Kostya Tszyu says son Tim can be better than him ahead of WBO interim world-title defence
Kostya Tszyu says his son Tim is now the alpha male of Australian boxing’s royal family, and has made a bold declaration ahead of Tim’s bout with Carlos Ocampo on Sunday.
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Tim Tszyu can be better than me.
That is the stunning assessment of his famous father Kostya as Tim claimed he has now arrived as the undisputed “alpha male” of Australian boxing’s royal family.
Tim’s confident declaration came as the Tszyu camp unveiled their masterplan for the ‘Soul Taker’ to become a two-division world champion.
Ice-cool Sydneysider Tszyu can seal a unification blockbuster against American king Jermell Charlo in September by disposing of Mexican Carlos Ocampo in Sunday’s super welterweight showdown on the Gold Coast.
It will be Tszyu’s (22-0, 16KO) first defence of the WBO interim world-title he claimed with his defeat of Tony Harrison in March and obliterating Ocampo (35-2, 23KO) would clear the final hurdle to a multi-belt bonanza with Charlo.
Kostya, who compiled a perfect 5-0 record against Mexicans during his glittering career, has been a key figure in constructing the fight plan for Tim to overwhelm Ocampo.
Earlier this week, hall-of-fame legend Jeff Fenech said Tszyu could potentially surpass his iconic father Kostya – and ‘The Thunder from Down Under’ has given his pugilistic offspring the ultimate seal of approval.
“I would love to see him be better than me,” said Tszyu senior (31-2, 25KO), who unified the super lightweight division with his savage stoppage of Zab Judah in 2001.
“As far as he can go in the sport, I will be next to him.
“Even from Russia, I’m in his corner and I hope he can be better (than Kostya).
“If Tim ever needs me or has a question to be asked, I’m there. I love my son. There is distance but I am always close in my heart.
“It is hard being so far away from each other, but we are on the phone to each other all the time.
“I spoke to him just the other day and we have worked out a strategy for Ocampo, I have been helping Tim step by step.
“I have helped him strategically for this fight, but when it comes to executing, I know it will be his way.
“I can only help by talking to him, but the rest is up to him.”
For many years, Tim has had to live with the nagging perception he is riding on his dad’s coat-tails.
Against that burdensome backdrop, the world-champion duo have endured a testing father-son relationship following Kostya’s decision to move to Russia in 2012, when Tim was 17.
Kostya has yet to attend any of his son’s 22 fights and while the 28-year-old will forever honour his dad’s decorated career, the unbeaten Tim Tszyu says he is now the poster boy of Australian boxing’s royal family.
“Look, dad is a control freak,” Tim says with his father’s cheeky grin as he prepares to face Ocampo.
“But he doesn’t realise I am the alpha male now in my life.
“We stay in touch, but to be honest, I don’t know if I want dad at one of my fights.
“I have done it all myself to this point, so how would I react to him being here at this Ocampo fight or any fight?
“He was the alpha then and I’m the alpha now, so we probably clash.”
Tszyu’s manager Glen Jennings said Tim has grown physically and mentally since his emphatic defeat of Jeff Horn in his last visit to Queensland in 2020 to become the face of Australian boxing.
“Tim is handling all the pressures of boxing so much better,” he said.
“He’s actually now starting to feel like this is my place; that he belongs.
“For a long time, he didn’t feel that way.”
Jennings, who was also part of Kostya’s rise to greatness, gave a fascinating insight into the pair’s father-son bond.
“It’s very complicated and it’s family stuff,” he said.
“I tend not to say a lot to the media in case it goes off on a tangent.
“Look, they do talk, but it’s distant.
“It comes from the fact that Kostya lives in another country with another family. I talk to Kostya a lot and the communication is there.
“Their relationship will probably never be what the Australians want it to be, but that’s life.
“Tim is very much his own man. There is a part of Kostya that I’m glad is on the other side of the world. He is such a massive presence and he is a legend of the sport, but this is Tim’s time. So I love the fact that he gets to present himself for who he is without being in the shadow of dad.
“But then I’m sad we can’t have them on the stage together and all that, so it’s a trade off. I respect both of them immensely.
“I think I will bring Kostya to the Charlo fight, I would love to, but it’s not easy politically getting someone out of Russia to America.”
If Tim disposes of Ocampo, the Tszyu camp is plotting to drop a twin bombshell on America’s Charlo brothers.
Jennings has revealed plans for Tszyu to dethrone the Charlo twins across two divisions, starting with Jermell (35-1-1, 19KO) at super welterweight, before rising to middleweight to take on Jermall (32-0, 22KO).
“There is no-one in the (super welterweight) division who can worry Tim, Ocampo included,” Jennings said.
“Ocampo is a very tough fighter, but Tim is like nothing I have ever seen.
“We will take Charlo’s belts later this year. We will defend the belts, once, maybe twice, but Tim is growing into a big b****rd and then he will go up to middleweight and take on Charlo’s brother, which is very appealing.
“There’s no huge rush to move up yet, but we have a road map that is exciting for Tim and if it comes to fruition, he will be a two-division world champion and be around for a long time as the face of Australian boxing.”
Kostya believes Tim’s boxing intelligence, not power, will dismantle Ocampo and extend the family’s Mexican streak to 6-0.
“Tim has developed more wisdom. That is important,” Tszyu said.
“The key to this fight is for Tim to build a proper plan and we have been doing that.
“Every fight Tim keeps learning and getting better every fight. He is smarter. He is more patient with everything he does, he is reading his opponent better, he is starting to become like a chess player.
“He knows every move and that’s something I like a lot.”
WATCH: Australia’s Tim Tszyu has hand-picked rugged Mexican warrior Carlos Ocampo for the toughest test of his career. Click here to watch the fight
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Originally published as Kostya Tszyu says son Tim can be better than him ahead of WBO interim world-title defence
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