Why the Tszyu family’s 50-win history creates untold pressure for Tim Tszyu in his must-win comeback bout with Joey Spencer
The Tszyu family’s 50 wins and no losses in Australia piles the pressure on Tim Tszyu’s shoulders as he fights to save his career against Joey Spencer.
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Tim Tszyu doesn’t think too hard when asked for his earliest memory of his legendary dad fighting in Australia.
It was January 19, 2003 – younger brother Nikita’s fifth birthday – when Kostya battered Jesse James Leija at the Telstra Super Dome in Melbourne.
The bout was “The Thunder From Down Under’s” last ever fight in Australia and first here in five years.
While Nikita was back home in Sydney celebrating his fifth birthday, Tim was right in the thick of the action.
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“I went to the Jesse James Leija fight at the Telstra Super Dome in Melbourne,” Tszyu tells this masthead. “That was one hell of a fight.
“I remember grabbing my dad’s Ring Magazine belt and walking out with it.”
While the rest of Team Tszyu wore black, and Kostya had a black robe draped over him, a tiny Tim stood out in a vivid blue T-shirt, holding the red, white and blue belt above his head.
The youngster led the way as Kostya placed his gloved hands on Johnny Lewis’ shoulders and made the nervous walk to the ring.
Five minutes later, when legendary ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr introduced Kostya to an adoring crowd, Glen Jennings – who later became Tim’s manager – held the nine-year-old in the air, the belt still high above his head.
While it remains Tim’s earliest memory, the fight itself is a blur.
“I don’t remember the fight at all,” he says. “I was still young, but it was a hell of an experience.”
Tim has been open about his battle to break free of the shadow of his decorated dad, but the memories of that day – and of so many other fights in Australia – still sit heavy on his shoulders.
Kostya, Tim and Nikita have a combined 50 fights and 50 wins in Australia.
It’s a feat that places the Tszyus as one of best – if not the best – sporting families in Australia.
Tim’s 22 wins, Kostya’s 18 victories and Nikita’s 10 triumphant trips to the ring in their home country are unlikely to be repeated.
It rivals the feats of the greatest sporting clans in rugby league, union, AFL and cricket.
And Tim is desperate to keep the streak alive in his must-win showdown with Joey Spencer on April 6.
“It’s crazy to think that Australia has played such a big role for us,” he says. “This stuff is going down in the history books.
“It’s a blessing for me.”
He knows it’s a responsibility too, and one he doesn’t take lightly.
After his shocking third round world title loss to Bakhram Murtazaliev in Orlando last year, Tszyu apologised to the country and promised to reconnect with his Aussie fan base.
He has since spent his entire fight camp training at the same Rockdale gym Kostya spent in preparation for the Leija fight 22 years ago.
It’s not a stretch to say there are several generations of Australian fans who ride every punch Tim throws.
“In the early days with Kostya, we’d go for walks along Beaumont Street in Newcastle, and all the Italian licensees and cafe owners would come out and offer us coffee after coffee after coffee and you’d get stuck there,” Jennings says.
“In Tim’s first fight in Newcastle, we went back down there and sat down and had lunch at the same places.
“A couple of the old fellas – long retired now – wandered in, sat down with us and said hello and it was like, ‘Wow, this is 30 years of history’.
“We never paid for a meal, and the old barber shop had Kostya’s fight photos on the wall.
“Some of those places have gone now, but it’s still got that history about it. What a ride.”
There was a hint of what was to come in Kostya’s post-fight interview after beating Leija in 2003.
Despite retaining his undisputed super-lightweight crown, ‘KT’ was keen to tell everyone about his oldest son’s punching power.
“My little son, when he was three, he dislocated my father’s jaw,” he said, welts on his face and sweat running down his head.
“He hit him right on the chin. Anyone can hit anyone, just don’t blink.”
His right hand to the jaw of his granddad, Boris - who is still an integral part of his team - might have been his first unofficial win, but Tim rates his victories over Jeff Horn and Tony Harrison as the highlights of his own career fighting in Australia.
“I shut a lot of people up that night – it was a good feeling,” he says of his win over Horn in Townsville in 2020.
“Beating Tony Harrison, that was another good feeling. Especially knocking someone out, not just stopping them.
“Knocking someone out in front of a home crowd too, that was something else.”
It’s a different vibe when Nikita fights though.
“Bro, every moment he finishes a fight is a big moment for me, because it’s a drama filled rollercoaster with that kid,” he laughs. “I dunno why that is, it’s just how he fights.
“I’m actually less emotional when I fight, because I can’t control anything when he’s in there fighting.”
There may be less emotion, but there’s infinitely more pressure on Tim’s shoulders ahead of his PPV blockbuster with Spencer on April 6 in Newcastle.
“This is the most important fight of my career, and there’s so much to look forward to,” he says. “It’s good being at home again, down at the gym at Rockdale.
“This is big time boxing, it’s the cream of the crop and I’m glad I’m doing it back here in Australia.
“We’ve reached so much success here in Australia and it’s good to reconnect with the Aussie fans and get back at it.
“It’s good to be home.”
Originally published as Why the Tszyu family’s 50-win history creates untold pressure for Tim Tszyu in his must-win comeback bout with Joey Spencer
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