Tim Tszyu’s pursuit of Erislandy Lara offers a route back to a world championship, but beating the 43-year-old Cuban would leave a separate question: how much has Tszyu improved since his damaging defeats at light middleweight?
Tszyu has already started rebuilding with his July victory over Errol Spence Jr. Adding Lara’s WBA middleweight belt would give that recovery a tangible reward and make Tszyu a champion in a second division. An October 3 Australian report describes their discussions as advanced, although the fight remains unannounced.
“We’ve had great discussions with Lara’s team,” promoter George Rose told Fox Sports in September. “And I feel like something is close to being announced.”
Lara presents an interesting test because Tszyu’s pressure could work against him or create openings for the champion. Tszyu needs to get close enough to attack the body without walking into straight left hands. Following Lara around and loading up on single punches would give the experienced southpaw opportunities to score before Tszyu gets his offense going.
The question is how consistently Lara can maintain that boxing over 12 rounds. At 43, he could find Tszyu’s physical pressure harder to manage as the fight progresses. Tszyu would need to make him work early rather than assume his age will eventually decide the contest.
That makes this a potentially favorable championship opportunity, but an incomplete measure of Tszyu’s recovery. His willingness to trade proved costly against Bakhram Murtazaliev. Beating an older opponent would not establish that he can safely take the same approach against younger, harder-hitting middleweights.
Tszyu can still demonstrate improvement against Lara through the way he closes distance, protects himself after punching, and responds when his first attack fails. Those details would tell us more about his development than the championship label alone.
For Tszyu, winning the belt would also change his bargaining position. He could enter negotiations offering opponents a title opportunity, giving his comeback a commercial benefit beyond another recognizable name on his record.