Tim Tszyu v Takeshi Inoue: How to watch, betting, date, fight card, live stream

Takeshi Inoue plans to feast on perceived weaknesses, but Tim Tszyu has a simple philosophy on Wednesday night - feed his Japanese rival knuckle sandwiches for as long as their fight lasts.

Tim Tszyu takes on Takeshi Inoue for the WBO Asia Pacific and WBO Global titles.

A world title shot is around the corner.

International rivals want a piece of Tim Tszyu.

His opponent on Wednesday night, Takeshi Inoue, has studied the footage and declared: “He is made to order for me”.

Watch Tim Tszyu vs Takeshi Inoue LIVE on Main Event available on Kayo and Foxtel, Wednesday 17th November from 7pm AEDT. ORDER NOW >

Tim Tszyu had a stern warning for rival Takeshi Inoue.

Perhaps the Japanese fighter plans to feast on perceived weaknesses, but Tszyu plans to feed him knuckle sandwiches for as long as their 12-round super-welterweight fight lasts at Qudos Bank Arena.

For all the talk, Tszyu brought it back to basics of boxing on Monday.

“I just enjoy hurting people,” Tszyu said.

BELOW: WHERE, WHEN, HOW TO WATCH, BETTING FOR TSZYU-INOUE

“I know it sounds brutal, but I enjoy the fact of hurting people and I get into this zone and I turn into this different person.

“Two days after (the fight), I’m a different person back home. I’m nice and relaxed, but now I’m in the zone, it’s kill or be killed.

“This is like back in the Gladiator days. This is what fighting and brutality is all about.

Takeshi Inoue is confident of springing an upset.

“The preparation I’ve had and the way I feel in the ring, oh, I feel sorry for Takeshi.”

Inoue is not concerned. The WBO No.6 ranked fighter understands No.1 ranked Tszyu will pose him problems, but he remains supremely confident of springing the upset.

“It’s not at all that I’m seeing weakness, but I do believe it more has to do with how my trainer has been working with me, and how he is very confident,” Inoue said.

“But also when I watched Tim Tszyu’s fights, I can see very clearly that in many ways, he is made to order for me.”

Tszyu (19-0, 15KO) is already the mandatory challenger for champion Brian Castano.

Given that hurdles are still in the way of Castano organising a rematch against WBC, WBA and IBF champion Jermell Charlo for the unified championship – the IBF wants Charlo to defend that belt against mandatory challenger Bakhram Murtazaliev – Tszyu could be facing the Argentinian early next year.

Brian Castano (L) could be on the agenda next year.

“It’s a very real chance that our next outing will be against Brian Castano for that world title,” Tszyu’s manager Glen Jennings said.

“It’s just a matter of timing now to see if the mandate gets enforced.”

And now comes American former world champion Tony Harrison, who announced over the weekend he wants to fight Tszyu in Australia.

“That’s good news, but if there’s a world title next, that’s the path I’m going to,” Tszyu said.

Tszyu is putting his No.1 ranking in jeopardy by fighting Inoue, but he is relentless in his approach.

“I’m the most improved fighter, and I keep doing it,” he said.

Tony Harrison is in the sights of Tim Tszyu.

“With anything in life, the main thing is consistency, if you stay consistent at what you do, you’ll achieve great things.

“This is what I’m trying to show to all the boxers out there, keep being consistent, keep staying in the gym, keep training hard, keep fighting and great things will come.

“World titles are great, I just want my opponents to keep rising and this is what this is, Takeshi is a rise and this is what I want.

“The fact in doing this in Australia now, I’ve got hundreds of cameras in my face non-stop, it’s all part of the fun.”

Tszyu’s brutal response after ‘small head’ jibe

Channelling French President Emmanuel Macron, Tim Tszyu declared to rival Takeshi Inoue: “I don’t just think, I know certain things. I know the prediction of this fight and I know how it will end.”

For the record, Tszyu has been saying for weeks that he will knock out Inoue within six rounds when the two world-ranked stars clash next Wednesday night at Qudos Bank Arena.

But the Japanese slugger is unfazed by Tszyu, and made a bold prediction of his own.

“I will break him down and knock him out in the later rounds,” Inoue said.

“I will wear him down and put him under great pressure.”

Tszyu (19-0, 15KO) and Inoue (17-1, 10KO) came face-to-face for the first time on Thursday, and neither man flinched during a staredown in a ring at The Carriageworks in Redfern.

“He’s got a small head,” Inoue said. “It may be harder for my punch to land.”

Tszyu identified a weakness in Inoue’s defence from the first video study he did once the bout was signed, and has practised the yet-to-be-revealed blow throughout his preparation.

“This one’s going to be lights out,” Tszyu said.

“I feel a certain shot coming, I’m going to open him up and, game over.

“I had a look, my coach had a look, we went through our game plan and straight away [we saw that punch].”

Much has been made of Inoue’s muscular physique but Tszyu has vowed that not only will be stronger on the night, he will enter the ring heavier than Inoue following their Tuesday weigh-in.

“He’s ready, he’s ripped, he’s confident, good on him, there’s nothing more satisfying than beating a confident fighter,” Tszyu said.

“I’m stronger than him, I guarantee you that. Muscles don’t do anything, I’m 10 times stronger than him and he’ll feel that when I push him back, his legs will start buckling.

“It won’t go past six, simple.

“He thinks it’s going to go to the later rounds, I say it won’t go to the later rounds at all. And if it does, I feel sorry for him, it’s going to be a ton of punishment.

“This will be strategic, I will outsmart him and when I see certain shots I’ll take him out.”

Tszyu is already the No.1 ranked WBO mandatory challenger for the super-welterweight (69.85kg) title held by Brian Castano.

Inoue is ranked No.7 by the WBO but would crush Tszyu’s dreams of fighting for the world title next if he wins.

But Tszyu said: “It’s not a risk, I’m in this sport for 10 years and want to make all the fights I can, fight anyone I possibly can, and to test myself as much as I possibly can, and then retire.”