Things change so fast in the sport of boxing. In one second, you can go from being feared and universally respected, to a journeyman desperate for a win. That’s the trajectory Tim Tszyu is currently on but he was never supposed to be here.

His loss to Sebastian Fundora in the first half of 2024 was understandable. A freak accident resulted in Tszyu bleeding profusely from the top of his skull. However, the lopsided beating he took at the hands of Bakhram Murtazaliev immediately after, was jaw-dropping.

Back-to-back losses are difficult for Tszyu to swallow but a third straight defeat would feel like the nail in the coffin. That could happen in the coming weeks when Tszyu (24-2, 17 KOs) takes on Joseph Spencer on April 6th.

On paper, Tszyu has had much more memorable fights. His showdown against Terrell Gausha proved that he had heart and his matchup against Tony Harrison was essentially his coming-out party. With that said, neither of those fights, or any of his previous 24, come even remotely close to this one on the significance scale.

“This is the most important fight of my life,” admitted Tszyu to numerous reporters. “There’s so much on the line.”

A loss pushes Tszyu into the abyss, a place he may never re-emerge from. A win, on the other hand, could place him back in line for big-time fights. Keith Thurman, running it back Fundora and Murtazaliev, they all become possibilities.

As his bout with Spencer inches closer and closer, Tszyu is trying to rely on his previous experience. Yet, even with several championship fights under his belt, the former WBO belt holder has a difficult time pulling from those resources. Deep down, he knows that if things don’t go right, his career might be over.

“This one feels a bit different.”