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Australian boxers look to celebrate 'golden era'

3 minute read

Australia could have three world champion boxers by the end of the weekend, with headliner Tim Tszyu saying the country is on the rise as a force in the sport.

TIM TSZYU.
TIM TSZYU. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Australia could be celebrating three world champions within 24 hours in an unprecedented golden moment for boxing, headlined by superstar Tim Tszyu.

Liam Wilson is first into ring on Saturday (AEDT) when the Queenslander takes on Mexican veteran Oscar Valdez for the WBO super-featherweight belt.

Wilson is returning to the Desert Diamond Arena in Arizona - the scene of his controversial world title loss last year to three-division champ Emanuel Navarrete.

Victorian Michael Zerafa faces Cuban-American Erislandy Lara for the WBA middleweight title, with the pair fighting on the Tszyu undercard at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas 24 hours later.

Tszyu is already the WBO super-welterweight champion but will emulate his legendary father Kostya as a unified world champion if he can add the WBC belt with victory over towering American Sebastian Fundora.

He and Kostya would join Leon and Corey Spinks as the only father-son duos to be unified champions.

Other Australian boxers with world title fights in the next two months include George Kambosos Jr, Andrew Moloney, Cherneka Johnson and Jai Opetaia.

"I would say it's the golden era," said Tszyu.

"I think we're all on the rise. We're a small little country, small little island, and we're producing some talent that's taking over the world."

Tszyu is in line for a multi-million-dollar payday should he conquer Fundora, with two of boxing's biggest names - pound-for-pound king Terence Crawford and former unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr - chasing a fight with the Australian.

Zerafa faces a tough task against highly-rated veteran Lara, who has held the middleweight belt since 2021.

The 32-year-old has a long and bitter history with Tszyu but the pair have put their differences aside while in Las Vegas.

"It's huge for Australian boxing, with three of us trying to bring home belts," Zerafa said.

"Usually Tim and I are against each other but come Saturday night I'm in his corner and I hope he wins.

"Hopefully we're coming back to Australia with three world titles, one for myself and two for Tim.

"This is a huge night for Australia. We're putting a small country on the big map and we're taking over starting Saturday night."

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