Tim Tszyu reveals truth about Manny Pacquiao training as Las Vegas blockbuster rematch is confirmed

Tim Tszyu’s world title rematch has finally been made official as the Aussie reveals more details of his 2019 sparring sessions with champion Manny Pacquiao.

When he first came face-to-face with Manny Pacquiao, Tim Tszyu was a 15-year-old kid, sitting in the stands at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas as ‘Pacman’ walked out to fight Miguel Cotto.

“I was near the tunnel and I’m screaming, ‘Pacquiao! Pacquiao!’ and he looks back at me and puts his fist in the air,” Tszyu tells Code Sports. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, Pacquiao just looked at me!’

“It was surreal.”

When Manny Pacquiao (R) fought Miguel Cotto (L) in 2009, Tszyu was in the stands. Picture: Robert Beck /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images

The next time the Aussie met Pacquiao was 10 years later when they stood on opposite sides of a boxing ring in Manila getting ready to spar one another.

Tszyu was preparing for the biggest test of his young professional career against Dwight Ritchie, while Pacquiao was in camp to fight Keith Thurman.

Tszyu was also right in the middle of a huge personal milestone.

“In 2019 I was actually moving in with my missus, finally – actually moving in together – and I get the call to spar Pacquiao,” he says. “There was no hesitation, I had to say yes.

“So I had to break the news, ‘We can’t move in, we’ll have to postpone it.’

“But that was an eye-opener for me. I was able to step outside my comfort zone and be in the presence of different people for two weeks.

“There were always massive crowds around Pacquiao, and we were always escorted straight through by security. It was like we were royalty.”

Tszyu was in the process of moving in with his then girlfriend Alex when he got the call up to spar Manny Pacquiao in 2019. Picture: Dylan Coker / Daily Telegraph

Six years on, Pacquiao and Tszyu will co-headline a blockbuster card at the MGM Grand – the same iconic venue where Tszyu first saw Pacquiao all those years ago.

As first reported by this masthead, Pacquiao is coming out of a four-year retirement to challenge WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios, while Tszyu rematches Sebastian Fundora for the WBC super-welterweight world title.

The rematch between Tszyu and Fundora is on. Picture: Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images

The July 19 fight card will also feature Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz and Brandon Figueroa, and was made official overnight in Las Vegas.

Tszyu flew out to Sin City on Thursday, and will spend the next three days doing promotional shoots and press conferences.

“I remember flying into Vegas for the Pacquiao-Cotto fight and seeing that famous green arena that I’d always seen on television – it was a surreal moment,” he says of the MGM Grand. “You envision it as a young kid. I would’ve been about 15 then, and the dream started then.

“Me and Nikita used to spar there and do touch-boxing at the MGM.

Nikita and Tim Tzyu in January 2024. Picture: Justin Lloyd

“Now it’s gonna be real boxing on the world’s biggest stage for a world title.”

Tszyu has known for weeks that his rematch with Fundora would be on Pacquiao’s comeback card, but had to wait until the Filipino icon was ready to confirm.

But waiting for Pacman isn’t new for Tszyu.

Manny works on Manny time.

Manny Pacquiao with the WBA super welterweight championship belt after defeating Keith Thurman in July, 2019. Picture: Kohjiro Kinno /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images

“When I was training with him in 2019, the funny thing was, we’d rock up every day at 5am to run, and most days he just wouldn’t wake up,” he laughs. “So we’d be waiting there, and I’d just start running myself.

“A couple of times, he’d start running after, but I couldn’t wait any longer.

“Most of the time, I’d miss him – my patience couldn’t last.

“I was fighting Dwight Ritchie – he was number one in Australia and was a big name at the time – and I couldn’t wait. I had to make it happen.”

The Dwight Ritchie fight was the biggest step up in competition of Tszyu’s career at that point. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Tszyu says the Pacquiao sparring sessions taught him a lot about his own career – once the great man finally showed up to train.

“It was a weird feeling. I was a little bit nervous, but also wasn’t nervous,” he says. “The first time I saw Manny opposite me in the ring was a bit of a trip out.

“But once we got going, I switched on. We had good rounds.

“He kept it on distance, and it wasn’t really a brawl. I think he felt the sharpness and didn’t want to engage as much.

“But he was working on his thing as well. I was given instructions to throw certain punches, and do certain things to imitate Keith Thurman.”

Pacquiao (R) fighting Thurman at MGM Grand Garden Arena in 2019. Picture: Kohjiro Kinno /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images

Tszyu hasn’t spoken a word to Fundora since their bloodbath bout 14 months ago, but finally came face-to-face again this weekend.

“There’s a lot of unfinished business and unanswered questions,” he said. “I’ll be telling him to keep his elbows down this time around.

“I just need to feel that same feeling (of the early rounds).

“That’s where I need to start off – don’t go to the middle rounds. Just go from the early rounds, pick it up from that place and fight to the end.”

As for Pacquiao’s showdown with Barrios, Tszyu says the 46-year-old – as great as he is – will have a tough night.

“I’ve got Barrios,” he says. “Age isn’t just a number in boxing.

“Even though Manny Pacquiao is Manny Pacquiao, it’s a big ask.

“Manny’s done what he’s done, and his legend will forever be cemented in history.

“But, man, you’re going in with a young lion. Barrios is a big boy, he’s huge. It’s not an easy fight at all.”

Originally published as Tim Tszyu reveals truth about Manny Pacquiao training as Las Vegas blockbuster rematch is confirmed