American superstar Shakur Stevenson is tipping Tim Tszyu to be “destroyed” in his upcoming July blockbuster – while Brian Norman Jnr has also delivered a dire Round One KO prediction for the Australian.
However, one of The Phoenix’s US sparring partners has this week hit back at those declarations and delivered a warning of his own.
While he may have now lost three championship bouts on US soil, there is no doubting the growing hype around Tszyu’s impending headliner against Errol Spence Jnr on July 26, most likely in Sydney.
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Yet while Spence may have been out of the ring three years, there are already plenty of global stars already lining up to back him home — and easily.
Speaking with Fight Hub TV overnight, former welterweight champ Norman Jnr was asked his prediction for the bout … and tipped Tszyu to be stopped within three minutes
“We’re going to see a different version of Errol Spence,” he started. “I feel like he’s going to be better than he was in the past.
“And what I mean by that is, first round knockout coming soon.
“Tim Tszyu is going to sleep, man.
“The boy ain’t got nothing for him. My boy coming to Australia to give him the work, you feel me?
“Errol Spence is going to be a great fighter (again). I’ve seen him in camp, hell of a fighter.”
Spence Jr. vows all-out war with Tszyu | 13:36
Equally dismissive of Tszyu’s chances this week was Stevenson.
As first revealed by Fox Sports Australia, the pair have agreed to meet at a catchweight of 158lbs, despite Team Tszyu’s best efforts to face the former unified welterweight champion at 154lbs.
And Stevenson insists his countryman will be far too strong against Tszyu, while also suggesting the match up favours Spence stylistically.
In fact, the WBO super lightweight champ has suggested Australia’s longtime pay-per-view star will get “destroyed” when headlines on July 26.
“I got Errol,” the champ said on The Agnew Podcast this week. “I don’t think Tim Tszyu can do anything with him. I don’t see Tim Tszyu being the guy to beat Errol.
“For me, I feel like an in-the-box fighter like Tim Tszyu is going to get destroyed (fighting) like that.”
Yet despite Spence’s standing among the greatest fighters of the modern era, question marks still hang over the Texan given he hasn’t fought in almost three years – and after being brutally stopped by Terence Crawford.
Before losing to Crawford however, the former world champ had claimed victories over Danny Garcia and Yordenis Ugas, which both followed a serious car crash.
Quizzed on the hyped headliner this week, undefeated US prospect Amari Jones – who has previously sparred rounds with Tszyu — stressed his former Aussie training partner would be up for the challenge, and predicted fireworks from his aggressive style.
Speaking with FightHype about their time together, and what he learned, the Las Vegas middleweight replied: “Man, Tim is going to come to fight, no doubt about it.
“We saw that with him and [Sebastian] Fundora. He’s going to come to fight.
“And Errol is not backing down from nothing. We’ve seen that numerous times, which is only going to make this a more interesting fight.
“Who is going to be the one to back down? Or who is going to be the one that finishes the fight …”
Asked for a prediction, Jones said: “Honestly, with that fight, you just don’t know.
“EJ is real confident, but you just don’t know what Errol is going to show up to the fight.
“So I can’t give a prediction, I just want the best man to win.
“But Tim is my guy. And he’s always up for the biggest test so, man, him and Errol getting in there is good for boxing.”
