Tale of two Tszyus as Nikita tries to outdo older brother
At a time when Tim Tszyu has opponents running scared, Nikita Tszyu is lining up a challenger big brother has already disposed of.
Nikita Tszyu will put his undefeated record (six wins, five knockouts) on the line against Jack Brubaker at the Hordern Pavilion on August 23. It will be the first time Nikita headlines a pay-per-view card, four years after Tim defeated Brubaker.
“I’m taking his seconds,” Nikita said.
Outmatched by Tim, Brubaker’s corner threw in the towel 91 seconds into the fourth round. The challenge for Nikita is an even quicker stoppage.
“There is motivation to beat his record,” Nikita said. “I’ve got to finish it in four.
“We are always competitive. That’s what I love about having a brother in the sport. He’s at such a high level and motivates me to push to the extremes.”
While brother Nikita has locked in an opponent, Tim Tszyu is yet to do so.Credit: No Limit
Finding a fitting opponent for Tim hasn’t been as easy. The long-awaited fight against undisputed champion Jermell Charlo has been abandoned, with the cocky American instead rising two weight divisions for a big-money bout against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.
On Thursday afternoon, the World Boxing Organisation confirmed that Charlo would be stripped of the belt the moment he steps into the ring against Alvarez, elevating Tim Tszyu from interim to full world-champion status.
However, after bludgeoning Carlos Ocampo and Tony Harrison - the only man to inflict a loss on Charlo - this year, finding a worthy opponent is proving problematic. The best-case scenario would be a unification fight with Brian Mendoza, currently the interim WBC champion.
“Mendoza is in the running,” Tim Tszyu said.
Colourful character Jack Brubaker is ready for Nikita Tszyu.Credit: No Limit
“If it was my choice, I would have Spence [Errol Spence Jr] or Canelo. If the rematch with [Terence] Crawford doesn’t happen, I’d have Spence. But they’re not gonna put him in with me.
“That’s the thing: the better your performances are, the less fights you’re going to get. That’s what I’m learning in the game.
“So maybe next fight I’ll take a little bit longer [to knock out my opponent]. I won’t look as good.
“For them, it’s a big risk, not a lot of reward. That complicates things.”
Nikita Tszyu wants to keep extend the family’s record against Jack Brubaker to 2-0.Credit: No Limit
Negotiations with Mendoza are advanced, with Tszyu’s handlers hopeful of locking in the American for a fight before year’s end. Erickson Lubin and Sebastian Fundora are other options.
However, the immediate focus for the Tszyu family is Brubaker, who is keen to avoid becoming the first man to be beaten by both siblings.
“Definitely not,” Brubaker said. “I’m enjoying my training again and feel this is the perfect fight for me at the perfect time.
“Nikita is getting better and better as he gets more experienced, but I’ve been in these type of fights for five or six years. I’ve been around the block and hoping he comes out hard, hoping that it will be fan-friendly as well.”
Brubaker, a favourite on the local box scene, turned up to Thursday’s fight announcement in cowboy regalia. The Tszyu family has great respect for Brubaker and there was none of the usual trash talk ahead of the showdown with Nikita.
“If anything sounds like it’s bad blood, it’s literally just to sell the fight,” Nikita said.
“He’s a very interesting dude, but when it comes down to the night we’ll get into it.”
The card will also feature Liam Wilson, in his first fight since controversially losing a world title fight to Emanuel Navarrete in February.
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