Lara Confirms Tszyu Negotiations For December Title Fight

WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara is closing in on a December title defense against Tim Tszyu in Australia.

George Rose of No Limit Boxing told Fox Sports Australia that the two sides are nearing a deal for a December clash on Tszyu's home turf. Bad Left Hook reports that negotiations are "close to being finalised" for the matchup between the 43-year-old Cuban and the former welterweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">super welterweight titlist.

Lara's Thin Resume Since Castano Draw

Lara has won seven straight since his grinding 2019 draw with Brian Castano, but the level of opposition has been modest. His run includes wins over Spike O'Sullivan, Michael Zerafa, and Danny Garcia. The 32-3-3 veteran was set to face Janibek Alimkhanuly in a three-belt unification last December before the Kazakh failed a drug test.

Tszyu enters on a three-fight winning streak after a rough patch that saw him drop three of his previous contests. The 31-year-old ground down Errol Spence Jr in his most recent outing, a performance that reestablished his credentials at the higher weight.

The fight would mark Lara's most significant bout of the 2020s and Tszyu's first middleweight title shot. A formal announcement is expected in the coming weeks.

Reported via:

• Bad Left Hook — Erislandy Lara vs Tim Tszyu in the works for December