Tim Tszyu reveals uncle’s secret Soviet training methods that helped his father Kostya to top of boxing world

He’s the “hidden treasure” that made Kostya Tszyu a world champion and intends to do the same for his son Tim Tszyu.

Tim Tszyu with his trainer and uncle Igor Goloubev. Picture: Sam Rutyn

There’s an unusual affection from Tim Tszyu towards the man who tormented him as a child.

“He would make us vomit,” Tszyu said of his uncle and trainer, Igor Goloubev.

“Making us do running drills as kids, the sand dune work we did, I am 100 per cent sure no one else in Australia does the same sh-t we used to do.

“You throw up, and then of course he makes you keep going.

“Everyone knows Igor in boxing circles, but a lot of the public don’t know him.

“Igor is a hidden treasure, a hidden talent.

“He doesn’t need to boast or talk himself up, he doesn’t need to advertise or publicise because when you’re good at something you don’t need to tell anyone. That’s what I respect about him.

“The great thing about my team is everyone has a role, and Igor’s role is to make me into the best fighter I can possibly be, and that’s what he does.”

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The tall, quiet, casually dressed figure in the gym utters one or two Russian phrases to Tszyu (17-0, 13KO) while he spars rivals in preparation for the March 31 showdown against world-rated Dennis Hogan 28-3-1 (7KO) in Newcastle.

Goloubev is difficult to pin down for an interview, but on this rare occasion, pleased with Tszyu’s form over 12 intense rounds, he opens up on the unique journey he has had from training brother-in-law Kostya to now taking the reins with nephew Tim, using the same secret Soviet training tactics to build the next world champion in the clan.

“We are family, boxing is our life,” Golubev said.

“I came to Australia in 1997, and have no job, nothing, I was just training partner for Kostya, and everything I learned was from him.

“When Tim made the decision to do boxing, we followed him and he started improving in every fight. We believe one day he would fight for a world title and we keep going until we get to this day.

“We always believed he will be world champion, what’s the point to start if not? Especially with the background with Kostya, the fans are expecting this.

Tim Tszyu with his trainer and uncle Igor Goloubev. Picture: Sam Rutyn

“Abut 75 per cent of the training, I am using what Kostya did, I sometimes change it and make it a little bit harder or mix them in a different way, I learned all the stages of a training camp and I just modify it, and this is the result.

“It’s different because Kostya was training himself, he came from the Soviet Union training camps and he knew how to push himself. Tim never had this, we push him, using the old training techniques, and I don’t ever want to put on scales and measure who is better.

“They’re different. Kostya boxed for life. If he didn’t box he couldn’t do anything else, it was for his food, for meat.

“And I can say for Tim it’s more for fun, he loves this. People always ask ‘Who is better?’ You can’t match them, impossible.”

Tszyu, 26, recalls the early years.

“I remember training with dad, he’d be down in Canberra for a two-week camp and he’d invite fighters down, and it was about breaking their will, see if they could handle it, because you can be the most talented but if you can’t handle the training you could f—off,” he said.

“There were a lot of talented Aussie champions coming in with dad, and leaving after three days. And Igor was there the whole time, sitting there quietly, watching, observing.

“He’s like an encyclopaedia, everything that comes into his mind, stays.”

Now, 24 years later, and just five fights after becoming a pay-per-view star in Australia, Tszyu is on the verge of the world title shot should he defeat Hogan.

“What we’ve done, it was my expectation,” Goloubev said.

“The way Tim is training, how motivated he is for this sport, not cutting corners, he should go like this.”

Tim Tszyu says he never cuts corners in training. Picture: Sam Rutyn

Tszyu adds: “There’s no such thing as short cuts, Igor has created that resilience in us.

“And he saw that from dad. The reason my dad became who he is, is because of one thing, and that’s never cutting corners.

“The Soviet system, the boxing school, it’s something different and I’m fortunate to have learned that from Igor, from my dad, from his teachers.

“There’s not another person here in Australia who knows the formula.

“Everything is from that little town in Russia (Serov), you’ve seen the coin trick, the different physical training we do.

“All these new trainers, what do they do? The Mayweather style pad flows, everything is for the look and the flash. Igor doesn’t have social media.

“Igor started with me since day one. My dad never ran the gym, the gym has always been Igor’s, and he’s developed us from a young age, we had plenty of boys in our boxing team, six of us in the nationals.

“Igor was like our second dad, he played a big role in our lives, travelling with us to different states to compete, staying with us, for no money at all. It was just a passion of his, and he knew how to train fighters.
“He’s straightforward, it is what it is. There’s no bullshit.

“If there’s something wrong, it’s wrong and we’ve got to fix it.

“He’s developing as a coach, he never stops learning, he’s always bringing new things in, it’s good as a fighter and trainer to be growing together.

“We started from learning how to throw a jab, to being No.1 contender now in the world.

“We started in the local suburb of Rockdale, we’re here now, and we’re going to be together until the end of my career.”

Goloubev is Tszyu’s head trainer, assisted by speedwork specialist Mark Gambin and strength-and-conditioning coach David Barker.

“The team is settled,” Goloubev said, before issuing a warning to Tszyu’s global rivals.

“I believe I can build him up another 20 per cent more faster and stronger, more confident and fitter,” he said.

“He still has to pick the timing of his power punches, and pick the target. It’s not about heavy punches, it’s about the right place at the right time.”

And Tszyu plans to do just that.

“I’m not comfortable yet, I’ve got a long way to go, I want to be knocking people out left, right and centre,” he said. “Which I’ll be doing.”