Boxing | Tszyu vs Sparki. On Wednesday July 7, Australia's superstar boxer, Tim Tszyu returns to Newcastle, to fight Victorian challenger, Steve Spark. Tszyu v Spark live
Steve Spark wants to fight Tim Tszyu now – that’s how ready to go he is, more than two weeks before their July 7 showdown.
Spark arrived in Sydney on Monday declaring, despite a kidney infection which left him hospitalised last month and training during a Melbourne lockdown, he’d never been more ready for a fight.
Tszyu (18-0, 14KO) is hoping a win against Spark (28-4, 17KO) will catapult him into a bout against the unified champion.
Event : Tim Tszyu vs Steve Spark
Date : Wednesday 7 July 2021
Venue : Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Australia
Spark claimed Tszyu ran away from a fight with him years ago claiming he’d injured his hand.
Tszyu showed his scar and explained: “I had a bad Staph infection, I was on antibiotics for three weeks so I couldn’t punch, couldn’t do anything, it was three or four years ago.”
The regular pre-fight war of words between the camps had nosedived in recent weeks, which the Tszyu camp suggested meant Spark was running scared.
But according to Spark, the Tszyu camp could not have been more wrong.
“Tim calls it quiet, I call it focused. I have one job and that’s to take out Tim Tszyu,” Spark said.
“I’m super confident, I believe in my talent, I believe in my team. I’m going to shock the world.
“I’m switched on, I’m focused. I wish the fight was tonight.”
Spark, 29, started throwing some verbal jabs too, declaring the fight with Tszyu was his “world title fight” and would be “war”. Watch Tszyu v Spark
He also declared his experience – Spark has fought 32 times to Tszyu’s 26 – would play a huge part in the result when they come face-to-face in Newcastle.
“While I was fighting the big boys, he was drinking warm milk before bed,” Spark said.
“Tim is a great athlete. It takes a lot of balls to get in the ring and fight. He’s stepping up against a guy who wants to take his head off.”
Spark, who has only fought once since his loss to Jeff Horn in 2019, beating Anthony Mundine last December, declared all the pressure was on Tszyu.
“I’m expected to lose. That’s dangerous for him,” he said.
“There’s no nerves, there’s just full confidence. I’m feeling better than I did the first Jeff Horn fight (which he won).
“I’ve got more belief, I’m more focused. This fight is my life. It will be a war.”
Tszyu has been based on the Gold Coast for his training camp, while Spark will now round out his preparations in NSW after relocating.
Spark, who said he was “always the underdog”, made it clear how might the fight with Tszyu meant to him, which he believed gave him the greatest motivation to win.
“This win for me is a world title fight. That’s what Tim doesn’t understand. It’s going to feed my family,” he said.
“I’m going in with no stone left unturned. I’ve done everything right, the last 12 or 14 weeks, from food, sleep, training, recovery, everything. I’m coming to finish something.”
Tszyu vs Spark live stream: how to watch in Australia
Kayo Sports | Spark vs Tszyu | AU$59.95
Tszyu vs Spark starts on PPV at 7pm AEST, with the main event expected to get under with the ring walks around 10.00pm. Tim Tszyu fight stream
For the first time, Kayo Sports will offer a pay-per-view event for the Tszyu vs Spark fight. You don’t have to be a Kayo subscriber to watch the bout either, as it’s available to order for AU$59.95.
Tszyu vs Spark live stream: how to watch in New Zealand
Sky Sports is broadcasting Tim Tszyu v Steve Spark in New Zealand on Sky Sports 5 (channel 55). Coverage begins July 7th 2021 at 9 p.m. NZST with the main march scheduled for around 11:30 p.m.
Four years in the making, it’s no easy tale that led either fighter to this point, but now that they’ve both arrived, neither will take a backwards step.
Tim Tszyu, the son of legendary former boxer Kosta, has proven himself time and time again. Going into the July fight unbeaten, the prodigy of Australian boxing is coming off a five round demolition of Irishman Dennis Hogan, earning himself the WBO Super Welterweight Title, the belt he’ll put on the line against Spark.
The resumed No. 1 contender for the unified WBO, IBF, WBA and WBC super welterweight titles, is likely to go onto fight Brian Castano or Jermell Charlo later this year as those two fighters do battle.
“Where I want to be, I have to make a statement,” the unbeaten star told Ben Damon on Main Event’s Boxing Podcast. Tszyu vs Spark Fight
Asked what that looks like, Tszyu was unequivocal, “Out, out, out before the 12th round,” Tszyu said.
“Nar, a win’s a win. But I’m looking to go my hardest,”
“I think he’ll be awkward at first. Not awkward, he’ll be hard to hit at first but once the pace goes into my favour we’ll see a change of fight,” he predicted.
“We’ll see what he brings and what his game-plan is, and counter that.”
Michael Spark hasn’t had an ideal run up to this fight, in fact, it couldn’t of gone worse. Hospitalised in mid-may, there were many speculating that he wouldn’t be fit enough to step into the ring come July. Then, to throw another hurdle his way, a Covid breakout in Melbourne forced the state into lockdown, and Spark’s training into chaos.
Spark is sitting at 28-4-0 with 17 KO’s to his name, he’ll go into this bout as the underdog, but that won’t phase him.
"He hasn't fought anyone like me and I've got a lot of things up my sleeve that I'm going to bring out on the night," he said. Tszyu vs Spark odds
"I believe if we implement what we've been doing in training, there's a huge possibility I can stop him - I've got a lot of power. Watch Tim Tszyu fight online
"He's a tough opponent, he's doing great. It's going to be a good fight and the winner out of all this is Australian boxing."
