Tim Tszyu and Errol Spence Jr both weighed in at 159 pounds (72.1kg) on Saturday ahead of their fight at Afterpay Arena in Sydney on Sunday. The Australian fighter places his career on the line after three world title defeats in the USA, while defending his family's 55-0 unbeaten record in Australia.
"A lifetime of work and I thank you, Australia, each and every one of you guys. Let's do it," former WBO world super-welterweight champion Tszyu (27-3, 18KOs) said before the fight. "Let's do it for this country, man."
The 31-year-old rejected concerns that another defeat could end his boxing career. "Look, why would I go into a fight if I think I'm going to lose? It doesn't work like that," Tszyu said. "We're all warriors. We've got something in here (our head) that makes us tick."
Spence (28-1, 22KOs) is also risking his legacy, with his only loss coming against undefeated pound-for-pound legend Terence Crawford. The American superstar dismissed suggestions of pressure ahead of the bout.
"Pressure is something you create in your mind. It's a mentality. I don't have any pressure on me," Spence said. "Pressure is people not having food to eat. That's pressure. This ain't no pressure. This ain't going to make me as a guy, fighting another man."
"I thank everybody for coming out, and there's nothing more to say," Spence added. "It's fight time. I'm ready to go."
Cancelled co-main event
While the main event remains set, the scheduled world title eliminator between Aussie boxer Liam Wilson and Stephen Fulton was cancelled on Saturday morning after the US boxer badly missed weight. Fulton hit the scales at 139.5 pounds, which was 6.5lbs or nearly 3kg over the revised limit.
The two-division world champ was originally supposed to fight Wilson at the super-featherweight weight of 130 pounds before officials raised the limit to 133 pounds on Friday. Wilson had happily agreed to the late allowance in his bid to earn another world title shot against the former unified super-bantamweight world champion and ex-WBC featherweight belt holder.
Wilson's camp accused Team Fulton of never intending to fight on Sunday. "This feels like a stitch up," Glenn Jennings, Wilson's manager and Tszyu's long-time ex-agent, said. "If you are serious and you sign a contract at 133, there is an expectation that you will deliver. It is not only unacceptable, it is a blight on the sport. This is professional, there is nowhere to go for this bloke now."
The 30-year-old Queenslander expressed deep disappointment over the cancellation of his fight. "I put my heart and soul into this sport. I train very hard," Wilson said. "It's uncontrollable for me. I did everything correct on my end."
Undercard schedule changes
Following the cancellation, undefeated Olympian Paulo Aokuso moves to the main card to face Luis Tejeda from the Dominican Republic in a light-heavyweight bout. Wilson's fight is the second co-main event cancelled this week after Fulton's fellow American Jermall Charlo was denied a visa to face rising Australian Koen Mazoudier.