MINNEAPOLIS – Terrell Gausha can’t imagine experiencing anything this weekend that he hasn’t already seen in more than 20 years spent as a boxer.

The 2012 U.S. Olympian and former title challenger didn’t hesitate when offered the opportunity to next face Australia’s Tim Tszyu (20-0, 15KOs), who makes his U.S. debut this weekend. A list of opponents were offered for Tszyu, who settled on Gausha for his first stateside assignment this Saturday on Showtime from The Armory in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

That was his first mistake, if you ask his American foe.

“I’m used to being slept on,” Gausha told BoxingScene.com. “He don’t do too much in there that I haven’t seen before. I think I’m gonna go out there and do some things he hasn’t seen before.”

Gausha (22-2-1, 11KOs) hasn’t fought in more than a year, though managed to breathe new life into his blue-collar career. The 34-year-old Cleveland native scored a stunning second-round knockout of Jamontay Clark last March, his first win since December 2018, with his career progress limited to a ten-round draw with former 154-pound titlist Austin Trout in May 2019 and a competitive but clear 12-round loss to top-rated contender Erickson Lubin in October 2020.

Ring activity has never been a strong suit for Gausha, with just 25 fights spray-painted over nearly ten years as a pro. The height of his career saw Gausha come up just short in a failed bid versus then-WBA junior middleweight titlist Erislandy Lara in October 2017, having gone just 2-1-1 in four-plus years since his lone title challenge.

Still, Gausha represents a potential trap fight for Tszyu who awaits a mandatory shot at the WBO junior middleweight title.

Tszyu has carved out his own name—a necessity as to avoid comparisons to his father, Hall of Fame former lineal junior welterweight king Kostya Tszyu—in five-plus years as a pro. He enters his first stateside assignment having already fought five times since the pandemic, emerging as a box-office draw in Australia. Tszyu has earned his ‘Soul Taker’ ring moniker with five straight knockouts before watching former title challenger Takeshi Inoue go into survival mode in their November 17 clash in Sydney.

On Saturday, he will have to earn the respect of a well-credentialed boxer who has fought at the highest level as an amateur and pro.

“I’m sure he’s watched some fights of mine and thinks he has me figured out,” notes Gausha. “But I think he’s been watching the wrong fights because it’s gonna be a new thing for him when we’re in the ring.”

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox