The Godfather returns: Why this could be the missing piece in the Team Tszyu puzzle
Kostya Tszyu won’t be in Tim’s corner this weekend, but there’s another change to Team Tszyu that could prove even more crucial as he looks to halt his losing run.
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Tim Tszyu is still surprised that people want to know why his famous dad isn’t at his fights.
For the average punter, it seems weird Kostya isn’t at ringside all the time.
For Tim, though, it’s weird when he is there.
He doesn’t sugar-coat it.
“My dad doesn’t really spend much time with us,” Tszyu tells CODE Sports matter-of-factly as he gets his hands wrapped for a fight week training session at his gym in Rockdale.
“We didn’t really grow up with dad, y’know?
“Once his career finished, he left to Russia.”
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Tszyu pauses, turns around and speaks to his younger brother, who’s stretching nearby.
“Nikita, has dad been to any of your amateur fights?” he asks.
“Just one.”
Tim turns back around.
“So, he’s only been to one of Nikita’s fights. I don’t know how many of my fights he’s been to, but it’s not many.”
When Kostya made a surprise fight week appearance in Orlando ahead of Tszyu’s world title bout with Bakhram Murtazaliev in October, it made for brilliant TV and several days of stories.
But the vibe was off.
“It’s just someone that you’re not used to,” Tszyu said. “And my dad’s not just a normal bloke rolling up.
“He’s got a certain stigma and power about him.
“It’s a different type of presence.”
With Kostya not around during Tim’s teenage years, he says his grandpa Boris filled the void.
“He’s been that father figure from a young age,” Tim says of Boris, who, on this particular day, is wearing dark sunglasses and sitting on a chair next to the ring, overseeing the training session of his two fighting grandsons.
“But people and journos always ask, ‘Why is dad not here? Why is dad not here?” Tszyu says.
“Well, we’re not really used to him.
“But grandpa’s been to every one of our fights.
“We’re 50-0 in Australia, right? Yeah, he’s been there every single time. Through my dad’s career and through my career, he’s been there.”
Tszyu’s manager, Glen Jennings, calls Boris ‘The Godfather’.
When Tim starts his workout, Boris moves his chair closer, tells a few jokes in Russian and watches over the session through his sunnies.
“My grandpa is the guy that’s just always there no matter what, and doesn’t have any agenda,” Tim says. “He just wants the best, and he’s always someone you can have a chat with.”
It’s not always smooth sailing though, despite the cool exterior and Godfather vibes.
“Oh, he stresses! He over-stresses,” Tim says. “He stresses about weight. Every time.
“But it’s good to have him around, it means a lot.
“He’s just got that wealth of experience and that comfort when you’re with him.”
Boris isn’t able to travel internationally now though, and wasn’t at either of Tszyu’s last two fights – both losses in America.
His absence wasn’t the difference between winning and losing, but it was noted.
“Yeah, to a certain extent,” Tim says when asked if he missed his grandpa in the States. “I’m lucky Igor (his uncle and trainer) took that role of being someone who always has your back.”
Jennings says Boris is his right hand man on fight night.
“He brings a sense of calm, a sense of family and that bridge between the generations,” Jennings says. “He’s coming with the team up to Newcastle on Thursday, and we’re really glad to have him back.
“It’s beautiful.”
This weekend’s showdown with Joey Spencer will be Boris’ first time back with the team in fight week since Tszyu’s world title win over Brian Mendoza in October 2023.
Where Kostya’s presence in Orlando may have skewed the balance, Boris’ comeback feels like righting the ship.
“This is what it’s been our whole life,” Tszyu says. “It’s the same people that are here now.
“They’re the same people who were here when I had my first amateur fight, when I first laced up gloves and stepped into this ring right here.”
Boris’ best and most important work is done in that gym upstairs from the PCYC in Rockdale, far away from the cameras and the crowds.
He does have a very specific role on fight night though.
“This is a funny one, when I need to piss, but I’ve got my gloves on…” Tszyu says, before cracking up laughing.
“Only my grandpa…I say, ‘Grandpa, can you hold it for me? And shake it as well.
“Have you done that, Nikita?”
“Yeah, all the time.”
“Someone’s gotta do it. It’s good to have him back.”
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Originally published as The Godfather returns: Why this could be the missing piece in the Team Tszyu puzzle
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