Tszyu Challenges Lara for WBA Middleweight Title in Australia

Tim Tszyu will challenge Erislandy Lara for the WBA middleweight title after No Limit Boxing announced the fight on October 13, with the bout planned for Australia in late November. The venue and exact date have not been confirmed.

According to No Limit Boxing and multiple reports, Lara will defend the championship against Tszyu, who moved up to middleweight after previously holding the WBO super welterweight title. Tszyu enters the fight with a 28-3 record and 18 knockouts.

Lara, the 43-year-old Cuban champion, brings a 32-3-3 record with 19 knockouts. According to reports, he has held the WBA middleweight belt since 2021 and has made four successful defenses.

Tszyu said the matchup represents a major challenge against a champion known for his technical style and difficult movement.

"Lara is a great champion. He's slick, clever and stylistically very hard. He'll want to turn this into a chess match but I've never taken the easy road.

I want the man with the belt, and I'll drag him into a fight he doesn't want. At 160 I feel strong, sharp and dangerous. Middleweight is my division now, Spence was just the appetizer.

Having Jeff Fenech in my corner means everything. He knows exactly what it takes to win titles at multiple weights, and he's in my ear every single day. Liam Paro already did it this year, now it's my turn," said Tim Tszyu.

Tszyu has won three straight fights, including a unanimous decision victory over Errol Spence Jr. According to reports, that win followed a difficult period in which he lost three of four fights before returning to form under trainer Jeff Fenech.

"Lara is a nightmare for anyone. He's a genius in there and spent a decade making the best in the world look silly. Plenty of big names have found reasons not to fight him.

Tim wanted and called for him by name. He wants legacy and the time is now," said No Limit Boxing CEO George Rose.

Rose highlighted Tszyu's decision to pursue Lara directly after the Australian fighter called for the champion following his victory over Spence Jr. The bout gives Tszyu a chance to become a two-division world champion.

Tszyu also discussed the significance of following the path of Australian fighters who have won titles in multiple divisions.

"I've carried the Tszyu name my whole life. It's a privilege and it's pressure. This is my chance to write a chapter that belongs to me, and it's the legacy defining moment of my career," said Tim Tszyu.

Lara's experience and unbeaten championship record against stoppage losses will provide a major test for Tszyu as he seeks a second world title in a new weight class.

"This is a monster – an Australian superstar against a boxing legend, for a historic world title fight, on home soil. You don't get many fights like this in a career, and I promise you nobody will want to miss it," said George Rose.

The fight is expected to take place in late November, with the Gold Coast reported as a possible location, although official confirmation of the venue remains pending.