Tszyu has also revealed exactly where he was in Japan last month when making the difficult call to split from a team that initially took him all the way to a WBO super welterweight crown, and why he is now partnering up with a new crew headed by Hall of Famer Jeff Fenech. <\/p>\n
In a wide-ranging interview, the 30-year-old has also discussed everything from Sumo, Samurai, and sweating for world titles, to why he should never have signed on to face big punching IBF king Bakhram Murtazaliev.<\/p>\n
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Undeniably, Tszyu\u2019s decision to jet out for America next week, and visit five gyms across three cities to find a new head coach, shapes as one of the most intriguing yarns in Australian sport.<\/p>\n
It is also one the fighter insists will take him back to the top of world boxing…<\/p>\n
Mate, first off, you\u2019re only days away from heading Stateside for what shapes as the most important chapter of your boxing career. How are you feeling?<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just so excited to have a completely blank canvas. All my life, I\u2019ve always done things the one way. But now I\u2019m about to be introduced to so many new people, new coaching methods, it\u2019s going to be such an eye-opener. I can\u2019t wait to see what works for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve heard your travels, in order, go Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, correct?<\/p>\n
\u201cYep, that\u2019s it. And I\u2019m not planning to fly home until December 1 either, so it gives me about eight weeks to really test out some new gyms, with some new coaches, and see who I gel with.\u201d<\/p>\n
Only last week, Jeff Fenech told me he wants you to train with Freddy Roach. Is Manny Pacquiao\u2019s famed head coach one of your stops in LA?<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, Freddie isn\u2019t one of the guys I\u2019ll be working with. And right now, I don\u2019t really want to reveal any names other than to say I\u2019ve got a list of about five coaches. And every single one of them has had multiple world champions. Each coach is at the top of the game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Did you phone the five guys up personally?<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got people who are connected and working all this out for me. I\u2019ve got my new manager, Darcy Ellis, a matchmaker in Mike Altamura and a couple of other guys helping out. It\u2019s just boxing people doing boxing things for me, which is refreshing.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo disrespect to anyone, but when I\u2019ve gone to Las Vegas for camps in the past, I\u2019ve only ever worked out of the one gym. So while I\u2019ve spent a s***load of money on those trips, have I really experienced the US? Maybe not.<\/p>\n
\u201cHave I trained with different coaches, people who\u2019ve coached world champions or guys who\u2019ve unified divisions? I haven\u2019t. And personally, I feel like this is what I\u2019ve been missing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Who handpicked the five coaches, you or your new team?<\/p>\n
\u201cThe guys gave me a list of about 20 trainers, from which I\u2019ve then picked five. Together, we looked at who is right for me, who is right for my style, and went from there. All up it\u2019s taken a couple of weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tim Tszyu, left, fights Sebastian Fundora in a super welterweight title match. Picture: No Limit BoxingSource: News Corp Australia<\/p>\n
It\u2019s been suggested this overhaul has all been brewing since your first bloody Sebastian Fundora loss, after which your team copped some fairly heavy criticism.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter the first Fundora fight there were definitely thoughts there. But it was before that, too. I\u2019d say as far back as leading into the Brian Mendoza fight. Even before Tony Harrison.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s about evolution, right? Initially, my career was continually going up. But then that trajectory stopped. But not for everyone else around me. I could see the other guys in my division still levelling up, and that\u2019s where I got overtaken. So now it\u2019s up to me to work with some new people and learn new things.\u201d<\/p>\n
What stopped you from making this decision earlier?<\/p>\n
\u201cI guess, there\u2019s just been a real unknown about it all. I\u2019ve had all sorts of questions: \u2018What do I do? Where do I go? How will I meet people?\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cFor a long time I\u2019ve been asking myself \u2018how can I do all this when all I know how to do is fight?\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fair to say you were scared?<\/p>\n
\u201cAbsolutely I\u2019ve been scared. My old team, they\u2019ve been around since my father\u2019s career. But just this week for example, I\u2019ve trained with a couple of new coaches here in Australia and I\u2019ve learned new things.<\/p>\n
\u201cDarcy and Mike have also opened my eyes to how differently things can be done. Like should I have fought two weeks after a dog attacked me? Mike would say \u2018no, you\u2019re not fighting\u2019. And you need someone like that because, of course, I\u2019m always willing to fight. That\u2019s what I\u2019m all about. I\u2019m a fighter at heart and will accept any challenge. Don\u2019t give a f***.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut all I\u2019ve ever done is train, fight, train, fight, train, fight. And I\u2019ve been scared to make any sort of change knowing it would disrupt all that. It\u2019s also why I couldn\u2019t take time to heal. Couldn\u2019t get my s*** together. But how long can anyone do that for?\u201d<\/p>\n
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 19: Sebastian Fundora\u00c2\u00a0(R) reacts after knocking down Tim Tszyu in the first round of their WBC super welterweight title fight at MGM Grand Garden.Source: AFP<\/p>\n
You\u2019ve already said publicly that the decision to split from your uncle, and head coach, Igor Goloubev has been one of the toughest of your life. Same deal your longtime manager Glen Jennings. So what finally saw you pull the trigger?<\/p>\n
\u201cStraight after my last loss against Sebastian Fundora, Danny Green reached out and told me something that\u2019s really resonated ever since.<\/p>\n
\u201cGreeny said \u2018mate, think about yourself and your wife\u2019. He basically said to put ourselves first. And as soon as I heard that, I thought \u2018yeah, we haven\u2019t been my priority\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
Why?<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I am loyal. And maybe too loyal. But the reality is, nobody cops the brunt of my losses like me and my wife [Alexandra]. What I experience after a world title loss, nobody else does. Not even my team.<\/p>\n
\u201cMore recently, Jeff Fenech has spoken to me about this. My father, too. Explained how after a loss, everyone else goes back to their lives. But not my wife and I. It\u2019s why this decision isn\u2019t meant as disrespect to anyone. Nothing like that. It\u2019s just about putting her and I first. And taking off by myself to Japan recently, it\u2019s really given me the chance to put some puzzle pieces together.\u201d<\/p>\n
Talk us through your time in Japan, and a trip that has brought everything happening now.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was just me travelling solo. I\u2019ve always been intrigued by Japan, by the culture, and so after my most recent loss against Fundora I really wanted to take some time for myself. Reflect on things. And given my missus was working, I just went alone. Travelled Japan, explored, visited friends in Tokyo, ran mountain trails, did some boxing training, some MMA \u2026\u201d <\/p>\n
You trained MMA? <\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, I went into this gym and a guy there started holding pads for me. He actually asked how many MMA fights I\u2019d had?\u201d<\/p>\n
What did you tell him?<\/p>\n
\u201c[Laughs] Told him I\u2019d had three amateur bouts. Two wins and a loss. He says \u2018f*** you\u2019ve got a big right hand for an amateur\u2019. So that was fun, being completely unknown. Although I did stuff my foot up with all the kicking. Both my shins got so bruised. But it was a great trip. I also went and watched sumo wrestling. Bought a Samurai sword, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
A Samurai sword? How much did that set you back?<\/p>\n
\u201cAbout 10 grand.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zerafa sparks backstage clash with Tszyu | 01:51<\/p>\n
Not cheap?<\/p>\n
\u201c[Laughs] I\u2019ve learned there\u2019s no such thing as a cheap Samurai sword. And now that I\u2019ve told you, it also means my missus knows now how much I spent.\u201d<\/p>\n
So where were you in Japan when you decided your team, and life, was changing? <\/p>\n
\u201cYou know what, it actually happened while I was watching Nikita\u2019s fight [in Sydney, against Lulzim Ismaili]. At the time, I was staying near Mt Fuji. I was watching the fight with a couple of guys on a WhatsApp Video.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were all watching together and I was really pumped for Nikita. Like with all of his fights, I was just so excited for him. But then at the same time I could see everyone there and it brought up a lot of stuff about how things have been with me. I realised then that it\u2019s not what I want anymore. I want things to be completely different.\u201d<\/p>\n
So that\u2019s when you pulled the trigger?<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s when I pulled the trigger and the bomb exploded. But look, we\u2019re all through it now and we\u2019re all moving on. And what\u2019s exciting is that even in this past month, I\u2019ve never met so many different people. It\u2019s amazing.<\/p>\n
\u201cPreviously, I\u2019d come to believe that the small team I had around me were the only people with me. That everyone else was against me. That was the picture of boxing I\u2019d created for myself. That the sport is only filled with sharks. But in reality, there are so many people willing to help.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, yes, making the change has been incredibly hard. But it\u2019s also exciting too.\u201d<\/p>\n
When it comes to Tim Tszyu, the fighter, one of the biggest criticisms involves your defensive deficiencies, particularly a lack of head movement. Thoughts?<\/p>\n
\u201cI agree. And that\u2019s why I\u2019m going to the United States, to change myself as a fighter. To learn, to adapt. And I know that will take time. Just as I know it will take a lot of hard work and sacrifice. But I also know I have the ability. For me, this is all about getting back to the top.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another question involves if you\u2019ve been going away from plans devised for you in fights, or if you\u2019ve simply been given the wrong plan?<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve fought the only way I know how to. That\u2019s it. But at the elite level, you need multiple plans. You need A, B, C, D. Plans all the way through to Z. And again, this is why I\u2019m headed to the US. It\u2019s now up to me to work really hard on all this, because it\u2019s what I intend to bring moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tim Tszyu to leave trainer & manager | 01:07<\/p>\n
You\u2019ve brought Mike Altamura on as something of a personal matchmaker, who in your team had that role previously?<\/p>\n
\u201cMy promoter No Limit has always done a crazy amount of work for me, which I appreciate. They\u2019ve always come to me with a large number of options and opportunities. Then it\u2019s been up to me and my management to pick the fights.\u201d<\/p>\n
What do you make of those criticizing your decision to rush, after the first Fundora loss, straight into a fight with IBF world champion Bakhram Murtazaliev, who remains one of the division\u2019s most avoided men?<\/p>\n
\u201cLook, I was offered the fight and said \u2018yes\u2019. And you know what? I\u2019ve got no problem with that fight. I\u2019m down for Murtazaliev. And I still believe I could\u2019ve beat him if I was aware of the IBF rehydration clause \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
You weren\u2019t aware of it?<\/p>\n
\u201cNot when agreeing to the fight, no. I\u2019d never fought for an IBF title. I just didn\u2019t know. I was only told by my team a few weeks before the fight.<\/p>\n
\u201cYet had I known about that clause, hand on heart, I wouldn\u2019t have accepted that fight. I mean, you want to know why guys like Vergil Ortiz aren\u2019t taking that fight? It\u2019s not because of Murtazaliev. It\u2019s the rehydration clause.\u201d<\/p>\n
How seriously were you impacted by that second, fight day weigh-in?<\/p>\n
\u201cUsually post weigh-ins, I\u2019m back up around 80kg that night. But for Murtazaliev, I was 74kg. I went to bed hungry. Thirsty. I was struggling. And in boxing, it\u2019s those little things that make a big difference. Especially with weight. You have to get that stuff right.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut that night before the fight, it really was playing on my mind. Now though, I have Mike Altamura advising me. [Laughs] The guy is a complete boxing nerd. So before signing any deal, he\u2019ll bring me all the information and then ask \u2018do we move forward, yes or no\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd we\u2019ve already talked through a lot. Like before the second Fundora fight, we had weigh-ins 14 days out, then seven days out. I was in the bath cutting for those. You\u2019ll remember everyone saying \u2018oh, f*** Tim looks chiseled already\u2019 – that\u2019s because I was having to make weight. It was to do with the WBC, but when Mike heard about how it all played out he said \u2018you did that, really? We could\u2019ve done it so much differently\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
ORLANDO, FLORIDA – OCTOBER 19: Bakhram Murtazaliev walks to the corner after knocking down Tim Tszyu at Caribe Royale Orlando on October 19, 2024 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Alex Menendez\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
Speaking of the Fundora loss, there\u2019s been plenty of questions about you retiring on the stool, and exactly who made that decision…<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was my call\u201d.<\/p>\n
How did it play out?<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the end of that seventh round, I was really getting hit. I was rocked, my legs were f***ed and I was in a bad state. Apparently, he was hurt too. I\u2019d hit Fundora with some big shots. But by the end of the round, I\u2019d never felt anything like it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t good. Nothing was working. There was no game plan. I actually felt if things went on any longer, I was going to get brain damage. So with the round done, I put my hands out and I said \u2018I can\u2019t do this anymore\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fenech and others have suggested your corner should\u2019ve taken that bullet – if not making the call for you, then fronting media immediately afterwards to say that they did.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook, that\u2019s just the way it is. If no one does that, I\u2019ll put my hand up. It was my call.\u201d<\/p>\n
Any thoughts yet on who will be your new cut man moving forward?<\/p>\n
\u201cAll that stuff depends on the new coach. They\u2019ll be the one who chooses. But of course, I can always call on Mark Gambin. He has always been part of my corner.\u201d<\/p>\n
But isn\u2019t Gambin among the five staff you\u2019ve sacked?<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, that\u2019s all nonsense. These changes, they aren\u2019t even about firing anyone. These guys have all been such a big part of my life. We got to a world title together. And making this decision, it\u2019s been one of the hardest of my life.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut right now, I\u2019ve only just stepped away from my manager Glen Jennings and coach Igor Goloubev. No one else. Dave Barker is still my Strength & Conditioning coach. I\u2019ve also spoken to Dr Bill [Anseline] – he\u2019s been super supportive – and I\u2019ve explained to Mark how the cut man role will all be up to my next head coach.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s why there is no use saying it will be him right now because everything may change. But I\u2019d have no hesitation in using Mark again. Yes, there was drama in the first Fundora fight. But that fight should\u2019ve been stopped. And if it was stopped, Mark wouldn\u2019t have gone through everything he did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tim has cut ties with Igor Goloubev (second from left) . Picture: SuppliedSource: Getty Images<\/p>\n
Will Jeff Fenech be in your corner on fight nights?<\/p>\n
\u201cAgain, it will all depend on the head coach. Right now, I just want everyone involved with the team to be a master of what they do. I\u2019ll be the boss looking over the crew, but the most important thing will be that everyone just does their job.\u201d<\/p>\n
People are whispering of a feud between you and Nikita.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook, people are going to try and create a rift because right now, I\u2019m the bad guy apparently. But I caught up with Nikita recently and we had a great chat. We basically said \u2018f*** everything else, no matter what we\u2019ll always stick together\u2019. And we will.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fair to say you guys share different interests though?<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, we\u2019re completely different. And that\u2019s OK. It\u2019s also why we don\u2019t do everything together. [Laughs] For example, Nikita enjoys hugging trees. I don\u2019t. I like to stay far away from the trees. But again, that\u2019s OK. When we\u2019re together, everything is good.<\/p>\n
\u201cNikita\u2019s my brother. I love the guy to death. And I\u2019ll always stick by him. You\u2019ve seen me at his fights previously, and I was exactly like that even watching from Japan. Because the love I have for Nikita, it\u2019s got nothing to do with anyone but me and him.\u201d <\/p>\n
So as for everything now coming for you personally?<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m my own boss now, which is something I\u2019ve been dreaming about my entire life. Especially after growing up as the father figure in our family home. When my dad left for Russia, I became the man of the house at a really young age. And my family, they relied on me. Nikita followed what I did. I\u2019ve felt that responsibility for a long time.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut now I have the chance to do things a little differently, express myself more. For a long time I\u2019ve just been the fighter. It\u2019s been fight, after fight, after fight. I haven\u2019t done anything else. And for that, there\u2019s just been so much sacrifice. I haven\u2019t even had time to think about having kids because of it all.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wait, so you want to start planning for Tszyu 3.0? When?<\/p>\n
\u201c[Laughs] Whenever they pop out I guess. But this whole next phase of my life, it\u2019s exciting. For the first time, I\u2019m going to be doing things differently. Not just with my boxing, either. But with my press conferences, my weigh ins, my walkouts \u2026 even what I do with my fight trunks.<\/p>\n
\u201cI love it. I get to do things the way I want. Which is why right now, I\u2019ve never been more excited to fight. I\u2019ve headlined T Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Fought at the MGM Grand. But nothing compares to how excited I feel about this next fight.\u201d<\/p>\n
Is it true you want to fight again in December?<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven\u2019t locked anything in yet. And that\u2019s because I don\u2019t want the pressure of a timeline. This trip to the States, it isn\u2019t a fight camp. It\u2019s all about finding a coach who I can gel with. And once that happens, we\u2019ll then work out the next steps.\u201d<\/p>\n
What chance you\u2019ll love this trip so much that you move Stateside for this next phase of your career?<\/p>\n
\u201cPotentially, yeah, I could. I\u2019ve always hated my American trips previously, but that\u2019s because it has always been the same old s***. But if I find something there and fall in love? It\u2019s definitely a chance. And I think if there is ever going to be a time where I fall in love with the US, it\u2019s now.\u201d<\/p>\n
How does Alexandra feel?<\/p>\n
\u201cAh, sometimes I just make the decisions without her knowing, then deal with the aftermath.\u201d<\/p>\n
Like fessing up to the fact you spent $10,000 on a Samurai sword?<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, I dunno what she\u2019ll say about that one. Especially because we\u2019ve been talking for a while now about saving some money. But what can you say, man \u2026 it\u2019s a Samurai sword.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Australia\u2019s Tim Tszyu is heading to the United States with a secretive hitlist of five superstar coaches who,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":184232,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[571],"tags":[117836,2095,1724,64,63,689,117845,802,63427,117854,117849,99415,117834,485,117852,117855,117850,117860,117844,117858,101470,117843,9239,11301,2057,96720,117859,117857,117848,2755,94340,18664,2105,3701,16487,5330,117847,941,27662,117841,2623,2504,28364,481,117839,2789,11850,117842,28424,2627,673,2782,11876,43766,2041,2067,677,2785,117861,117840,117851,2016,117846,2784,85,117853,117837,3711,117856,670,5942,11804,11859,2614,20878,117838,117835,11836,20591,2836,43767],"class_list":["post-184231","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-boxing","tag-alex-menendez","tag-america","tag-asia","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australia-and-new-zealand","tag-axe-call","tag-boxing","tag-boxing-career","tag-boxing-people-doing","tag-boxing-training","tag-brain-damage","tag-brian-mendoza","tag-california","tag-complete-boxing-nerd","tag-cut-man","tag-cut-man-role","tag-danny-green","tag-darcy-ellis","tag-dave-barker","tag-defensive-deficiencies","tag-doing-boxing-things","tag-eastern-asia","tag-eastern-europe","tag-europe","tag-father-figure","tag-fight-day-weigh-in","tag-fight-trunks","tag-final-straw","tag-florida","tag-freddy-roach","tag-game-plan","tag-getty-images-inc","tag-glen-jennings","tag-hall","tag-head-coach","tag-hidden-clause-bombshell","tag-japan","tag-jeff-fenech","tag-keith","tag-las-vegas","tag-lifts-lid","tag-limit-boxing","tag-los-angeles","tag-mark-gambin","tag-mgm-grand-inc","tag-michael-zerafa","tag-mike-altamura","tag-multiple-world-champions","tag-nevada","tag-new-south-wales","tag-nick-walshaw","tag-nikita-tszyu","tag-no-limit","tag-north-america","tag-northern-america","tag-oceania","tag-orlando","tag-people-doing-boxing","tag-raw-interview","tag-rehydration-clause","tag-russia","tag-samurai-sword","tag-sebastian-fundora","tag-sports","tag-strength-amp-conditioning","tag-sumo-wrestling","tag-super-welterweight-title","tag-superstar-coaches","tag-sydney","tag-tim-tszyu","tag-tokyo","tag-tony-harrison","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-weigh-ins","tag-welterweight-title-match","tag-wide-ranging-interview","tag-world-boxing","tag-world-champions","tag-world-title","tag-world-title-loss"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184231","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=184231"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184231\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/184232"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=184231"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=184231"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=184231"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}