Tszyu’s ‘Demolition’ Threat Meets Spencer’s Doubts: Can Former Champion Withstand The Power After Devastating KO?

Joey Spencer said he’s going to be testing Tim Tszyu’s chin with his power shots this Saturday, and he doesn’t know if his ability to take a punch will have been diminished from his recent knockout loss to IBF junior middleweight champion Bakhram Murtazaliev on October 19th last year.

Spencer (19-1, 1 KOs) will face the former WBO 154-lb champion Tszyu (24-2, 17 KOs) in a 10-round fight this Saturday, April 6th, at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Broadmeadow, in Newcastle. The event starts at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT. For Australian fans, it’ll be on at 11:00 a.m. AEDT.

Demolition Claims

Spencer, 25, was amused when told by the media that Tszyu plans on doing a “demolition job” on him. He noted that he’d said the exact same thing before his last fight against Murtazaliev. That fight didn’t turn out too well for Tszyu with him getting blown out in three rounds.

“I’m definitely not counting on his chin being weaker. I’m counting on him being able to take lots of shots, and I’ll break him down the right way,” said Joey Spencer to the media when asked if he thinks Tim Tszyu’s punch resistance has diminished after his knockout loss to Bakhram Murtazaliev last October.

Tszyu was getting hit with repeated left hooks from Murtazaliev in the second and third rounds of that fight, and he couldn’t take the power. He wasn’t expecting to be hit by Bakhram’s left hook so often, and he didn’t look ready at all for those shots.

“I’ve never been in the ring with Bakhram. So, I’m not sure how my power stacks up. I know I can hit. I know I’m accurate with my punches, and I know that accuracy and timing create knockouts. I know I’m a great power puncher. I’m going to hit him. So, we’ll see what happens,” Spencer continued.

Bakhram obviously hits harder than Spencer, but it may not matter if Joey doesn’t have the same crushing power. He hits hard enough to knock Tszyu out.

Mind Games

“I feel he’s trying to psych himself up. We’re getting close to the fight now. He said that?” said Spencer when told that Tszyu said he’s going to do a “demolition job” on him on Saturday. “He said the same thing when he was going against Bakhram.

“Whatever he wants to do, we’re ready for. It doesn’t matter,” said Spencer after being informed that Tszyu said he’s going to go straight at him from the opening bell, trying to take him out.