No Restrict – NIKITA TSZYU SYDNEY MEDIA OPPORTUNITY at Tszyu Battle Membership in Rockdale. Photos: No Restrict Boxing/Gregg Porteous
The youngest member of Australia’s boxing royal household is about for the hardest take a look at of his younger profession.
Junior middleweight prospect Nikita Tszyu takes on Koen Mazoudier this Wednesday on the ICC Sydney Theatre in Sydney. It should headline a home pay-per-view present on Essential Occasion promoted by No Restrict Boxing.
Tszyu (9-0, 7 knockouts), a 26-year-old southpaw, has shortly develop into a fan favourite in his homeland. He has earned a fame as a brawler, as mirrored his ‘The Butcher’ ring moniker. ‘
He’ll should be on his recreation to defeat Mazoudier (12-3-1, 5 KOs). The 28-year-old is a high quality operator who has been stopped simply as soon as—by Wade Ryan within the tenth and remaining spherical in March 2021. In November of the next 12 months, Mazoudier reversed the consequence of their rematch with an eight-round unanimous resolution win. He additionally holds a pair of wins over the robust Joel Camilleri.
Tszyu is the youthful brother of ex-154-pound titleholder Tim Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs). Their father, Kostya is a Corridor of Fame former RING champion. With boxing in his blood, the youngest Tszyu insists he’s prepared for something Mazoudier brings to the desk.
“I’m anticipating him to perform a little little bit of every thing,” Tszyu mentioned throughout a latest media scrum. “To be on the again foot, to be coming ahead at instances, and for these transitions to be fairly explosive.
“However you possibly can simply come out of nowhere and simply begin going ahead, or you possibly can simply go begin going backwards. I’m simply ready for 2 various kinds of Koen’s.”
The present can even characteristic an intriguing gentle heavyweight contest between Conor Wallace (13-1, 10 KOs) and Jerome Pampellone (18-1, 11 KOs).
If there’s one criticism of Tszyu, it’s that his relentless aggression can go away him defensively liable. He was rocked in his final bout by Danilo Creati, an Italian-born Australian with only one knockout.
Shoring up his protection whereas sustaining his strain model was a focus in camp. His workforce, led by head coach Igor Goloubev, has touched on all areas to organize for the duty at hand.
“My remaining sparring was final week and now I’ve tapered off,” mentioned Tszyu. “I’ve personally felt an enormous shift. However I felt the shift in my progressions once I was right here again in Sydney. The stuff that I used to be doing there was simply type of including to it. It’s proof that I’m progressing, that I’m on a pleasant regular incline.”
Requested whether or not he had been sparring his brother in preparation for Mazoudier, Tszyu laughed.
“No, not this time round,” he mentioned. “He’s not sparring a southpaw and I don’t have a demise want.
“I really get pleasure from having Tim round. Each time the cameras are out, they’re centered on him. I can type of sit back. So he takes the heavy lifting.”
Tszyu’s older brother is in negotiations to problem IBF junior middleweight Bakhram Murtazaliev (22-0, 16 KOs). The Russian gained the vacant strap with an eleventh spherical knockout of Jack Culcay in Germany in April.
“It’s nice that he’s nonetheless in that very same place, that he type of deserves that elite world ranked fighter,” mentioned Tszyu. “I feel it’s going to be an excellent combat. He will get [the chance to win] one other title, turns into a two-time world champ. He’s acquired a really tough opponent.”
The Tszyu-Mazoudier pay-per-view, accessible by way of Foxtel and Kayo, will set again punters $69.95.
“I’m simply getting used to it (headlining), it’s most likely like second nature to me,” mentioned Tszyu. “Studying that it’s a part of the enterprise and attempt to be entertaining for the general public.”
Australian-based boxing journalist Anthony Cocks has been masking the game for over 20 years for varied print and on-line publications. Comply with him on X.
