Boxing 2022: Nikita Tszyu reveals secret hand torture as he builds fists of stone like father Kostya

In a secret never-before-photographed family gym, boxer Nikita Tszyu has adopted a punishing practice used for centuries to ensure he is in peak physical condition for his next fight.

WEEKEND TELEGRAPHS – 14/7/22 MUST CLEAR WITH PIC EDITOR JEFF DARMANIN BEFORE PUBLISHING – Nikita Tszyu trains in the same old garage gym as his legendary father Kostya. It's at the house of Nikita's grandad Boris. Nikita dips his hands in a herb concoction and hits his fists against a heavy leather pad filled with chick peas to harden his hands. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

It was the secret garage gym that launched Kostya Tszyu to a world title and now his son Nikita is training there, building his mind, body and his own ambitions.

This cedar-lined room in his grandfather Boris’s backyard has never been photographed before.

Inside, Nikita Tszyu is punching down on a bag of chickpeas, then dipping his hands into a heated black ointment that contains 35 different secret ingredients.

“Each kung fu master has their own recipe,” Tszyu said.

The Battle Of The Brothers: Watch as unbeaten Nikita Tszyu faces Ben Horn live on Wednesday 20 July from 7pm AEST on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

Nikita Tszyu dips his hands in a herb concoction before hitting his fists against a heavy leather pad filled with chick peas to harden his hands. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

This is so-called iron body training, used for centuries by Shaolin monks to strengthen all areas of their body and includes hitting themselves with bricks, metal poles, bamboo sticks and iron weights.

For now, Tszyu is focused on his hands.

He does this for 30 minutes every day. Just like his champion father Kostya used to do in the prime of his career, in the same room.

“He did this after the Jake Rodriguez fight, after his first world title win (in 1995) I think,” Tszyu said.

Nikita Tszyu trains in the same old garage gym as his legendary father Kostya at the house of his grandad Boris. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“It wasn’t from the start of his career. He did it after he hurt his hand in a fight, and he wanted to strengthen his hands. And he sought that through kung fu.

“In kung fu they punch people with bare hands, they need their hands conditioned to withstand that kind of force.

“I started after my first fight, I hurt my knuckle (against Aaron Stahl last March) and I said to myself: ‘If I want to continue in this sport I need to be able to punch people without the fear of hurting my hand’.

“And you see what happened to Tim.”

Father Kostya Tszyu embraced so-called iron body training, used for centuries by Shaolin monks, to strengthen all areas of their body.

Nikita’s older brother, who will fight for the undisputed super-welterweight title against Jermell Charlo on January 28 in Las Vegas, is still recovering from hand surgery after injuring both knuckle tendons during his previous fight against Terrell Gausha.

“I did a lot of research,” Nikita said.

“I’m only in phase two. You start with rice or sand inside a bag, then it goes to chickpeas, and then it goes to metal pellets.

“And then you increase the size of pellets. It’s all so the hands can slowly adapt.

“Ever since I’ve been punching it, I’ve had no issues with my hands.

“It could also be a bit of placebo, but I feel the chickpeas are breaking the muscles down, breaking the bones down, you’re trying to slightly damage your knuckles, but then the ointment is there to heal it.

“So it’s acting like the theory of what steroids are, where it quickly repairs muscles.”

Nikita Tszyu dips his hands in the secret potion. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Tszyu’s punishing regimen to harden his hands. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

He will test it out against Ben Horn — brother of Jeff Horn — on Wednesday night at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion.

“It’s all about the strengthening and conditioning of the hands, from the knuckle to wrist to arm,” said Tszyu, who is 2-0 with two knockouts.

“When you’ve thrown a punch in a fight and you’ve hurt your hand, it’s a horrible feeling, you feel handicapped and you’re reluctant to use that hand again.

“This just clears any of that out of the pictures.

Nikita Tszyu trains with grandad Boris. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“I hurt my left hand, I landed six punches to the top of the forehead in a row. During the fight it didn’t hurt, but afterwards it was puffy and sore for the next eight weeks.”

On the Tszyu-Horn undercard, podcaster Jordan Simi takes on NRL legend Justin Hodges, who intends to score victory in order to get a shot at Paul Gallen for a $100,000 payday.

“I heard him talking a bit of s--- on the radio and I’m excited for the opportunity to stop him from earning 100K,” Simi said.

“I’m younger than Justin, probably a lot fitter as well, and humble.

“He’s had a pretty long NRL career so his body is nice and seized up for me.

“I’m a heavyweight, I want to knock him out.”

(From left) Darragh Foley, Sam Goodman, Tim Tszyu, No Limit Boxing chief executive George Rose, Nikita Tszyu and Jordan Simi. Picture: No Limit Boxing

Welterweight slugger Darragh Foley (19-4-1, 9KO) takes on Hunter Ioane over six rounds, and should he win, there is a big scalp he wants next – Steve Spark.

“It’s all well and good saying this and that, these Millennials, we’ve got a date in September, you want it? I’ve signed a contract with your name on it, so you want it, come get some,” Foley said.

And super-bantamweight contender Sam Goodman (11-0, 6KO) will take another step up in a 10-round clash against Filipino Juan Elorde (29-2, 15KO) for the WBO Oriental and IBF Inter-Continental belts.

“I think I break him,” Goodman said.

“He is a good fighter, he’s been on the world stage. I don’t know when he will break, but I’ll apply the pressure and when I do that, he’ll break.”

NIKITA TSZYU vs BEN HORN

Wednesday, July 20, from 7pm

Live on Fox Sports