Jeff Fenech’s Support for Tim Tszyu
Jeff Fenech has expressed uncertainty about whether he will attend Tim Tszyu’s upcoming fight against Dennis Nurja in Wollongong on Sunday. However, he has confirmed that he has been in regular contact with the Sydney-based fighter ahead of the bout against the undefeated Albanian.
Fenech’s involvement in Tszyu’s preparation has been more subtle than expected, especially considering his role as part of Tszyu’s team last year following a challenging period in the fighter’s career. Recently, pound-for-pound legend Terence Crawford visited Tszyu’s camp and later remarked, “I’ve got Errol,” when asked to pick a winner between Tszyu and Spence.
Despite not attending Tszyu’s training sessions or speaking directly with his coach, Pedro Diaz, Fenech remains a supportive figure in Tszyu’s corner. This may come as a surprise to some, given Fenech’s previous association with Tszyu’s team.
Fenech has been vocal about his concerns regarding the direction of Tszyu’s career under his previous team. He was not impressed by what he saw in training videos Tszyu posted on social media. Additionally, Fenech did not attend Tszyu’s first fight under Diaz, who has worked with 20 world champions and several Olympic gold medallists.
Fenech told Wide World of Sports that he hopes to be present at the fight but not in an official capacity. His goal is to offer support before and after the bout.
“I’m still not sure yet. I’m just waiting to find out. I’ve got my little granddaughter. If I go down – (it will be) as a fan to watch Tim get to that next level again.”
Fenech has been in frequent contact with Tszyu, not to interfere with the strategies implemented by Diaz, but to check in on a personal level. He emphasized the importance of ensuring Tszyu is happy and enjoying his training.
“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. It’s been very, very positive, and feedback between both of us has been positive.”
Fenech believes that Tszyu will perform better in this fight compared to his last one. He noted that it often takes time to gel with a new coach, similar to how a football team adjusts.
“I’m sure that he’ll be better in this fight than his last fight. It sometimes takes a little bit of time to gel with a coach – the same as a footy team. I feel that he’ll be right on top of this fight.”
The Road to a Mega Bout
Tszyu is set to face unbeaten Nurja, with a win needed to secure a multi-million-dollar mega bout against American former champion Errol Spence later this year. Despite the high stakes, Fenech has chosen not to take a more hands-on approach when it comes to the technical side of Tszyu’s training. Instead, he prefers to offer support from a different vantage point.
Having experienced trainers like Diaz and Fenech in his corner is invaluable for Tszyu, even though the two do not share information. Fenech explained that each has their own way of working, and he respects Diaz’s methods.
“He’s been very successful, so hopefully he can turn that on to Tim. Everybody’s a different individual, you’ve got to treat everybody differently. Tim seems really happy and that’s what it’s all about. If you’re happier when you’re training, the most important thing is you wanna get back there tomorrow.”
Lessons from the Past
Tszyu had not lost in his first 23 fights before suffering defeats to Fundora, Bakhram Murtazaliev, and a rematch to Fundora last July. These losses left the 31-year-old at a career crossroads. Earlier this week, Crawford criticized the management of Tszyu’s career, pointing to poor decisions that have placed the Sydney fighter in a precarious position.
“On the first fight with Fundora, Tim had him. He had him. They should have stopped that fight. That was bad coaching. He would have been better off if they’d stopped that fight and let him come back the second time, instead of letting him carry on and take that punishment.”
Crawford also criticized the decision to send Tszyu against Bakhram Murtazaliev, stating that the style and game plan were wrong.
“They messed him up – and Tim was capable of doing the same thing. It was just the wrong game plan.”
Despite these setbacks, Tszyu still has a chance to earn a significant payday and secure big fights if he defeats Spence. The reported $15 million bout is a major opportunity for Tszyu.
Crawford picked Spence to beat Tszyu in the predicted match-up, stating, “I’ve got Errol. But I think it’d be a good fight for both of them at this stage of their career. I’m not 100 per cent confident. I just know the calibre of fighter that Errol is, just like I know the calibre of fighter Tim is.”
Fenech, however, does not believe in fueling the narrative around the Spence fight. He believes Tszyu can beat anyone but must focus on the current challenge. He emphasized the importance of taking one fight at a time.
“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? So it’s just one fight at a time, and I know Tim knows that. I’ve spoken to Tim about that all the time.”
