SYDNEY — Australian promoter No Limit have announced Tim Tszyu will challenge Erislandy Lara for the WBA middleweight title, with confirmation coming in a press release on Tuesday, 13 October. A date and venue for the contest are yet to be confirmed, though several reports suggest the bout could take place in late November.
Former WBO junior middleweight titleholder Tszyu has been competing at 160lbs since his second defeat to Sebastian Fundora in 2025 and has since racked up three successive wins, including a notable victory over former unified 154lb champion Errol Spence Jnr in July. "Lara is a great champion. He's slick, clever and stylistically very hard," Tszyu said. "He'll want to turn this into a chess match but I've never taken the easy road. I want the man with the belt, and I'll drag him into a fight he doesn't want."
Tszyu will face boxing's current oldest title holder in the 43-year-old Lara, who is undefeated since a split-decision loss to Jarrett Hurd in 2018 and most recently defeated Johan Gonzalez over 12 rounds in December 2025. Gonzalez had stepped in as a late replacement for WBO and IBF middleweight champion Janibek Alimkhanuly, who tested positive for the banned substance meldonium.
"At 160 I feel strong, sharp and dangerous. Middleweight is my division now, Spence was just the appetizer," Tszyu added. "Having Jeff Fenech in my corner means everything. He knows exactly what it takes to win titles at multiple weights, and he's in my ear every single day. Liam Paro already did it this year, now it's my turn." No Limit CEO George Rose acknowledged the scale of the task, saying: "Lara is a nightmare for anyone. He's a genius in there and spent a decade making the best in the world look silly. Plenty of big names have found reasons not to fight him. Tim wanted and called for him by name. He wants legacy and the time is now."