Jeff Fenech’s Uncertain Attendance at Tim Tszyu’s Fight
Jeff Fenech has expressed uncertainty about whether he will attend Tim Tszyu’s upcoming fight against Dennis Nurja in Wollongong on Sunday. However, he confirmed that he has been in regular contact with the Sydney-based fighter ahead of the bout. This fight is a crucial step for Tszyu as he aims to secure a multi-million-dollar mega bout with American former champion Errol Spence later this year.
Fenech’s involvement in Tszyu’s preparation has been subtle, especially following the recent visit by pound-for-pound legend Terence Crawford to Tszyu’s camp. Crawford, when asked about his pick between Tszyu and Spence, said, “I’ve got Errol.” Despite this, Fenech has not attended Tszyu’s training sessions or spoken to his coach, Pedro Diaz. This might come as a surprise to some, considering Fenech was part of Tszyu’s new team last year after a challenging period in the fighter’s career.
Fenech has been vocal about the direction Tszyu’s career has taken under the guidance of his previous team. He was not impressed by what he saw in training videos that Tszyu posted on social media. Additionally, Fenech did not attend Tszyu’s first fight under Diaz, a trainer who has worked with 20 world champions and several gold Olympic medallists.
Despite his lack of direct involvement, Fenech expressed hope to be in attendance on Sunday, not in an official capacity but to offer his support before and after the fight. He mentioned that he is still deciding whether to go, partly due to his responsibilities with his little granddaughter.
“If I go down – (it will be) as a fan to watch Tim get to that next level again,” Fenech said.
Fenech has been in regular communication with Tszyu, but not to interfere with the strategies implemented by Diaz. Instead, he checks in on a personal level to ensure that Tszyu is happy and enjoying his journey.
“I just want to make sure that he’s happy and he’s enjoying what he’s doing. I’m not gonna tell him to change things. He’s with somebody. It’s just try to give him all the encouragement and confidence that I can give him.”
Fenech believes that it may take some time for Tszyu to gel with Diaz, similar to how a football team needs time to adjust. However, he is confident that Tszyu will perform better in this fight than in his previous one.
Tszyu is facing Nurja, an undefeated Albanian fighter, in a match that could determine his path to a high-profile bout with Spence. The fight with Spence is worth a reported $15 million, making it a significant opportunity for Tszyu.
Crawford recently criticized the management of Tszyu’s career, pointing out that poor decisions led to some of Tszyu’s losses. He believed that the fight with Fundora should have been stopped earlier, which would have allowed Tszyu to recover and return stronger. Similarly, the fight with Bakhram Murtazaliev was poorly planned, leading to another loss.
Despite these challenges, Tszyu still has a chance to secure a big win if he defeats Nurja. Crawford, however, picked Spence to win the predicted matchup, stating that Spence has the edge in skill.
Fenech, on the other hand, refuses to fuel the narrative around the Spence fight. He believes that Tszyu can beat anyone, but must focus on the current challenge first. He emphasized that it is crucial for Tszyu to concentrate on Nurja rather than looking too far ahead.
“One of the things I’ve told Tim and everybody else around him is it’s just one fight at a time. So I’m not sure exactly where they are with the Spence fight, but you’ve got to realise this, if he loses (against Nurja) or he doesn’t do well, who with any common sense would throw him in against Spence?” Fenech said.
He added that it is hard to ignore the questions about the Spence fight, but the key is to stay focused on the immediate goal. “It’s one fight at a time, climbing that ladder again and getting confident again.”
