Who is Tim Tszyu’s opponent Joey Spencer? The ‘Small Town Soldier’ coming for Australian star

So you want to find the American kid gunning for Tim Tszyu?

OK, cool.

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But you’d better rug up.

Then, get ready to risk plenty on the icy, winter backroads of southern Michigan.

Especially given only a few nights back, around midnight, and on his way home from sparring, Joey Spencer drove over two hours through a snowstorm.

Just as he will have to again in the coming days.

“So this camp, I’m always staring down death,” laughs the fighter lifted straight from Smalltown America.

Or more specifically, the road map smudge of Linden.

A wonderfully anonymous little dot which, enduring a heavy winter right now, and sitting an hour west of Detroit – or double that in a snowstorm – has two stop lights, one bar, snow, a grocery store, more snow, and $7.99 breakfast specials at the Coney Café.

Just outside town too, there also sits an oversized barn which, now converted into a gym, is where late each evening, and as his little town readies for sleep, you’ll find this local boy punching, skipping, lifting, throwing, working.

“Inching closer,” the 24-year-old says, “to everything that’s coming”.

And what’s coming is Tszyu.

That most hyped of Australian fighters who, after dropping not one, but two title fights over the past year, and being KO’d for the first time in his life, is now looking to spectacularly bounce back in an April headliner, exact details of which are expected to be announced in the next week.

More than simply resurrecting his world title aspirations, this fight is about Tszyu proving wrong those saying he’s done, never was – or at least not Kostya – while also punching back into the American consciousness with a resounding thwack. Yet in the way of all this, is Spencer.

A US fightin’ phenom from the sticks who, right now, is kicked back and chatting in the lounge room of his parent’s home at one o’clock in the morning as the snow falls outside.

And why?

Well, this is the only time you’ll get him.

With the young father-of-two explaining to Fox Sports Australia how, in a bid to ready his body clock for Australia, and everything Tszyu brings, he’s already turned his work days completely arse about.

Waking at three o’clock each afternoon, Joey drives, first, through a countryside coloured winter white to that converted barn for training; before then disappearing to whichever nearby town has the sparring partners for that evening’s 10pm workout.

After that, it’s back into the truck with dad Jason – who doubles as both his coach and manager – for the trip home, dinner, before several more hours are spent watching Tszyu tape, old fights, even a little Netflix.

Then finally around 5am, the pair turn in.

All of which is no easy thing given, on the morning we speak, the outside temperature sits at seventeen below.

Then the following day, it’s tipped to go lower again.

Or so cold that were Joey not readying for the biggest fight of his life, he would be off wetting a line in Linden’s annual ice fishing competition.

Although truth be told, this two-time PBC Prospect of the Year would rather hunt than fish.

And rather box than hunt.

Yet around here in Linden … well, thankfully a fella can do all three.

Call it life for this fighter who, already five years into a marriage with childhood sweetheart Tabitha, and sharing two beautiful young children – Kathy, 2, and James, 6 months, — will also start our Zoom asking “so can you see me OK, sir …”

Same as around town, Joey is as well known for his hands as his truck, hunting bows, and a famed salsa which not only raced off the Linden market shelves over Super Bowl weekend, but is made of such secretive ingredients you’d have to fight the kid to get them.

And good luck with that.

Especially given Spencer first entered a gym aged five, was sparring by six, competing at seven and, soon enough, on his way to nine national titles and the type of hype that sees you debut professionally in Las Vegas.

In 100 amateur fights, Joey won 90

And all while still staying so country, you reckon his favourite colour has to be John Deere green.

Or camouflage.

Which wonderfully, is also the shade of trunks this kid dons for every fight, and right before walking out to Hank Williams Jnr’s A Country Boy Can Survive.

Just as he will against Tszyu.

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So while largely unknown among Australian sports fans – and a long way from the megastars Tszyu himself hoped to be challenging by now – make no mistake about the ability, and fight, coursing through Joey Spencer.

First professional bout?

Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas.

While from there, this Smalltown hero then continued winning through Minneapolis, New York, even the Staples Centre in Los Angeles – before finally coming up short in a hyped MGM Grand showdown against Jesus Alejandro Ramos Jr.

But what country song doesn’t have a little heartbreak, right?

And besides, that fight was two years ago.

With Spencer having since won another three straight and, only weeks ago, found himself being talked up as world title challenger for Sebastian Fundora, who is yet to reappear since taking both the WBC and WBO crowns from Tszyu.

But when that proposed title opportunity then went and fell through, the Spencers received a call from Luis de Cuba, who is well known Stateside as heavyweight promoter Al Haymon’s righthand man.

“So,” de Cuba asked, “how would you like to fight Tszyu in his backyard?”

All of which continues the incredibly unique story of a kid who hunts, fights, loves his town, his family, his truck, his bows, God, Johnny Cash, and only last August was headlining on Linden’s high school football field.

Which, you should know, is nothing like some washed WWF wrasslin’ great headlining a YMCA.

In fact, it’s the opposite.

With Spencer hailing as a “bucket list moment” the card which felt as if all of Linden was there.

Yep, all 4160 of them.

Can you picture it?

When after a rain delay of some 90 minutes, and on a gridiron marked by one ring and hundreds of white folding chairs, Joey finally emerges between the legs of Linden High’s giant inflatable Eagle mascot.

Then from there, accompanied by footballers, cheerleaders and the hope of an entire town, Spencer walks out across the turf as, wonderfully, the school band belts out its famed fight song.

Truly, bottle the moment and you’d have a Budweiser.

“Community,” is how the fighter describes a night, and town, so tattooed to his life, to his very being, that he competes under the ring name ‘Small Town Soldier’.

A moniker gifted some years back by his pastor.

“Initially, I just wrote it up as an Instagram caption one time,” Spencer says of the ‘Soldier’ moniker.

“I’d never had a ring name but my pastor, he said to me ‘that’s it, that has to be your name’.”

Which matters to not only the town, but those who make it.

“Because here in Linden, we haven’t really produced any pro athletes,” Joey continues. “Don’t really even have any D1 guys.

“So when I turned professional at 17, it was a big deal.

“The people here, they’ve always supported me and I’m real proud of where I’m from”.

So as for what he knows about where Tszyu is from?

“Wasn’t the Crocodile Hunter from down there?” the fighter asks, before conceding that may be the only piece of Australian trivia he knows.

Told Steve Irwin is absolutely a Down Under product, Spencer continues: “He always seemed like a really cool guy.

“Your country too, it looks absolutely beautiful. I can’t wait to get there.”

And as for Tszyu?

“Oh, he’s a huge name, has a legendary father … so there’s been plenty of hype,” Spencer says.

“And of course I’ve been watching.

“I’m actually a fan.

“Not only Tim Tszyu’s style, but his spirit.

“The guy is a true warrior, embodies what boxing should be.

“We’ve seen opponents change from Jermell Charlo to Tony Harrison, then Keith Thurman to Sebastian Fundora – probably the biggest stylistic change you could have – and he’s still been willing to do that.

“And both times too, go fight the way he did.

“So I really admire his warrior spirit and am looking forward to sharing the ring with him.”

Then after a short pause, and with the snow still falling outside, Spencer adds: “But I’m still coming to take him out”.

Which is why, especially with two young children at home, this hyped US prospect has moved into his parent’s place about 30 minutes from his own home – allowing he and the old man to live this new camp timetable while also ensuring “I’m not sneaking late night ice creams with my daughter”.

Indeed, you cannot tell Joey Spencer’s country song without the man who raised him.

Sure, the old boy would prefer you did.

But still, when ‘Soldier’ walks into Sydney airport early next month, some three or four weeks before the fight, everyone will be wanting to know exactly who the solid bloke is walking alongside him.

At which point, someone will likely say it’s the man who has been right beside him for it all.

Doesn’t matter of it’s holding pads in the barn, watching tape on the couch, or even helping negate those snowstorms for sparring in whatever neighbouring town has Joey’s work that evening.

Himself a product of Linden High football, Jason Spencer took up boxing in his early 20s and, during a sound amateur career, eventually started taking his enthusiastic, little boy, aged five, along with him.

“Like most fathers, you want your son able to take care of himself,” explains a dad whose other boy Kel, 20, and adopted by the family aged two, is also undefeated in four professional fights.

“I boxed as an amateur, did some Golden Gloves stuff locally, and then when I was getting ready to hang ‘em up, started messing around on pads with Joey.

“And immediately, he loved it.

“I can still remember him first wanting to spar, then wanting to fight.

“This has never been about me pushing my son in a certain direction … it’s because of his passion for boxing, his love for it, that he’s succeeded.”

Which is still no easy thing when your town has one bar, two stoplights — and no boxing gym.

Which is why by the time Joey was 10, dad was already mixing 12-hour shifts rebuilding engines at his business, US Diesel Remanufacturing, with training and driving however many hours were required to find his boy sparring.

Then after his son turned pro in 2018, Jason sold up entirely to focus everything on his son.

“Because I’d been hearing from people within the sport,” he says, “guys who really knew what they were seeing, ‘hey there is really something here with your son, he has a gift’.

“So it’s never been a case of ‘hey, we gotta do this’ … this is what Joey is supposed to do.”

And all of this, remember, coming out of Linden.

“Which is realise is unique,” Joey concedes. “Where I’m from, the things I like to do, I know it’s different to most other people in boxing.

“But rather than fit in, I’ve always tried to embrace that difference.”

As it will be against Tszyu.

“The camouflage trunks, walking out to Hank Williams Jnr,” he grins, “it’s all about showing who I am, where I’m from.

“And I’m proud of that.

“My community.

“It means even way down there in Australia, I’ll be bringing Linden with me.”