3 hrs ago
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Tim Tszyu will get his opportunity to become a champion in a second division December 13 in Robina, Queensland, Australia.
Premier Boxing Champions announced Tuesday night that Sydney’s Tszyu will challenge WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara that day at Cbus Super Stadium. DAZN will stream Lara versus Tszyu worldwide.
The card will also include the return of former undisputed junior middleweight champ Jermell Charlo from a three-year layoff. Charlo (35-2-1, 19 KOs), a Houston native who hasn’t fought since his unanimous points loss to Canelo Alvarez in a 12-round super middleweight title fight in September 2023, will square off against another Australian, Brock Jarvis (23-2, 21 KOs), in the 10-round co-feature before Tszyu battles Lara.
The main portion of the show is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET on December 12 in the United States with a 12-round bout between WBA 130-pound champ Elnur Samedov (22-1, 11 KOs), a southpaw from Russia, and Australia’s Liam Wilson (18-3, 10 KOs).
Cuba’s Lara (32-3-3, 19 KOs), The Ring’s No. 4 middleweight contender for a vacant championship, will make just his fifth defense of a WBA belt he won in May 2021.
The 43-year-old southpaw will end a one-year layoff as well when he encounters Tszyu. Lara last fought December 6, when he decisively defeated Venezuela’s Johan Gonzalez (36-6, 34 KOs) on points in a 12-rounder at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio.
Gonzalez was a late replacement for former IBF/WBO middleweight champ Janibek Alimkhanuly (17-0, 12 KOs). The strong southpaw from Kazakhstan tested positive for Meldonium, a banned substance, and was removed during fight week from his title unification clash with Lara.
The 32-year-old Tszyu (28-3, 18 KOs), a former WBO junior middleweight champ, has won three straight fights, all 12-rounders by unanimous decision, since Sebastian Fundora (25-1-1, 17 KOs) stopped him after the seventh round of their 154-pound championship rematch in July 2025 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Tszyu outpointed former unified welterweight champ Errol Spence Jr. (28-2, 22 KOs) in his last appearance July 26 at Afterpay Arena in Sydney.
Keith Idec is a senior writer and columnist for The Ring. He can be reached on X @idecboxing.
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