Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Tim Tszyu has declared his burning desire to become a boxing “immortal” with victory over Erislandy Lara in a middleweight world title bout headlining the greatest Australian card in the sport’s history.
The Gold Coast’s Cbus Super Stadium was on Wednesday revealed as the venue for next month’s blockbuster that could elevate Tszyu to alongside his legendary trainer Jeff Fenech and No Limit Boxing stablemate Liam Paro as Australia’s only three multi-division world champions.
“That’s the driving factor right now: to be joining these two guys, the greats now of the sport, especially in Australia, so I’m putting it all on the line,” Tszyu said.
“Look, it’s just about the challenge, the second middleweight world title. It’s something to get out of bed for. If you want to be an immortal in this career, there’s certain things that you have to do – and and this is one of them.
“I’ve got all of Australia behind me. I’m pretty blessed for that and to be doing it here on the Gold Coast, it’s even better.”
Tszyu, who resurrected his international career with a points win over American legend Errol Spence Jr in Sydney in August, first claimed the WBO super-welterweight title with arguably his greatest-ever performance against Brian Mendoza on the Gold Coast three years ago.
Now fellow Australian Liam Wilson also has the chance to land a maiden world title on December 13 after promoters assembled the biggest domestic card since Jeff Horn upset Manny Pacquiao nine years ago.
After infamously being robbed of the WBO super-featherweight belt against Mexican superstar Emanuel Navarrete in 2023, Wilson is eyeing atonement against WBA strap holder Elnur Samedov on the December 13 showstopper.
“I’ve come very close on two occasions. I was winning those fights until I lost them,” Wilson said.
“My third attempt, it’s time for me to redo my wrongs and show everyone what I’m capable of and proven to myself that I am what I think I am – a world champion, and I will be.”
Adding further lustre to the card is former undisputed super-welterweight king Jermell Charlo making his Australian debut against Tszyu’s fellow Sydneysider Brock Jarvis.
Charlo twice pulled out of scheduled Las Vegas showdowns with Tszyu before being denied a visa into Australia when slated to fight Koen Mazoudier in Sydney in July.
“This is a life changer, for me” Jarvis said on Wednesday.
The Gold Coast program is the climax of a massive month in Australian boxing, which gets under way on Friday night in Sydney when ex-NRL premiership-winning greats Paul Gallen and Nelson Asofa-Solomona settle a score in a heavyweight stoush in Sydney.
Tszyu’s undefeated brother Nikita makes his US debut on the December 6 undercard of David “The Monster” Benavidez while Paro is also tipped to chase unified welterweight glory against American pound-for-pound superstar Devin Haney before Christmas.
