Nikita Tszyu is heading back to Newcastle on May 6, where he’ll take on unbeaten, world-ranked Spaniard Oscar Diaz in a huge next step for the rising Aussie.
Just two months on from his infamous ‘No Contest’ against Michael Zerafa, the 28-year-old Sydneysider is heading back to one of the most significant cities of his professional career.
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Unbeaten at 11-0 with nine knockouts, Tszyu has fought three of his fights in Newcastle – most notably his 2023 war over Dylan Biggs, when he climbed off the canvas in the opening round to stop Biggs and claim the Australian super welterweight strap.
Not only has Nikita never lost in Newcastle – neither has any of his family members, compiling a spotless 13-0 record between Kostya, Tim and Nikita Tszyu.
But while ‘The Butcher’ is looking to move on from the chaos of the Zerafa bout, he faces a genuine test in Diaz.
The 25-year-old, nicknamed ‘El Torro’ [‘The Bull’], brings a 16-fight unbeaten record into the contest and boasts more professional experience despite being three years younger.
The announcement comes as Nikita continues to generate global attention, with Hall of Famer Timothy Bradley recently suggesting that ‘The Butcher’ is more talented than his former world champion brother.
The ‘Tszyu-castle’ card is shaping as a stacked one, featuring Olympic star Callum Peters fresh off his blistering performance in Wollongong on Easter Sunday, alongside CJ Mundine, son of Australian boxing legend Anthony Mundine and a host of exciting local prospects.
Michael Zerafa and Nikita Tszyu punch during the Middleweight WBO International Middleweight Title bout at Brisbane Entertainment CentreSource: Getty Images
“Nikita is one of the fastest-rising names in Australian boxing and every time he fights, he keeps forcing his way higher up the world rankings,” said No Limit Boxing CEO George Rose.
“He’s unbeaten, he’s exciting, he’s dangerous and this is another huge chance for him to keep building towards the biggest fights in the division.
“There’s no question the Zerafa fight left a bad taste. It ended in controversy, it ended in frustration and it denied Nikita the type of statement he was ready to make.
“That’s why this return is so exciting. He’s hungry, he’s motivated and he wants to remind everyone exactly who he is.
“And to bring him back to Newcastle makes this even better.
“He’s already had some huge moments there and everyone remembers the Dylan Biggs fight, when he got off the canvas and showed exactly what he’s made of to win the Australian title.
“That was a massive moment in his rise and it’s one of the reasons Newcastle has become such an important city in Nikita’s story.”
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Following the January controversy, Tszyu’s manager Glen Jennings spoke about the unique position his fighter now occupies.
“Nikita Tszyu has now elevated in his superstar status,” he said.
“He’s very, very quickly moving to the top of Australian boxing.
“And had this fight gone as planned, it would have skyrocketed him to the number one spot, I believe.
“We would’ve rolled straight into the global market.
“But now? He’s had three rounds in 18 months.
“So we’ve still got work to do.
“Because you’ve got this scenario where Nikita Tszyu is both a superstar and a rookie.
“Which means we have to find a balance there, and find the right person.
“I don’t want to put Nikita in with a bum. But I also don’t want him in with a former world champion at this particular point in his career.”
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Despite speculation, a rematch with Zerafa has been firmly ruled out.
“I can tell you categorically, there will be no rematch,” Jennings said.
“And that is from both the team and Nikita himself.
“We don’t feel it’s necessary.
“We also don’t feel that a rematch is deserving or that it’s in the best interests of Nikita moving forward.
“There also wouldn’t be an appetite for it.
“Given Michael’s behaviour and the way this all ended, it just wouldn’t be the right thing to do.
“And that’s why Michael Zerafa won’t be spoken about by our team again.”