Tim Tszyu has declared himself ready for an all-Australian assault on Errol Spence Jnr after sensationally splitting with his fight team for the second time in six months – and partnering up with Hall of Famer Jeff Fench.
Speaking with Fox Sports Australia on Wednesday night, Fenech also confirmed himself ready to take ‘The Phoenix’ back to a world title after agreeing to take on the role of both trainer and manager for the 31-year-old superstar.
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The Australian boxing great added that his first move in the new role has been to hire “one of the greatest legal teams in Australia” to deal with Tszyu’s ongoing battle with former manager Glen Jennings.
“And I’m 100 per cent convinced,” Fenech said, “that Tim Tszyu can be world champion again”.
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In a decision that has sent shockwaves through Australian sport, Tszyu has this week sensationally parted ways with Cuban boxing coach Pedro Diaz, strategic adviser Mike Altamura and manager Darcy Ellis.
In a text exchange late on Thursday evening, ‘The Phoenix’ was asked for a comment on his decision to finally align with Australian boxing great Fenech, who has known the nation’s pay-per-view king his whole life.
In response, Tszyu texted Fox Sports Australia one simple emoji – the Australian flag.
Fenech, meanwhile, revealed he and Tszyu had finalised the move over dinner at Sydney’s famed Grappa restaurant on Wednesday evening, with the pair set to start planning for Spence from Friday morning.
The four-division world champion added Tszyu would also have an elite legal team guiding him through what will likely soon be mediation talks with Jennings, with both men looking to avoid what could reportedly prove a $1 million NSW Supreme Court stoush.
It’s understood lawyers for Tszyu and his former manager will meet early next month to broker a settlement over a breach-of-contract dispute.
“But just so you know, I’ve got one of the best legal teams in Australia helping with all that,” Fenech said. “Because Tim only needs one thing on his mind, and that’s to box.
“Forget everything else.
“And when the truth in all that comes out … yeah, won’t be a problem.
“Which is now why I’m there.
“And why I’ve put that legal team in place. They’re the best of the best.
“So we’re fine.
“I’m 100 per cent confident that, when it comes time to go into camp for Spence, that won’t be a distraction at all.
“When Tim is at the gym, he can just train knowing this legal team will be looking after things. Same as they will then help with the management side of things moving forward.”
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Back in September last year, Tszyu created global headlines after revealing he was parting ways with Jennings, plus longtime trainer, and uncle, Igor Goloubev.
Within weeks, the fighter was then headed Stateside, where he eventually found a new home with Diaz – the trainer of over 20 world champions and as many Olympic medallists – in Miami, Florida.
Yet after consecutive wins against Anthony Velazquez and Denis Nurja that partnership is now over.
And in its place, two of the greatest surnames in Australian sports history have united.
“So Tim has had to do a couple of things that were really hard for him today,” Fenech said Thursday night, when confirming the change. “It hasn’t been an easy decision for him.
“But I’m 100 per cent convinced Tim can be world champion again.
“Obviously I’m about taking it one step at a time.
“And our first job – beat Spence.
“Then we’ll take things from there.
“I mean, if Tim had the right people around him he’d still be world champion today.
“Even if somebody knew you stop a f***ing fight when your fighter can’t see … he would still be world champion right now.
Fenech revealed Tszyu’s shock decision may even stem back to the two days of training the pair did together late last year, and before the fighter headed Stateside to find a new coach.
“And more recently, I’d heard that Tim might ask me to train him,” he said.
“So I just sat back and waited.
“And then, yeah, eventually he did reach out to me.
“Which was still a surprise in a lot of ways. And I didn’t say ‘yes’ straight away.
“We met up a few days later.
“We spoke through some things and I told Tim that, while I have a job to do, he’s the boss.
“And that’s what has happened.
“He’s employed me to do a job … and I’m going to ensure Tim is victorious.”
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Asked about the Spence challenge, Fenech continued: “Right now, I’m not thinking about anything else.
“Yes, we’re fighting somebody who over the last decade has been one of the greats.
“And while it’s a great challenge, I know Tim Tszyu has the skills for this.
“He just needs to be shown some things.
“So now it’s up to me to give him those things he hasn’t had before. To give him levels. Give him plans A, B, C and D.
“Tim has always done the same things and I’m excited to now be doing something different with him.”
Fenech also confirmed he could potentially take on the roles of both coach and manager.
“Again, we’ve got another meeting tomorrow,” he said. “But I mean, Tim was even employing people to pick his opponents. As a trainer, that’s my job. I can tell him who the right fights are.”
Certainly Fenech has not held back in his criticism of both Tszyu’s previous trainers.
As recently as December, the Hall of Famer sensationally revealed he wouldn’t be attending Tszyu’s blockbuster Australian homecoming against Velazquez, describing footage coming out of his training camp in Miami, Florida to Fox Sports Australia as “f***ing worse than anything I’ve seen”.
Fenech also branded the fighter’s short camp under Diaz “s***”, and likened YouTube footage of pad work sessions as the fighter taking “two steps backward”.
Then earlier this month, French walked out of Tszyu’s win over Nurja in Wollongong after eight rounds.
Elsewhere, the Marrickville Mauler also took aim at Tszyu’s original team over several issues, including when they allowed him to fight on with a severe head cut against Sebastian Fundora – where he would lose his world title – and then for their game plan in stoppage losses against Bakhram Murtazaliev and Fundora a second time.
Fenech labelled Goloubev, Jennings and cutman Mark Gambin a “bunch of clowns”.
Now however, one of the nation’s greatest ever fighters gets the chance to rebuild Tszyu and take him to what would be one of the most emphatic world title resurrections anywhere in Australian sport.
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