“I reckon I’ll stop this guy. Earlier than Crawford. That’s what I’m going for,” Tszyu told Sporting News Australia.
“He’s taking away what I want. My goal, my belief, and my dream.”
Spence has not fought since suffering a ninth-round stoppage loss to Crawford in their undisputed welterweight title clash in July 2023. The 36-year-old will be returning from a two-year layoff when he steps into the ring against Tszyu.
Tszyu heads into the contest after making significant changes to his team following a difficult stretch that saw him suffer three consecutive world title defeats. Earlier this year, he returned to Australia and began working with Hall of Famer Jeff Fenech.
The 31-year-old says the partnership has helped him both inside and outside the gym.
“I was struggling a lot. People don’t see it, but I had problems everywhere, and I needed to just distance myself from it and focus on what I’ve got to do now,” said Tszyu.
“I’ve met great people. Jeff’s come on board and he’s made me think differently. We all go out to dinner together. We all laugh together. We’re all in it together, and the main thing is that post my career when I finish boxing, we’re all still going to be together.”
Tszyu also reflected on lessons learned from watching the aftermath of his father, Kostya Tszyu’s, Hall of Fame career.
“That’s the main thing. When my dad finished his career, no one was to be seen. No one,” said Tim.
“I remember that from a young age we had a big house back in the day. There used to be 10, 20, 30 people there every weekend. When he finished his career, there was no one. It was me, my mum, my brother, and my sister, and at least now, what I have now within my team, is that we’re all sticking together forever.”
