Tim Tszyu can win middleweight title despite past prime

Tim Tszyu has a realistic path to winning a middleweight world title even though his best days are behind him, according to a new Bad Left Hook analysis published after his decision win over Errol Spence Jr in Sydney.

Tszyu announced he will stay at 160 lbs rather than return to junior middleweight, where he lost twice to Sebastian Fundora last year. The 31-year-old Australian has been steadily climbing in weight over his last three fights, weighing in at 156¼, 157¼, and 159 lbs before settling on the full middleweight limit for Spence.

Middleweight division offers openings for Tszyu

Bad Left Hook's Scott Christ wrote that the Spence performance showed Tszyu is no longer at his peak but noted the middleweight landscape remains vulnerable. Current titleholders Carlos Adames, Erislandy Lara, and Denzel Bentley all present varying degrees of difficulty. "Tszyu's at a point in his career where fighting like a mad dog will quite likely get him knocked out by good opponents," Christ wrote, describing a fighter who has abandoned his old aggressive style for a more cautious approach that hides his decline.

Adames represents the worst possible matchup and should be avoided, per the analysis. But 43-year-old Lara, who has defended his WBA belt against a string of weak challengers over five years, could be vulnerable to even a diminished Tszyu. Bentley, recently elevated from interim WBO champion after Janibek Alimkhanuly vacated, looks the most winnable target. The analysis noted that Nathan Heaney beat Bentley in 2023, and the current version of Tszyu remains better than Heaney was on that night.

The IBF vacancy will be settled August 8 when Aaron McKenna faces Etinosa Oliha, another potential opening depending on who emerges. Tszyu is 28-3 with 18 knockouts and has won three straight since the Fundora losses. His next move will determine whether he can join the small group of Australian fighters to win titles in two weight classes.

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• Bad Left Hook — Yes, Tim Tszyu is past his best, but he can win a world title at 160