Fenech prepares Tszyu for a second-division title bid after guiding him past Errol Spence Jr.
Erislandy Lara will defend his WBA middleweight title against Tim Tszyu in Australia, putting his reign on the line against the former WBO super welterweight champion.
The fight is confirmed. Lara has held the middleweight belt since 2021 and made four successful defences, while Tszyu approaches the challenge with three consecutive wins.
The Cuban brings a 32-3-3 record with 19 knockouts into the contest. Before winning a professional world title at super welterweight and then middleweight, Lara won the 2005 world amateur championship.
He has never been stopped.
Tszyu will attempt to take that championship with Jeff Fenech directing his corner. Fenech joined the team in 2025, then assumed the head trainer’s role before Tszyu defeated Errol Spence Jr in July.
That partnership now enters a world-title fight at 160 pounds. Fenech became the first Australian man to win world championships across multiple divisions, the achievement Tszyu now pursues.
“Having Jeff Fenech in my corner means everything. He knows exactly what it takes to win titles at multiple weights, and he’s in my ear every single day,” Tszyu said.
Tszyu earned a unanimous decision over Spence before 12,000 spectators at Sydney’s Afterpay Arena, lifting his record to 28-3 with 18 knockouts. He called out Lara from the ring after the victory.
The challenge has produced a title shot.
No Limit Boxing chief executive George Rose pointed to Tszyu’s decision to pursue the champion directly.
“Tim wanted him and called for him by name. He wants legacy and the time is now,” Rose said.
The fight also gives Tszyu a chance to add a second weight division to his championship record. He previously held the WBO belt at super welterweight, four pounds below the middleweight limit.
Victory would give the Tszyu family its first world champion across two divisions. His father, Kostya, collected all his world titles at light welterweight, where he became undisputed champion.
For Tim, that opportunity follows his move to middleweight and the July win over Spence. Lara now stands between him and another world championship.