Nikita Tszyu, Dylan Biggs continue argument over who walks out when in Wednesday’s clash
There was absolutely no love lost between Nikita Tszyu and Dylan Biggs as the pair met face-to-face at their press conference on Monday.
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Nikita Tszyu has labelled Dylan Biggs “cocky” and a “brat” as the tension between them heats up before their blockbuster Australian super welterweight title fight in Newcastle on Wednesday night.
For the past week, the camps of Tszyu and Biggs have been engaged in a standoff over who has the honour of walking to the ring second for their pay-per-view grudge match.
Promoter No Limit wants Tszyu, as the A-side and the more famous fighter, to walk in second but Biggs, as the Australian champion, says boxing tradition states it is his right to do so.
BOXING: Nikita Tszyu v Dylan Biggs WED 22nd NOV 7PM AEDT | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports
The “Beaudesert Storm” hinted he would refuse to come out of his dressing room if forced to walk first.
Tszyu said Biggs’s stance was revealing.
“He’s getting cocky,” Tszyu said at the press conference on Monday. “He’s won an Australian title and he thinks he’s king of the world.
“This is a business and what he’s doing now is tarnishing his image.
“He’s showing to the public that he’s a brat, that he’s stubborn and he’s not going to listen to what the promoters say.
“That’s not a smart business decision, to go out in the open in your first opportunity and to basically say that you’re difficult to work with.”
Biggs said he was just standing up for himself in the face of what he perceived as preferential treatment for Tszyu.
“It’s disrespectful,” Biggs said. “I don’t know why they don’t honour the traditions of boxing. That’s how it’s always been.
“They say other opponents have walked out first even though they were champions. Well, I’m not other opponents.
“I’m not going to let them walk all over me like that. I think No Limit is looking for little mental wins over me and you have to draw a line in the sand somewhere.”
Tszyu said he couldn’t care less who walked out first.
“I’ll just be listening to the guy who comes into my dressing room and tells me to go out,” he said.
“I’m not waiting for him or for any news. If they tell me I’m coming out first, I’m coming out first.
“As fighters, we shouldn’t feel the need to control this stuff. It’s not something you should worry about. You have a fight to deal with.
“Who gives a f--k who comes out first?”
The walkout saga is the latest issue between Tszyu and Biggs.
Biggs also took exception to the promotional video Tszyu released last week that shows the Sydneysider throwing a steak knife at a photo of the Queenslander.
Biggs called the video “stupid and cringy”, while Tszyu said the more reserved Biggs would be “happy to do just the generic, bland boxing video as a promotional thing”.
“He’s not willing to do anything that TV would want to hype up for the fight,” Tszyu said.
Tszyu said it was another example of the magnitude of the event getting to his 21-year-old opponent.
“I’m hearing rumours that he’s feeling very anxious, that he’s not coping with it well and that he’s been having tough nights of sleep,” he said.
“It’s daunting at first, it’s not easy to talk in front of cameras and to have all the eyes on you.
“It’s not something he’s experienced before. I’ve experienced it since I was a kid, seeing cameras all over the place and dealing with the media.
“It’s a factor that will come in (on fight night).”
Biggs said he was “not a fan of the media” but denied being daunted by the attention and instead predicted an early stoppage.
“There has been too much talk, too much hype and too much politics,” he said.
“I just want to get in there and get the fight over and done with.
“He can think what he wants but I think I deserve the respect a fighter has earned, especially when he’s a champion.
“This fight’s going to end in a knockout or a stoppage. It won’t go the rounds.”
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