I was born to Kostya and Natalia Tszyu in Sydney, Australia. My father is a Soviet-born Australian, and was a professional boxer from 1992 – 2005.
I found another love in soccer. From 10 – 15 years old, I played at rep level and proudly represented St George and Bankstown.
After spending some time in Moscow, the first thoughts of becoming a professional boxer entered my mind.
My winning streak took a turn when I broke my wrist. As a result, I suffered from an extreme loss of motivation. Uncertain if I should continue on the path I’ve been forging; I decided to try university to work on myself intellectually. During this time at Uni, I began running my father’s boxing gym. It was then that I began to develop and was hit by the desire to return to boxing. I took another amateur fight, and decided I wanted to explore turning semi-professional. My Grandfather was the first person I spoke to about this new venture. His recommendation was to call my Father. Dad, who knew this world better than anyone, told me it was a tough industry – but that I had his support, no matter what. After also gaining my coach’s agreement, I began to prep.
My first session with my coach tested every ounce of my commitment. In the midst of throwing up from the intensity of our session, I was forced to ask myself if I truly wanted to continue down this path. I didn’t stop. After a month of hard training, I found myself getting into my groove, and before long, I was more excited and full of anticipation than ever before.
My first session with my coach tested every ounce of my commitment. In the midst of throwing up from the intensity of our session, I was forced to ask myself if I truly wanted to continue down this path. I didn’t stop. After a month of hard training, I found myself getting into my groove, and before long, I was more excited and full of anticipation than ever before.
The big day was just around the corner when I received a message from my father as I recovered from a morning workout. I was surprised to hear from him, as it was 3 am locally for him in Moscow. I puzzled about this during the day, asking my grandparents why they thought he was messaging at that time, but they laughed it off and changed the subject. Everything made sense when I felt someone pull me in from behind later in the day – my father was here. I was overwhelmed with happiness. It was the first time I had seen him in a couple of years, and he was there to support me. My father’s presence fired me up even more than before. I was excited and ready.
As the day arrived, I was a mixture of nerves and excitement. My first opponent posed a tough challenge and I was aware of how much attention surrounded the event. However, I knew I couldn’t have worked harder during training. And to know I had put in the time and effort needed was satisfying. Once the fight was over, everything had paid off. I was victorious.
My work had just begun. After teaming up with my wonderful manager Glen, we went straight into preparation for the next fight: the Mundine undercard. Over the course of the year I continued to fight, with seven fights taking place across the Gold Coast, Toowoomba, Sydney, Adelaide and Auckland. I was making a name for myself, and people were paying attention. The year couldn’t have ended on a better note than the way it did. I finished with a win at Star City, walking away with my first title belt.
Despite the success I’ve earned, I knew that this was only the beginning. I had big plans for 2018, and knew that it was going to be a great year. My goal was to make it into the Top 15 Junior Middle Weight Ranking in the world. I won by either TKO or via KO in my fights this year. I successfully defended the WBC Continental Super Welterweight Title twice. The desire to win is in my blood, and I’m proud of the legacy I continue to build upon.
I started the year with a bang! I’ve proven myself a force to be reckoned with in the WBA Oceania Super Welterweight Title fight against Denton Vassell. I pounced and connected with some heavy punches to force him onto the back foot, and decked him in round two with my sharp right hand. The referee stepped in to stop the fight and declare myself as the winner.
Next was my win against Joel Camilleri in a unanimous decision (99-91, 99-91, 98-92) to dethrone the champion after a 10-round battle at Sydney’s Star Casino. It was my biggest test yet. It was tough during the first few rounds. He’s a tough man, and he gave me a fight. But soon enough I was able to find my range and rhythm. I was able to finish strongly as Camilleri slowed. It was a learning curve for me, and I learned a lot from this fight.
Another victory. This time with Dwight Ritchie, then the No. 1 ranked Australian super welterweight. Garnering the speed and power from training, I was able to open Ritchie up in the third round with my big right hand, and stayed in control from that point on. It was a great experience. I kept my composure and raised my level to claim the IBF Australasian Super Welterweight Title and the WBO Global Super Welterweight Title in a unanimous decision (98-93, 98-92, 97-93).
With all your support behind me, I know it’s going to be one hell of a ride.
Check out my ‘fights’ page for updates beyond this fight.
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