Tim Tszyu 27-3 (18 KOs) delivered a 10-round beatdown of Denis Nurja 20-1 (9 KOs) at the WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia today to keep his hopes of a high-profile bout against former unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr alive.
Tszyu, who briefly held the WBO junior middleweight title two years ago, produced a clinical display to hand Nurja his first professional loss. The 32-year-old Albanian proved tougher than expected, however, surviving a fourth-round knockdown to hear the final bell.
Still, he didn’t win a round.
The 31-year-old Australian was keen to show how much he had matured following a tumultuous 16-month stretch that saw him lose three of four bouts, including two by stoppage, in 2024-25. This prompted him to change up his team, including replacing his trainer and uncle Igor Goloubev with American Pedro Diaz.
The Nurja fight was just his second under the guidance of Miami’s Diaz.
The changes were subtle but noticeable. Tszyu boxed with calm confidence. He rarely rushed his work or left himself exposed. He tucked in behind the jab, attacked the body, and looked to disguise his power shots behind feints while moving in and out of range and controlling centre ring.
It was a mature performance, albeit against an inferior opponent.
Tszyu looked in complete control as early as the second round when he trapped Nurja on the ropes and unloaded. He began mixing in more power shots with each round but never got too greedy.
Tszyu kept turning the screws in the third with his suffocating pressure. He landed a solid right hand and, shortly after, a clean uppercut. The right hands kept coming from Tszyu, while Nurja had little to offer in return beyond the jab.
In the fourth, Nurja seemed to sense the urgency of the situation as he upped the tempo of his attack. Tszyu didn’t shirk the issue, ripping in a hard shot to the body before suffering a cut on his cheek. After a preliminary check by the ringside doctor, he was allowed to continue. Late in the round, Tszyu dropped Nurja, who was visibly hurt but beat the count. Guts and determination alone allowed him to see out the round.
Tszyu continued testing Nurja’s resolve over the next three rounds, but the stubborn visitor was determined not to go anywhere. Still, Nurja’s exhaustion was evident. He was deducted a point for holding in the seventh round.
Despite being on a hiding to nothing, Nurja willed himself through the final three rounds of the fight. His mouthpiece went flying in the 10th and final round, but he managed to hear the bell after absorbing a sustained beating across the course of the contest.
This was reflected in the scorecards of judges John Cauchi, Leanne Reid and Will Soulos, who all saw Tszyu the winner by identical scores of 100-88.
“I had him a couple of times, but he didn’t drop,” said Tszyu in his post-fight interview. “I was trying to take him out. Big respect. This time we won with a cut, so can’t complain.
“I feel like I’m up for Spence… bring it on.
“Let’s go fishing.”
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