From dog bite to car break-in victim: Tim Tszyu’s world title defence hit by another setback

Tim Tszyu’s preparations for his world title defence hit yet another disruption last week after a criminal’s brazen attempt to rob him outside his Shire home.

It’s been a less than ideal fight camp for Tim Tszyu. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Tim Tszyu’s preparations for his world title defence against Carlos Ocampo hit yet another disruption last week when a thief broke into his Mercedes sports car in the driveway of his home in Sydney’s Shire.

Tszyu was already on the Gold Coast, and had barely taken the bandages off his arm after receiving 26 stitches as the result of a dog bite, when the brazen break-in attempt occurred.

The would-be thief entered Tszyu’s property and busted into the Mercedes looking for cash or other valuables in the late-night snatch-and-grab attempt.

The whole incident was picked up on Tszyu’s home security cameras.

“It’s all on film, this guy was wearing a ski parka and a mask, and he gets into the car, rummages around – didn’t find anything of consequence – and walks off,” Tszyu’s manager, Glen Jennings told News Corp.

“They did the whole street pretty much, it was pretty brazen. Nothing was stolen, and you couldn’t steal the car anyhow because it’s full of anti-theft stuff.”

Tszyu with manager Glen Jennings. Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

A car nut, Tszyu also owns a red 1955 Corvette, which was parked safely inside his garage at the time and was untouched.

Jennings is a self-confessed American car snob and had just one question when he found out about the break-in.

“I just said, ‘It wasn’t the Corvette was it?’ and Tim says, ‘Nah, it was the Mercedes’,” Jennings says. “I just said, ‘Oh don’t worry about it, it’s just the bloody Merc. As long as they haven’t touched the ’55’.

“But seriously, that’s gotta be the dumbest criminal in Sydney. Who goes to Tim Tszyu’s house, breaks into his Mercedes and thinks they can get away with it?”

The break-in was just another unwanted outside distraction for Tszyu, after he was bitten on the arm by a friend’s dog at a barbecue in May.

The 28-year-old underwent surgery and had 26 stitches in his arm, but says he never once thought about pulling out or postponing the fight.

In fact, he says he’s lucky, because the injury could have been much worse.

The dog’s bite came within millimetres of rupturing a protective sheath that runs around the tendon that holds the bicep. A little deeper, and he would have been sidelined for at least a year, but possibly longer.

“I dodged a bullet,” Tszyu told this masthead. “It could’ve been much worse – much worse. It was close to the muscle, the tendon and the arteries, which would have been not just blood loss, but end of career type stuff.

“So, I’m blessed.”

He’d only been out of surgery for a matter of minutes and was still groggy from the painkillers when he picked up his phone and started ringing his team. Determined to get back to the gym as soon as possible, there was no question – in his mind at least – that the fight with Ocampo would still go ahead.

“He was off his head, jabbering and calling everyone in the team, just talking shit,” Jennings says. “He’s a funny bastard and his personality was off with the fairies.

“But if I had told him that we were pulling the fight, there would’ve been a war between me and him. He would’ve been shattered.

“But, he’s a special athlete and a special human. He doesn’t drink, he doesn’t smoke, he eats properly, sleeps properly, he rests, and mentally he’s in a great place.”

Carlos Ocampo and Tszyu met face-to-face for the first time on Wednesday night. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

With the dog bite, the surgery, the recovery and break-in, it’s hardly been a smooth camp, but Tszyu says all the outside noise has been a valuable learning curve as he looks ahead to a fight with undisputed world champion Jermell Charlo.

“There’s been a lot of shit this camp, but when shit happens, block it out. Block it out and keep moving forward, no matter what,” he said.

“There was a lot of shit, but f – k it. It is what it is.

“You’re in this sport for such a short period of time, so just make the most of it and bash everyone you can possibly bash.

“It’s simple.”

Originally published as From dog bite to car break-in victim: Tim Tszyu’s world title defence hit by another setback