Tim Tszyu and Denis Nurja will go toe-to-toe in an Easter Sunday showdown in Wollongong this Sunday. The unbeaten Albanian contender has made the trek to Australia, determined to derail Tszyu’s comeback plans and put his name on the map. While the Aussie looks to build on his win over Anthony Velazquez at the end of 2026.
Ben Talintyre previews the card and brings you his best bets below!
Boxing Predictions & Betting Tips
Tszyu vs. Nurja
This is the first time Tszyu has not been at a height disadvantage since beating Takeshi Inoue way back in 2021. This fight marks Tszyu’s first full training camp with trainer Joel Diaz, and I expect him to look better than ever. The Aussie is 2-3 in his past five fights, including a stoppage loss to Bakhram Murtazaliev and two defeats to dominant champion Sebastian Fundora. However, he got back to winning ways last time out in a one-sided beatdown over Anthony Velasquez.
The WBA-ranked no. 12 contender Nurja has 20 wins, 9 by KO, but has never faced anyone near the level of Tszyu. He has largely fought on the Albanian regional scene against men with several losses on their record. He is hungry to prove himself, but from the tape I have seen, his defence is nothing to write home about. Most recently, he beat Jose Gregorio Marcana, a Colombian who came into their fight on a three-fight losing streak, whose last win was against 0-6 Tomas Mejias in a hall in Venezuela.
This appears to be a perfect match for someone Tszyu can stop with the shiny title of an undefeated title attached. While Tszyu’s last performance was impressive, not getting Velazquez out of there was a huge disappointment. This is his chance to get a highlight reel stoppage and get the attention of the super welterweight and welterweight elite. Back him to do just that with confidence.
Tim Tszyu by KO/TKO
$1.48 (5 Units)
Sam Goodman vs. Rodrigo Fabian Ruiz
Less than a year after losing his WBA featherweight title tilt against Nick Ball, Sam Goodman is fighting for a second shot at gold. If he gets his hand raised, he will face the winner of a May superfight between Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani. So there is a lot at stake for the Aussie on Sunday.
His opponent, Ruiz, has only one loss in 24 fights - coming via KO – and relies heavily on a power left hook. He is big for a super bantamweight and is dangerous when he has his opponents on the back foot, working to back them into a corner.
But the reality is that this is Goodman’s fight to lose. He was far from blown out of the water in his title fight with Ball, and this is a big step down in opposition. If he can get on the front foot early and control the centre of the ring, it would be a huge surprise if he doesn’t win in dominant fashion.
*The likely result is Sam Goodman to win by KO/TKO. Odds currently unavailable*
