Nikita Tszyu. Picture by Mark Evans / Getty Pictures
An up to date model of this text shall be featured within the subsequent subject of The Ring.
Like a horror movie, many watched March’s grotesque unified world title battle between Tim Tszyu and Sebastian Fundora by way of their fingers.
Conversely, Tim’s youthful brother Nikita sat ringside by way of 12 bloody rounds, wide-eyed and spattered in envy.
It wasn’t the event, the titles or the purses that so enchanted the man skilled boxer – somewhat the savage lower, the busted nostril and the resultant crimson mess that stained the Las Vegas ring to the purpose that it will have been becoming to interchange the ropes with crime scene tape.
“Seeing all of the blood, it was fairly arousing for me,” stated Nikita.
“I’m drawn to that sort of gruesomeness. I used to be jealous! On the finish of the battle, he (Tim) lower his glove and he licked it and I used to be like, ‘Fuck yeah, thanks.’”
Tim Tszyu and Sebastian Fundora have interaction throughout their massacre battle in March. (Picture by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu through Getty Pictures)
You see, Nikita Tszyu is a bit totally different.
Two and a half years in the past, on the press convention to announce his debut battle, the youthful Tszyu provided a quote that unintentionally spawned a hoop moniker.
“Some individuals used to explain my brother extra as a surgeon they usually’d describe me as a butcher. We do the identical sort of job, however we do issues another way. I’m somewhat extra messy in that sense,” stated Nikita.
At 26, “The Butcher” is three years Tim’s junior and too younger to recollect a lot from the time when their father, Kostya, was the undisputed king of the junior welterweight division and certainly one of boxing’s most compelling figures.
The Tszyu brothers have described their upbringing as being pushed by “military sergeant” Kostya’s army parenting type – all self-discipline, punctuality and respect.
“I bear in mind coming again dwelling after I got here second in cross nation,” remembers Tim. “After that, dad can be banging on the door at 5:15 a.m. each morning for runs, and I got here first yearly from then on.
“You couldn’t be a bludger on this household – that’s for certain!”
Kostya Tszyu, with a younger Nikita and Tim, pose with a Boa Constrictor throughout a press convention (held at a zoo in Sydney) for his 2005 showdown with Ricky Hatton. (Picture by Mark Nolan/Getty Pictures)
However when the boys had been alone, sparks and punches would fly.
“My childhood was fixed bloody noses,” admits Nikita, whose grandfather Boris has now banned him from sparring his brother.
“I used to be a little bit of a loner as a child. I used to be all the time doing my very own factor. I used to gather redback spiders in my yard and put them in packing containers and suffocate them. I really feel sorry for my mum. She was the one who used to take care of all of it. They took me to a psychologist after I was youthful they usually stated, ‘There’s nothing actually incorrect with him, he simply wants consideration.’”
Regardless of his questionable hobbies, Nikita was a nationwide standout as an novice boxer in Sydney and, based on many, the extra naturally gifted of the brothers. He had wings to unfold, nevertheless, and so he flew away from boxing to pursue a profession in structure.
It lasted seven years, however finally Tszyu fingers are supposed to make fists, not drawings, and watching the rise of his brother from afar solely fueled Nikita’s inevitable return to the ring.
Whereas Tim debuted in relative obscurity and didn’t headline a serious televised present till his thirteenth skilled battle, his position in returning the Tszyu identify to mainstream prominence in Australia meant Nikita was solid in a lead position from the very starting.
In March of 2022, “The Butcher” stopped Aaron Stahl within the second spherical of a scrappy however violent debut in Brisbane, and there was nationwide curiosity instantly.
In fact the surname Tszyu and resultant hype helped drastically, however so did the perspective, recklessness and punching energy. Inside and out of doors the ring, Nikita Tszyu is must-see TV.
Nikita is a southpaw, and whereas he doesn’t share Tim’s uncanny facial similarities to Kostya, there’s a hanging resemblance within the sincerity of his punches. The blows look and sound heavy and the response from opponents is dramatic.
Additional, Nikita’s preventing type is extremely entertaining – not a lot “hit and don’t get hit” as “get hit and hit again tougher.”
Nikita Tszyu takes it to Benjamin Bommber en path to a first-round stoppage at Margaret Court docket Area on Could 24, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Picture by Robert Cianflone/Getty Pictures)
“I heard (Gennadiy) Golovkin say a quote. He stated typically he lets individuals hit him simply so he offers others hope. Not calling myself Golovkin, however I wished to say that quote,” stated Nikita.
“Once I watch a battle, I hate when it’s one-sided. Even when I just like the man I’m watching, I need them to get harm. That is the enterprise of leisure and the primary character has to undergo adversity.”
Tim articulates the distinction within the brothers’ kinds, inside and out of doors the boxing ring.
“In life, I’ll assume earlier than I do. Nikita does, then thinks,” stated Tim. “Similar factor within the ring. However more often than not when he does it, it’s fireworks.
“Anticipate the sudden from this child.”
The primary 9 fights of Nikita’s paid profession have been compelling, and whereas he stays undefeated, there was ample adversity. He was rocked badly within the closing spherical of an early win over Ben Horn, needed to climb off the canvas within the opening spherical earlier than stopping Dylan Biggs, and he took large photographs in brutal wins over Jack Brubaker and Danilo Creati.
“I cop the photographs, however I’m nonetheless a rookie. I’m studying on the go. Two-and-a-half years again within the sport! I’m at, like, my teenager part for the time being. I haven’t totally matured – I do know a little bit of the energy of my physique – however I’m nonetheless somewhat bit reckless,” stated Nikita.
“The Ben Horn one – why was I making an attempt to knock him out within the final 30 seconds after I’d been profitable the complete battle? That’s a rookie error by me. Brubaker – I bought headbutted! I did get hit by a pleasant clear shot, too, however I recovered straight after. And the Creati one – sure he hit me with a shot, however I felt high-quality – I used to be simply making an attempt to clinch with him, however he was a slippery dude and it appeared like I used to be everywhere.”
Nikita Tszyu goes on the assault in opposition to Danilo Creati – Picture courtesy of No Restrict Boxing
It’s the recklessness that concurrently will get crowds engaged, offers ammunition for critics and scares a spectating brother.
“I didn‘t perceive what I used to be in for. However I understood after I was watching Nikita’s first battle. Man, that is nerve-racking! Traumatic. It’s very exhausting,” stated the older Tszyu brother.
“The primary couple of fights, I used to be uncontrolled. I sat down and thought, ‘You realize what, I really want to work on this!’,” Tim added.
Father Kostya has but to attend any of Nikita’s skilled fights. And whereas they impart recurrently, the 26-year-old hasn’t seen his dad in particular person in 5 years.
After his closing skilled battle in 2005, Kostya elevated his enterprise pursuits in Moscow and commenced spending extra time there. Then, in 2008, the household – then-wife Natasha and youngsters Tim, Nikita and Anastasia – joined Kostya in relocating to Russia. Nonetheless, the homesick Tszyus by no means settled in and had been again in Sydney inside a yr.
In 2012, Kostya completely returned to Moscow, the place he now lives with second spouse Tatiana and the couple’s two younger kids, and is “pleased” and “softer,” based on Tim.
The boys seem content material with their legendary father’s absence and describe the present relationship like a long-distance friendship; Kostya watches each battle and referred to as Nikita after his most up-to-date bout with recommendation to cease making an attempt to knock out opponents with each punch.
Nikita stays a unusual character, with colourful turns of phrase and an intriguing private philosophy. He stays one thing of a “loner” who spends a lot of his time in nature together with his three canine – Lucifer, Hunter and Carlos. However because the darkish prince of Australian boxing’s first household, Nikita has needed to take care of grumblings across the relative ease of his boxing ascent. He admits he has been privileged however explains the restrictions of that benefit effectively.
“What can I do about it? There’s nothing I can do in regards to the privilege I grew up with. I’m not going to disclaim it, as a result of it’s clearly true, however boxing is a type of sports activities the place privilege can solely take you to this point – you’ve nonetheless bought to get in there and battle,” stated Nikita.
“I nonetheless have had all these fights and I did win them. It bought me someplace, however I needed to take management myself.”
Nikita Tszyu celebrates after defeating Mason Smith as a part of the King of the Fortress Battle Evening at Newcastle Leisure Centre on Could 11, 2022 in Newcastle, Australia. (Picture by Mark Evans/Getty Pictures)
Nikita’s tenth skilled bout shall be a protection of his Australian junior middleweight title in opposition to fellow Sydneysider Koen Mazoudier on August 28.
Mazoudier has a formidable fringe of his personal, having come by way of the novice system with the Tszyu brothers and seeing Nikita’s speedy rise from the entrance row. His personal life has at instances change into wildly turbulent.
From Blacktown in Sydney’s gritty western suburbs, Mazoudier has struggled with dependancy and solely 4 years in the past was arrested and despatched to a psychological well being facility.
“I had a manic episode and just about despatched myself schizophrenic – I used to be dwelling issues that didn’t occur,” defined Mazoudier. “At that time, my lovely companion, Breanna, referred to as the ambulance, as she was apprehensive about my well being. They only talked about, ‘Is there anything we should always know earlier than we go over there?’ She stated, ‘He’s an expert boxer,’ innocently, so now the police are coming as a substitute of the ambulance.
“I used to be put right into a psychological well being facility for violently mentally sick individuals – I’ve by no means been violent exterior of boxing. It was just about jail for a mentally sick particular person.”
These days, Mazoudier seems each bit the contented husband to Breanna and well-adjusted father to their two kids, with one other on the best way, whereas he makes use of his personal journey in life and in boxing to attempt to assist others experiencing psychological well being troubles.
“There’s issues I’ve needed to bounce and do this he (Nikita) doesn’t even know exist. To me, that’s a bonus for me. After we get to these depths and into that darkish, darkish pit, I’m going to be serious about all this stuff that I’ve needed to accomplish and get by way of that he hasn’t even had to take a look at,” stated Mazoudier.
With all of that on the desk, and with these two specific fighters making ready to feast, it’s of no shock that the dinner dialog has turned ghastly.
“I’m pleased to interrupt bones, rupture spleens and fucking rip heads off – no matter I’ve bought to do in there,” stated Mazoudier. “I’m making ready for conflict, and I’m going to take that Australian title dwelling. I’ve bought children at dwelling, so I’m going to feed on him first, then I’m going to feed my household.”
“We’re each keen to die within the ring,” responded Nikita. “It’s a recipe for one thing brutal – for one thing with a parental advisory sticker on it.
“It’s form of like I’m preventing myself.”
Ben Damon is a famous journalist, commentator and TV presenter referred to as the “Voice of Australian Boxing.” He’ll name Tszyu vs. Mazoudier on Wednesday night time Australian time.
