October 2024. Tszyu started to rebuild with a fourth-round stoppage of Joey Spencer last April, then signed for a rematch with Fundora with the WBC belt on the line. Their sequel this past July was far less competitive; Tszyu remained on his stool after seven rounds.

In his last outing, Tszyu shut out the 18-0-1 Anthony Velazquez in December. Tszyu is currently ranked No. 7 at junior middleweight by the WBC and No. 8 by the IBF; he is also ranked No. 3 at middleweight by the WBO.

Spence, 28-1 (22 KOs), hasn’t fought since losing his three welterweight world titles to Terence Crawford, getting stopped in the ninth-round of their July 2023 match for the undisputed championship at 147lbs.

"There are some massive opportunities ahead, but none of that matters unless I get through this fight," Tszyu said in a press release. "My full focus is on Easter Sunday and the job in front of me. I want to get back to the top of the division and fight for world titles again, and this is the first step."

David Greisman, who has covered boxing since 2004, is on Twitter @FightingWords2. David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is available on Amazon.