Tim Tszyu and Jeff Fenech were not amused when the former’s July 26 opponent, Errol Spence Jnr, failed to show for a satellite face-to-face Thursday morning.
Both Tszyu and Spence Jnr had reportedly agreed to take part in the Fox Sports promotional show but only the Australian fulfilled the obligation.
After waiting for more than an hour for the 28-1 (22 KOs) Spence, who would have needed to be up in the middle of the night in the US to make the call, Tszyu said of his opponent: “He’s a diva. The guy is living in his own fairytale, thinking he runs the show. He thinks everyone is on his time.
“But unfortunately, we’re not. Just as I won’t be when we finally step into that ring.
“Yes, the guy has achievements. Same as he’s made a shit-tonne of money.
“But once we get into the ring, all that fades away. It’s me and him. That’s the best thing about boxing.”
The junior middleweight contest will mark former welterweight champion Spence’s first action since he was brutally stopped by Terence Crawford three years ago.
Two years before that, the American, now 36, was forced to withdraw from a proposed bout with Manny Pacquiao due to a detached retina in his left eye. It has since been repaired.
“I want to inflict pain,” Tszyu, 27-3 (18 KOs), said. “I’m coming for every limb. That’s it. Simple. Especially that retina.”
Fenech, Tszyu’s trainer, didn’t hold back, either.
“Spence thinks he’s fucked us mentally,” he said. “It hasn’t worked.”
Undercard star Jermell Charlo, 34-0 (23 KOs), did make an appearance, however. When asked if he’d been studying tapes of opponent Koen Mazoudier, 15-4-1 (6 KOs), Charlo said: “I don’t even know how he looks… I’ll make the adjustments when I get in the ring… I doubt he’s going to be able to switch up his style and show me something I’ve never seen before. I don’t really study, I look at the fight when we get there.”
