Full extent of Tim Tszyu’s dog attack injury revealed ahead of Carlos Ocampo title fight

Boxing sensation Tim Tszyu has been reluctant to showcase the extent of the damage caused by a bull-terrier dog attack – until now. WARNING: Graphic.

This is the gory flesh wound – inflicted by a bull-terrier dog attack – that proves Tim Tszyu is one of the toughest fighters on the planet.

This masthead has obtained exclusive images of the nasty gash which required 37 stitches and Tszyu attempted to conceal in the lead-up to his maiden world-title defence against Mexican Carlos Ocampo on the Gold Coast on Sunday.

Refusing to make excuses, Tszyu has been reluctant to showcase the extent of the injury ... until now.

The super welterweight sensation admits he was left in a state of shock after he was attacked by a friend’s Staffordshire bull terrier on Saturday, May 27, three weeks before his showdown with Ocampo.

The image shows a deep laceration covering almost the width of Tszyu’s upper forearm. There are two gashes. One required 11 stitches and the larger wound needed 26 during emergency surgery, with Tszyu going within millimetres of having a forearm tendon severed.

Tim Tszyu ahead of his maiden world-title defence against Mexican Carlos Ocampo. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Despite the damage, Tszyu (22-0, 16KO) was back in training, punching one handed, less than 48 hours after the attack, and says he is primed to turn into a “pit bull” to maul Mexican Ocampo (35-2, 23KO) on his way to destroying division top dog Jermell Charlo.

Tszyu’s manager Glen Jennings said the images prove the unbeaten 28-year-old is in a league of his own, revealing the son of Kostya could have suffered a career-threatening setback.

“There is no tougher fighter on the planet than Tim,” Jennings said.

“Most other fighters would have said I’m out, but not this kid.

“I said are you comfortable mentally, because physically it will heal. He said no way, I’m not pulling out.

“I do quietly smile from time to time because Tim’s toughness is a DNA streak he inherited from his dad.

“A severed tendon would have been a totally different ball game. Tendons are a minimum 12 months out of boxing and who knows what that could have meant for his career.

“If the dog pulled him forward, it could have severed the tendon and then he would have been f***ed.

“This was no small mark. There was serious damage to his arm and the images are proof of how deep the cut was.

“His skin was torn apart by the dog digging into his arm.

“As Timmy says, he dodged a bullet without a doubt.”

It is not the first time Tszyu has confronted injury in the build-up to a fight.

In just his seventh professional bout against Wade Ryan in 2017, Tszyu broke his right hand seven days before the fight. He overcame a first-round knockdown to win a unanimous points decision over the ‘Bogeyman’.

But when the bull-terrier ripped a chunk out of his arm in a split-second of chaos, Tszyu knew he had a problem.

Tszyu’s dog bite wound. Picture: Supplied

And the resulting 37 stitches. Picture: Supplied

“It was definitely a shock,” he said.

“The dog came at me and luckily I was able to block it off. That’s never happened to me before with any dog.

“I could see two pieces of meat hanging together. I tried to close it (the wound) and the first thing that went through my mind was, ‘I need a hospital’.

“The key was not to panic.

“I remember going into a fight with Wade Ryan with a broken hand. I broke my hand in my last spar. My right hand blew up, but I just ignored it.

“The last week of that fight, I couldn’t punch. My hand was f***ed. But I still went in the ring and beat him.

“After the fight, I went to surgery straight away.

“That’s my attitude. It’s all mental. No whingeing. Get on with it.”

Jennings said Tszyu’s team doctor, Bill Anseline, was crucial to the surgery and recovery period. Anseline used his medical contacts to have Tszyu whisked into the operating theatre.

“I was concerned. It unfolded very quickly,” Jennings said.

“I remember Tim ringing me in the car.

“He said, ‘Mate I’ve had an accident’. He had a towel over his arm.

“The first thing I felt was that sinking feeling so close to the fight. His arm was pretty damn gory to look at.

“Our doctor, Bill, was incredible. In the space of 30 minutes, he had organised a plastic surgeon to come in and have a look at it. They operated on Tim Saturday afternoon and by Monday, he was back in the gym after the post-operative anaesthesia had worn off.

“It was very lucky to miss the tendon which attaches to the bicep. There was a tiny perforation to the sheath, but thankfully the tendon was not severed.

“We thought no-one would find out. It was four days before word got out and then we had to manage the fall out.”

Despite the damage, Tszyu was back in training, punching one handed, less than 48 hours after the attack. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Ocampo is known for his savage left body rip. That punch makes the stitched gash on Tszyu’s right arm a perfect target zone, but Jennings is confident the 37-stitch wound will not be re-opened.

“The danger is that Ocampo throws a great left hand and that will be coming at Tim’s right arm,” Jennings said.

“We are aware of that.

“If I was Ocampo, I would be targeting Tim’s arm and trying to attack the wound, go to the body, but whatever happens, we are prepared for any situation.

“If the wound was to split open, we have our cornerman Mark Gambin, he will stop the bleeding and it won’t stop the fight because it’s not dangerous, it doesn’t leak into an eye.

“The wound has healed nicely ... it won’t affect Tim in the ring.”

Kostya Tszyu beat five Mexican rivals during his decorated career and Tim says he will extend the family streak to 6-0 on Sunday.

“Dog or no dog attack, I’m ready to go,” he said.

“Nothing will break me ... and I will break Ocampo.”

Originally published as Full extent of Tim Tszyu’s dog attack injury revealed ahead of Carlos Ocampo title fight