Running Toward Destiny

Tim Tszyu was two months old when his father, Kostya, stopped Jake Rodriguez in the sixth round to become an IBF 140-pound champion.

A Russian-born Australian, Kostya earned the nickname, “The Thunder From Down Under” for his skills as a boxer-puncher, retiring in 2005 with a mark of 31-2 (25 KOs) that included being an undisputed lineal championship. 

A six-year-old Tim Tszyu became aware of his patriarch's status, which included an International Hall Of Fame induction in 2011. At eight, Tim was drawn into a competition with Kostya comprising a regular footrace the father finally lost when his son was 15.

“I remember when I was in third grade, dad would wake me up at 5:30 every morning to go for a run,” said Tim Tszyu, whose early years were spent developing coordination, discipline and strength through gymnastics. “Then we’d come back after school to do boxing training. It was just a part of us. I was running four, five miles—as an eight-year-old.”

Tszyu went 33-1 as an amateur, this, despite suffering a pair of setbacks in 2011, a decision loss to Australian Olympian Daniel Lewis and a broken wrist. Tszyu overcame both, returning to action in 2013 and winning an Australian National Championship in April 2014.

Trained by his uncle, Igor Goloubev, Tszyu debuted professionally in December 2016 with a six-round unanimous decision over Zorran Cassidy. Tszyu went 6-0 (5 KOs) in 2017. Tszyu stopped all four opponents in 2018 and in 2019 won a pair of 10-round unanimous decisions, over Joel Camilleri (May) and Dwight Ritchie (August) in between second- and fourth-round TKOs of  Denton Vassell (February) and Jack Brubaker (December) as Tszyu rose to 15-0 (11 KOs).

Coming To America

Tszyu scored two knockdowns each during eighth- and first-round knockouts of former champion Jeff Horn and Bowyn Morgan in 2020, the former in August and the latter in December. 

Tszyu continued his run in 2021, his fifth- and third-round TKOs of Dennis Hogan (March) and Steve Spark (July) preceding a shutout unanimous decision over title challenger Takeshi Inoue (November) of Japan. 

“We always believe he will be a world champion,” said Goloubev of Tszyu, who overcame a nasty second-round cut over his left eye to obliterate Hogan with a vicious uppercut.  “Especially with the background of Kostya. The fans are expecting this.”

In March 2022, Tszyu made an impressive U.S. debut, rising from a first-round knockdown to U.S. Olympian Terrell,  winning a 12-round unanimous decision at The Armory in Minneapolis, Minnesota on SHOWTIME. 

Tszyu (21-0, 15 KOs) won 114-113, 115-112 and 116-111.

“It was a simple flash knockdown. It was perfect timing. He’s a former Olympian. He’s got great credentials,” said Tszyu, who was cut on his left hairline from a first-round clash of heads. “That’s a great lesson for myself. I got back up and I dug deep. I was just enjoying myself. I felt in control the whole time. I kept the pressure on. I wasn’t going to back down.”

What's My Name?

On March 11, 2023 (March 12 in Australia), Tszyu dominated former world champion Tony Harrison with a ninth-round TKO to win the Interim WBO Super Welterweight title before 11,740 rabid pro-Tszyu fans at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia.

With the win Tszyu became the mandatory challenger to undisputed super welterweight king Jermell Charlo. At the time of the stoppage, all three judges were in agreement scoring the bout 77-75 in favor of Tszyu after eight completed rounds.

When asked after the fight what the win means, Tsyzu yelled into the mic, “It means I’ve beat the man who beat the man!” Tszyu was then asked if he had a message for Charlo: “The message was sent clearly. You know what’s next, you know I’m coming.”

Tszyu (22-0, 16 KOs) – who elected to face the veteran Harrison after Tszyu’s scheduled match with Charlo on January 28 was scratched when Charlo broke his hand in training – simply outboxed and out-performed Detroit’s Harrison (29-4-1, 21 KOs).

Harrison started quickly, but soon felt Tszyu’s power as Harrison was rocked by an overhand right late in the third round that staggered Harrison, a sequence that was repeated again at the end of the fourth round. 

Harrison hit back in the sixth, landing more shots than Tszyu and displaying his defense as Tszyu missed on several swings. It was more of the same in the eighth as Tszyu continued his relentless pressure and started out-landing Harrison. Harrison had had enough in the ninth, finally hitting the canvas but beating the 10-count to continue the battle until the referee ended matters.

On June 17, 2023, Tszyu continued his ascent toward the top of the 154-pound division, demolishing veteran Carlos Ocampo via stunning first-round KO. Tszyu (23-0, 17 KOs) dropped Ocampo with a right hand barely a minute into the fight and finished him with a lunging left hook that propelled Ocampo (34-3, 22 KOs) down and into the ropes, causing referee Danrex Tapdasan to stop the bout at 1:17 of the first round.

Tszyu followed that up with another impressive win, dominating the dangerous Brian Mendoza to win a unanimous decision Saturday, October 14, 2023, at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia. 

“Charlo, where you at? Where you at buddy?” Tszyu said in the ring afterward, calling out unified 154-pound champion Jermell Charlo. “He probably thinks in his delusional head that he’s going to beat me. Come get it. Come get it.”

A Bloody Battle

On March 30, 2024, Tszyu made his Las Vegas debut against the hard-hitting Sebastian Fundora at T-Mobile Arena in the inaugural PBC Pay-Per-View on Prime Video. Tszyu was initially slated to face Keith Thurman but when Thurman suffered a biceps injury just 12 days before the fight, Fundora stepped in and Tszyu, ever the warrior, didn't hesitate on taking on a new challenge. 

What fans witnessed was a bloody, back and forth battle fought on nearly even terms. In the end, Fundora took home a 12-round split-decision to capture the WBC and WBO 154-Pound World Titles. One judge scored the fight 116-112 for Tszyu, but was overruled by scores of 116-112 and 115-113 for Fundora. 

Tszyu  looked in control in the first two rounds, almost landing straight right hands at will before running into an incidental elbow from Fundora in round two that opened a massive cut on the top of his head. After receiving an inspection from the ringside physician, Tszyu fought on, but was clearly affected by the blood caused from the cut.

"I'm a throwback fighter and whatever circumstances come up, I'll keep going,” said Tszyu. “But all credit belongs to the man who won tonight. These things happen. My momentum was rolling in the first two rounds and then boom, you're blinded completely. This is boxing, it's part of the sport.”

With his opponent’s vision compromised, Fundora, who was dealing with blood flowing out of his nose following round two, focused on using his tremendous length to consistently pepper Tszyu with jabs and further disrupt his attack. Most of Fundora’s success with power punches came via the left hand, as he was able to land clean shots from the southpaw stance.

According to CompuBox stats, Fundora out-jabbed Tszyu 93-39 and threw 721 punches to Tszyu’s 400. Tszyu held an impressive 44% connect rate, but despite a 136 to 101 edge in power punches, was never able to seriously hurt Fundora.

"I show up no matter what and always bring the fight,” said Tszyu. “There's no excuses. I'll fight whoever, whenever. If you want a good scrap, you know who to call."

Tszyu proved that in his next fight, taking on undefeated IBF 154-pound World Champion Bakhram Murtazaliev on October 19 in Orlando. In one of the biggest upsets of the year, Murtazaliev dropped Tszyu four times on his way to a third-round stoppage.

"Every time I step into the ring I leave it all in there,” said Tszyu. “Things didn't go to plan and the better man won tonight. No excuses. After the first shot, things started not going according to plan. That's part of boxing, you get hit and reactions get slower. Bakhram is the man at 154."