Nikita Tszyu. Photograph by Mark Evans / Getty Photos
An up to date model of this text shall be featured within the subsequent concern of The Ring.
Like a horror movie, many watched March’s ugly unified world title struggle between Tim Tszyu and Sebastian Fundora via their fingers.
Conversely, Tim’s youthful brother Nikita sat ringside via 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 purple mess that stained the Las Vegas ring to the purpose that it could have been becoming to exchange the ropes with crime scene tape.
“Seeing all of the blood, it was fairly arousing for me,” mentioned Nikita.
“I’m drawn to that sort of gruesomeness. I used to be jealous! On the finish of the struggle, he (Tim) lower his glove and he licked it and I used to be like, ‘Fuck yeah, thanks.’”
Tim Tszyu and Sebastian Fundora interact throughout their massacre battle in March. (Photograph by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu by way of Getty Photos)
You see, Nikita Tszyu is a bit completely different.
Two and a half years in the past, on the press convention to announce his debut struggle, the youthful Tszyu supplied a quote that unintentionally spawned a hoop moniker.
“Some individuals used to explain my brother extra as a surgeon and so they’d describe me as a butcher. We do the identical sort of job, however we do issues differently. I’m a bit extra messy in that sense,” mentioned 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 fashion – all self-discipline, punctuality and respect.
“I bear in mind coming again residence after I got here second in cross nation,” recollects 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. (Photograph by Mark Nolan/Getty Photos)
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 at all times doing my very own factor. I used to gather redback spiders in my yard and put them in bins and suffocate them. I really feel sorry for my mum. She was the one who used to cope with all of it. They took me to a psychologist once I was youthful and so they mentioned, ‘There’s nothing actually mistaken with him, he simply wants consideration.’”
Regardless of his questionable hobbies, Nikita was a nationwide standout as an beginner boxer in Sydney and, in response to many, the extra naturally gifted of the brothers. He had wings to unfold, nonetheless, and so he flew away from boxing to pursue a profession in structure.
It lasted seven years, however finally Tszyu arms 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 struggle, his position in returning the Tszyu title to mainstream prominence in Australia meant Nikita was forged 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 vastly, however so did the angle, recklessness and punching energy. Inside and outdoors 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 putting resemblance within the sincerity of his punches. The blows look and sound heavy and the response from opponents is dramatic.
Additional, Nikita’s preventing fashion is extremely entertaining – not a lot “hit and don’t get hit” as “get hit and hit again more durable.”
Nikita Tszyu takes it to Benjamin Bommber en path to a first-round stoppage at Margaret Courtroom Enviornment on Might 24, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photograph by Robert Cianflone/Getty Photos)
“I heard (Gennadiy) Golovkin say a quote. He mentioned typically he lets individuals hit him simply so he provides others hope. Not calling myself Golovkin, however I needed to say that quote,” mentioned Nikita.
“After I watch a struggle, I hate when it’s one-sided. Even when I just like the man I’m watching, I would like 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 outdoors the boxing ring.
“In life, I’ll suppose earlier than I do. Nikita does, then thinks,” mentioned Tim. “Similar factor within the ring. However more often than not when he does it, it’s fireworks.
“Anticipate the surprising 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 last 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 massive 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 section in the intervening time. I haven’t absolutely matured – I do know a little bit of the power of my physique – however I’m nonetheless a bit bit reckless,” mentioned Nikita.
“The Ben Horn one – why was I attempting to knock him out within the final 30 seconds once I’d been successful the complete struggle? 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 nice – I used to be simply attempting to clinch with him, however he was a slippery dude and it seemed like I used to be far and wide.”
Nikita Tszyu goes on the assault in opposition to Danilo Creati – Photograph courtesy of No Restrict Boxing
It’s the recklessness that concurrently will get crowds engaged, gives ammunition for critics and scares a spectating brother.
“I didn‘t perceive what I used to be in for. However I understood once I was watching Nikita’s first struggle. Man, that is nerve-racking! Anxious. It’s very exhausting,” mentioned the older Tszyu brother.
“The primary couple of fights, I used to be uncontrolled. I sat down and thought, ‘ what, I actually need to work on this!’,” Tim added.
Father Kostya has but to attend any of Nikita’s skilled fights. And whereas they impart frequently, the 26-year-old hasn’t seen his dad in individual in 5 years.
After his last skilled struggle in 2005, Kostya elevated his enterprise pursuits in Moscow and commenced spending extra time there. Then, in 2008, the household – then-wife Natasha and kids Tim, Nikita and Anastasia – joined Kostya in relocating to Russia. Nevertheless, 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 “glad” and “softer,” in response to 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 struggle and referred to as Nikita after his most up-to-date bout with recommendation to cease attempting 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 along with his three canine – Lucifer, Hunter and Carlos. However because the darkish prince of Australian boxing’s first household, Nikita has needed to cope with grumblings across the relative ease of his boxing ascent. He admits he has been privileged however explains the restrictions of that benefit nicely.
“What can I do about it? There’s nothing I can do concerning 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 date – you’ve nonetheless bought to get in there and struggle,” mentioned 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 Combat Evening at Newcastle Leisure Centre on Might 11, 2022 in Newcastle, Australia. (Photograph by Mark Evans/Getty Photos)
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 via the beginner system with the Tszyu brothers and seeing Nikita’s speedy rise from the entrance row. His personal life has at instances grow to be 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 residing issues that didn’t occur,” defined Mazoudier. “At that time, my lovely companion, Breanna, referred to as the ambulance, as she was frightened about my well being. They only talked about, ‘Is there the rest we must always know earlier than we go over there?’ She mentioned, ‘He’s an expert boxer,’ innocently, so now the police are coming as an alternative of the ambulance.
“I used to be put right into a psychological well being facility for violently mentally ailing individuals – I’ve by no means been violent outdoors of boxing. It was just about jail for a mentally ailing individual.”
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 try this he (Nikita) doesn’t even know exist. To me, that’s a bonus for me. Once we get to these depths and into that darkish, darkish pit, I’m going to be fascinated by all this stuff that I’ve needed to accomplish and get via that he hasn’t even had to have a look at,” mentioned Mazoudier.
With all of that on the desk, and with these two explicit fighters making ready to feast, it’s of no shock that the dinner dialog has turned ghastly.
“I’m glad to interrupt bones, rupture spleens and fucking rip heads off – no matter I’ve bought to do in there,” mentioned Mazoudier. “I’m making ready for conflict, and I’m going to take that Australian title residence. I’ve bought children at residence, so I’m going to feed on him first, then I’m going to feed my household.”
“We’re each prepared 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 sort of like I’m preventing myself.”
Ben Damon is a famous journalist, commentator and TV presenter often called the “Voice of Australian Boxing.” He’ll name Tszyu vs. Mazoudier on Wednesday evening Australian time.
Observe Damon on X and Instagram.
