- No Limit Boxing confirmed on 13 October that Tim Tszyu will challenge Erislandy Lara for the WBA middleweight title in Australia, with the date, city and venue still to be announced
- Tszyu is coming off a July decision win over Errol Spence Jr in Sydney, while Lara is a 43-year-old Cuban who has never been stopped
- My prediction is Tszyu by unanimous decision, and it will be closer than his fans want it to be
Tszyu v Lara Is Official
Right then. After a few weeks of whispers, it is done. No Limit Boxing confirmed on Tuesday that Tim Tszyu will challenge Erislandy Lara for the WBA middleweight title in Australia. We do not have a date, a city or a venue yet, with the details promised in the coming weeks, though the fight was first reported in September as a possible pre-Christmas date. Let’s not beat around the bush: Tszyu has called for this one by name, and he has got it.
Make no mistake, this is a proper fight. Tszyu is 31, 28-3 with 18 knockouts, and he is on a three-fight winning streak. The latest win was a unanimous decision over Errol Spence Jr in front of a sold-out Afterpay Arena in Sydney in July. He called Lara out in the ring after that fight, and he has since called Spence “just the appetiser”. Middleweight is his division now, and a win would make him a two-weight world champion.
Why Lara Is So Hard To Solve
Lara is 43, 32-3-3 with 19 knockouts, and he has held the WBA middleweight title since 2021. This would be his fifth defence. He is a Cuban southpaw, a 2005 world amateur champion, and he has never been stopped in a long career. Brilliant is the word. He reads angles better than almost anyone in the sport, he makes you miss from a range you thought was safe, and he counters with a sharp left hand the moment you overcommit.
The Southpaw Problem
This is where it gets interesting for Tszyu. His game is pressure: walk forward, land the heavy body shot, make it ugly. Against a slick southpaw, that is easier said than done, because Lara will turn you, tag you on the way in and make you pay for any lazy foot placement. Remember that the last time Tszyu lost a big one, it was to the awkward, lanky Sebastian Fundora in 2024, and he has had to rebuild since.
My Prediction
Tszyu by unanimous decision, and I expect it to be closer than his fans want. Lara will win the early rounds with his jab and his timing. But he is 43, and over twelve rounds a younger man throwing volume to the body will start to take over, particularly with a home crowd behind him. Lara has never been stopped, so I do not see a knockout. I see Tszyu doing enough in the second half to nick it.
If I am wrong, it will be because Lara boxes the perfect fight and Tszyu cannot find a way inside. That is a real possibility, and it is exactly why this is such a good match-up. Tszyu has asked for the man with the belt. Now he has to go and take it.