Having recently sparred Errol Spence Jr, former Tim Tszyu opponent Brian Mendoza has offered his thoughts on their upcoming showdown.
The pair will collide in Australia at a catchweight of 158lbs on July 25, with Spence ending a three-year layoff following his ninth-round stoppage defeat to Terence Crawford.
Back then, their welterweight showdown was considered a 50/50 contest, only for Crawford to produce a dominant performance and become the undisputed king at 147lbs.
Spence was therefore relieved of his WBC, IBF and WBA titles, yet the 36-year-old now looks to reinvent himself at a higher weight.
Taking on a fellow former world champion, Tszyu is equally hoping to reignite his career after losing three of his last six fights.
First, the Australian lost his WBO super-welterweight via a split decision against Sebastian Fundora in 2024, before suffering a third-round stoppage defeat to Bakhram Murtazaliev later that year.
Tszyu then rematched Fundora in July 2025, only to get stopped in round seven, with his last meaningful victory coming against Mendoza in 2023.
But despite being unanimously outpointed by Tszyu, Mendoza has told FightHype that, based on his rounds with Spence, he anticipates the American turning in a technically polished performance.
“For those of you that think he’s done, that he’s just showing up for a [paycheque] … he’s not working like someone who’s showing up for a [paycheque].
“The work ethic I got to see in the couple of weeks I was [in camp], and just from being in the ring with him … there were adjustments every day. He’s not someone that’s just showing up.
“I was catching him with shots the first day we sparred. The second day we sparred, those shots were not landing. People forget he was a [high-IQ] boxer as an amateur.
“I did check Spence’s punch resistance – I can definitely say I sent some missiles his way – and I honestly feel like he responded well.”
With Tszyu having been stopped in his last two defeats, Spence’s durability could prove crucial if their contest becomes a battle of attrition.
