‘Can’t pay me enough’: One man Tim Tszyu doesn’t want to fight

Tim Tszyu has announced his next fight date, calling out a potential opponent for “running” as he revealed the one man he won’t fight.

Tim Tszyu will be back in the ring in September — now his promoters No Limit just have to lock in an opponent and a location.

The 29-year-old former world champion has been forced to cool his jets after the gash from his head wound against Sebastian Fundora saw Tszyu out of a fight against undefeated knockout artist Vergil Ortiz Jr. in August.

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But Tszyu has locked in a return date of September 28 with the match to be an IBF title eliminator in Australia, with the winner to be matched against IBF champion Bakhram Murtazaliev.

An opponent and location haven’t yet been confirmed, but Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast are all in a battle to win hosting rights, while Tszyu has called out Erickson Lubin.

The 28-year-old Lubin is a former world title challenger, but reportedly doesn’t want to travel to Australia for the fight.

Tim Tszyu just needs an opponent. Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images

Tszyu hit back at the American, calling him out for ducking a potential fight.

“A lot of people talk the talk but when it’s up to getting it done, they go the other way, running,” Tszyu said on Thursday.

“We’re the two main boys in the division in the IBF so I hope we can get it on. Let’s see if he accepts.

“It’s real simple. I just want to fight. I want to get it on.”

Other potential rivals include 21-1 Jesus Ramos Jr, Slawa Spoma (19-0), Jack Culcay (33-5), Xander Zayas (19-0) or Callum Walsh (11-0).

Tszyu was joined by brother Nikita in the announcement, as he looks to defend his Australian super welterweight belt against Koen Mazoudier on August 28.

But as the brothers held a joint media announcement before both head to a Las Vegas training camp, Tim revealed it will be new for the pair.

Speaking to Fox Sports News, Tim was asked if he liked training with Nikita.

“We don’t really train that much with each other,” Tim said. “We do a little bit but we never really hop in the ring and start smacking each other around. He’s very physical, he’s explosive.

“We did two sparrings — one he bashed me, the other one I got him, so we’re 1-1.”

Asked if he’d fight Nikita in a professional fight one day, Tim replied: “Nah, they can’t pay me enough.”

This isn’t going to happen. Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

He also confirmed that if Nikita came up to super welterweight, he’d go up a division.

“For sure, sharing is caring,” Tim laughed.

Having been forced out of the ring and sparring while the ugly gash on his forehead healed, Tim said he’d been “playing pickleball” to keep fit after his imposed lay off forced him out of his last fight with Vergil Ortiz Jr.

The 21-0 Ortiz is now scheduled to fight 24-1 Ukrainian Serhii Bohachuk for the WBC interim world super welterweight title in August as the division lines up for the next crack at unified champion Fundora.

Fundora is likely to come back late in the year against pound-for-pound king Terence Crawford.

Tim had the first loss of his career in their fight back in March, when an accidental elbow saw Tszyu fight most of the clash with blood streaming down his face.

Having won the first two rounds easily, Tszyu ran into Fundora’s elbow, opening up the gash and forcing him to largely fight blind in a monumental boilover.

Tim Tszyu is back. Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images

Asked about his first career defeat, a controversial points loss to Fundora, Tszyu said “it didn’t feel like (a loss).

“I didn’t come out of it a loser,” Tim added.

Should Tszyu win the September event, he would fight Murtazaliev next in the champion’s first title defence.

But it won’t be in Australia.

“We’re definitely not fighting Tszyu in Australia,” Murtazaliev’s agent Egis Klimas said recently.

“But we would love to fight Tim Tszyu.

“The US is the best place for that fight or we would go to Saudi”.

Originally published as ‘Can’t pay me enough’: One man Tim Tszyu doesn’t want to fight