Boxing news: Tim Tszyu believes his brother Nikita can take over the super welterweight division
Tim Tszyu calls his brother Nikita ‘The Butcher’, why? Because he believes it’s a matter of time before he bludgeons the entire super welterweight division.
Boxing/MMA
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Nikita Tszyu calls himself a “little bit crazy”.
His older brother, world-title contender Tim, has labelled Nikita ‘The Butcher’, claiming his sibling hits harder than their famous father Kostya Tszyu and says it is only a matter of time before he bludgeons the entire super welterweight division.
Of course, the unbeaten Tim (20-0, 15KO) is one of that division’s current big guns, but he plans to move up in weight quickly and clear the path for Hurricane Nikita to “cause chaos” in a sport that was seemingly his destiny.
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For the past five years, Nikita studied architecture at university. Bored out of his brain staring at a computer screen, Nikita rediscovered the boxing bug watching his brother’s rise to stardom and will embark on his professional debut against Townsville’s Aaron Stahl (2-0-1) on March 2 at Brisbane’s Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Fight pundits believe Nikita was a better fighter than Tim growing up. As an amateur, he was a four-time national champion. Now, just turned 24, Nikita is back in a familiar playground and hellbent on sending shockwaves through the boxing world.
“You are about to see the second Tszyu who is a little bit crazy,” Nikita said with the wicked grin of his father Kostya.
“Some people used to describe my brother (Tim) as a surgeon in the ring.
“For me, I’ve been described as a butcher.
“We do the same kind of job but we do things in a different way. I am a bit more messy in the ring.
“I grew up with an older brother that was very competitive, who was very skilful in a lot of things he did and I had to use my strength and determination to compete with him. He always pushed me to my limits and created a strength inside of me that I am going to bring to boxing.
“There is another Tszyu that is coming to cause some action ... to cause some chaos.”
Nikita brings a different energy to his brother. Tim, 27, is dark haired, cool and calculating with his father’s razor-sharp stare.
Nikita has his mother Natalia’s fairer complexion and mixes brash statements with an intelligence of thought befitting his architecture degree.
“He is the butcher. He is going to be butchering people, that’s what he will do,” Tim says.
“It’s going to be a surprise for everyone. No-one understands how strong, how quick and how good this kid really is.
“I will put my life on the line that Nikita is going to take over the whole super welterweight division, it’s that simple.
“The whole super welterweight division is going to go into shock.
“He has lethal power. Lethal power. Harder than dad. I’m telling you now. You guys wait and see how hard he punches.
“It’s his natural genetics. He is built strong, there is a lot of improvement in Nikita, but there are some things you are born with and Nikita has that strength.”
Asked if Nikita dominating the super welterweight division includes disposing of him, Tim said with a laugh: “I have a few boys on my mind that I want to take care of and once I’m finished with them, I’ll move up and Nikita can finish with them, too.”
While Nikita speaks with confidence, there is no hint of arrogance from the 72kg slugger, who was a ball of combustion stuck studying behind a desk.
“Architecture got too boring for me,” he said.
“I was sitting in front of the computer all day looking at a screen and I had this energy inside of me that was hating it.
“The last two or three years, this transition started to form and I rediscovered my love for the sport. It made me think about the energy I want to transfer to this world and it’s about taking care of my body, fighting well and being my best self.
“Tim is someone to chase. There’s no jealousy at all. It is motivating to look at someone like him.
“If we all succeed, that’s the most beautiful thing in life.”
Tim and Nikita’s manager Glen Jennings, who also oversaw Kostya’s decorated career, believes the youngest Tszyu can win a world title.
“Nikita comes into the ring on March 2 with bad intentions,” he said.
“When he gets into the ring, don’t get out of your seat, don’t go anywhere. Nikita Tszyu is coming back to boxing to make a statement and it’s going to be an exciting ride with Tim.
“The sky is the limit for Nikita and all going well, I believe he will go all the way.”
Tszyu 3.0 ready to be unleashed on the world
Another Tszyu will be unleashed on the boxing world.
Nikita Tszyu — the son of boxing legend Kostya and younger brother of world-title contender Tim — will follow in his famous family’s footsteps when he makes his professional debut in Brisbane on March 2.
Nikita will take on unbeaten super welterweight Aaron Stahl (2-0-1) at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre — the scene of Jeff Horn’s epic defeat of Michael Zerafa in their bloody re-match in December 2019.
Queensland has fond memories for the Tszyu clan. It is the state in which Tim Tszyu clinically cleaned up Horn in August 2020 with an eight-round masterclass that announced him as the face of Australian boxing.
Now Nikita is launching his own fight journey in the Sunshine State, returning to the ring after five years away from the sport to focus on architecture studies at university.
At 24, Nikita is no mug. He was a four-time national champion as an amateur and his manager Glen Jennings warned Nikita, a southpaw, has a more explosive style to the calculated edge that has seen brother Tim compile an unbeaten 20-0 (15KO) professional record.
“Nikita is a serious talent,” said Jennings, who oversaw Kostya’s decorated career and is now in charge of Tim’s world-title quest.
“He is different to Tim in style, but he will bring some excitement to the ring for sure.
“Nikita has some bang in both hands. He is a ‘watch out, don’t blink’ sort of fighter.
“In his amateur career, Nikita was renowned as a slugger and he was well respected. He can fight. He will be entertaining for sure.”
Such is Nikita’s reputation, his promoters No Limit Boxing struggled to find a first-up opponent.
A staggering 14 rivals said no thanks to facing Nikita before Townsville-based Stahl accepted the challenge of trading blows with the third Tszyu to roll off the pugilistic production line.
“Boxing talent is in Nikita’s blood and the fire is in his eyes,” No Limit CEO George Rose said. “Kostya was a fan favourite and legend of boxing. Tim Tszyu is the current superstar of Australian boxing and Nikita is the most exciting prospect to hit Australian boxing.
“He’s got the tools. There’s something special about Nikita Tszyu when you see him in the ring.”
Nikita was ringside for Tim’s wins against Takeshi Inoue and Dennis Hogan last year and says his older brother’s rise has sparked his desire to reconnect with boxing.
“I don’t take on challenges to be second-best,” he said.
“Tim’s success in the amateurs inspired me to quit soccer and start boxing at 12 years of age. History has repeated itself again. This sport is deeply rooted within our family.
“Dad’s discipline, attitude and mentality was embedded into Tim and myself as children. I am eternally grateful for the physical and mental strength he passed on to us.
“I’m still feeling a little rusty, but I’m consciously improving day by day.
“There is infinite room for improvement.”
While Nikita will debut in the same weight division as Tim, there are no plans for the brothers to square off, save for furious sparring sessions.
“I don’t see them ever fighting,” Jennings said.
“Tim is four years down the track and he is in world-title contention now, but Nikita is starting on his journey and hopefully we can emulate what we have done for Tim with him.
“Nikita has the same desire as Tim. He gave up his love for the sport to dedicate himself to five years of university study.
“He saw it through and the day after he graduated, he called me and said, ‘Let’s go’.
“Tim is fully supportive of Nikita. There is a long way to go for Nikita, but his skill level as an amateur was very good and you don’t lose that.”
Nikita will headline an impressive No Limit event in Brisbane that will include Toowoomba’s Steve Spark, who lost to Tim Tszyu last year, while Queenslander Liam Wilson will again face world-ranked Filipino Joe Noynay, six months after a crushing TKO loss to the ‘Jaw Breaker’.
Originally published as Boxing news: Tim Tszyu believes his brother Nikita can take over the super welterweight division
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