Nikita Tszyu will have surgery on his injured hand, throwing Michael Zerafa fight into doubt

It’s the fight Australia wants to see, but we might have to wait until next year as details of the damage Nikita Tszyu suffered in his courageous win over Koen Mazoudier come to light, with the Aussie brawler requiring surgery.

Nikita Tszyu and Koen Mazoudier were in a fight of the year contender. Picture: Grant Trouville

Nikita Tszyu will undergo surgery on his busted hand and faces at least three months on the sidelines in the wake of his brutal defeat of braveheart Koen Mazoudier on Wednesday night.

This masthead can reveal scans have confirmed a knuckle problem that will require an operation - ruling Tszyu out until December and possibly into the New Year.

Tszyu’s surgeon Bill Anseline confirmed the injury and lauded the youngest son of Kostya’s toughness after revealing he fought for approximately seven rounds with his damaged left hand.

‘The Butcher’ was hoping to back up for a grudge match against Michael Zerafa, but that bout could be delayed until post-Christmas depending on Tszyu’s post-operative recovery.

Respect after a bruising battle. Picture: Grant Trouville

Tim Tszyu’s brother advanced to a perfect 10-0 with a ninth-round stoppage of Mazoudier in a blood-and-thunder war at Sydney’s ICC Theatre that pushed Nikita’s hand to breaking point.

“There is damage _ there will be an operation,” Anseline said.

“I will confer with the hand surgeon in the next couple of days.

“We’ll work through the damage, we’ll work out what needs to be done.

“I cannot see Nikita being back in the ring before December at the earliest, if not then maybe January or February.

“I won’t go into the exact damage but it’s damage that needs to be repaired and the only way it can be repaired is with surgical intervention.”

Nikita Tszyu found something extra to secure a courageous victory. Picture: Grant Trouville

After the fight, a battered Tszyu had his left hand in a bucket of ice and the operation could be delayed several weeks as the surgeon waits for swelling to settle.

Nikita’s impending bout of surgery comes two years after his brother Tim had a clean-out on both hands following his defeat of American Terrell Gausha in Minnesota in March.

‘The Soul Taker’ has since made a successful recovery, surging to a world title without a fresh problem, and Anseline insists Nikita’s hand injury is not career threatening.

“It’s 100 per cent fixable, it’s not a fight-ending injury,” he said.

“Just like Tim, this is no different and when the operation is done, the scary part is that Nikita will come back bigger and better than ever.

“I’m confident this will be a procedure without complications.

“Nikita could be back in the ring sometime in December, but I always put the fighter first and he won’t be back until I’m confident he is ready to go.”

Nikita Tszyu didn't have it all his own way. Picture: Grant Trouville

Anseline hailed Tszyu as one of the toughest athletes in Australian sport.

“Not many sportspeople could have done what Nikita did,” he said.

“To fight with his hand in that state for as long as did, he is not a normal human and I say that as a compliment _ he’s a freak of nature.

“I could see he did it in the second or third round by the look on his face.

“He was in excruciating pain.

“I can’t believe, with the damage that I’ve seen today on the scans, that he lasted the fight.

“It was truly extraordinary and a testament to this kid’s tenacity and dedication to his craft.

“The Tszyu DNA is on another level.”

Tszyu wore the marks of the toughest fight of his career on his face, and confirmed he was in serious trouble midway through the fight.

“I was in deep waters,” he said.

“I was never really out. I was just facing myself in the mirror.

“I was at the lowest, at the breaking point and I really had to dig deep.”

Tszyu, who now enters the world rankings with the IBF and WBO, said the war was exactly what he needed as he prepares for the next phase of his career.

“I needed that. It was a great wake up call for the toughness of this sport,” he said.

“The level I’m stepping into isn’t domestic fights and Koen was as fit as they come.

“I was hitting him with some of the hardest shots I’ve ever done, and he just looks at me like, ‘Come on!’

“But, that’s exactly what I needed, because it’s a good introduction to the world that I just jumped into and that’s the world rankings.”

Originally published as Nikita Tszyu will have surgery on his injured hand, throwing Michael Zerafa fight into doubt