No Limit – NIKITA TSZYU SYDNEY MEDIA EVENT at Tszyu Fight Club in Rockdale. Photos: No Limit Boxing/Gregg Porteous
The youngest member of Australia’s boxing royal family is ready for the toughest test of his young career.
Junior middleweight prospect Nikita Tszyu takes on Koen Mazoudier this Wednesday at the ICC Sydney Theater in Sydney. It will headline a domestic pay-per-view show on Main Event promoted by No Limit Boxing.
Tszyu (9-0, 7 KOs), a 26-year-old southpaw, has quickly become a fan favorite in his homeland. He gained a reputation as a brawler, as reflected by his ‘The Butcher’ ring name. ‘
He will have to be on his game to defeat Mazoudier (12-3-1, 5 KOs). The 28-year-old is a quality operator who has been stopped just once—by Wade Ryan in the 10th and final round in March 2021. In November of the following year, Mazoudier reversed the result in their rematch with a unanimous eight- round decision win. He also holds a pair of wins over the tough Joel Camilleri.
Tszyu is the younger brother of former 154-pound titleholder Tim Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs). Their father, Kostya is a Hall of Fame former RING champion. With boxing in his blood, the younger Tszyu insists he is ready for anything Mazoudier brings to the table.
“I expect him to do a little bit of everything,” Tszyu said during a recent media scrum. “To be on the back foot, to come forward sometimes, and that these transitions have to be quite explosive.
“But you can just come out of nowhere and just start forward, or you can just go backwards. I’m just prepared for two different kinds of Koen’s.”
The show will also feature an interesting light heavyweight contest between Conor Wallace (13-1, 10 KOs) and Jerome Pampellone (18-1, 11 KOs).
If there’s one criticism of Tszyu, it’s that his relentless aggression can leave him a liability defensively. He was ripped in his last match by Danilo Creati, an Italian-born Australian with just one knockout.
Strengthening his defense while maintaining his pressing style has been a focus in camp. His team, led by head coach Igor Goloubev, touched all areas to prepare for the task.
“My last sparring was last week and now I’ve taken off,” said Tszyu. “I personally felt a big shift. But I felt the shift in my progress when I was back here in Sydney. The stuff I did there only contributed a little. This is proof that I am progressing, that I am on a pretty steady slope.”
Asked if he spared his brother in preparation for Mazoudier, Tszyu laughed.
“No, not this time,” he said. “He doesn’t spare a southpaw and I don’t have a death wish.
“I actually enjoy having Tim around. When the cameras are out, they are focused on him. I can kind of chill out. That’s why he does the heavy lifting.”
Tszyu’s older brother is in negotiations to challenge IBF junior middleweight Bakhram Murtazaliev (22-0, 16 KOs). The Russian won the vacant belt with an 11th round knockout of Jack Culcay in Germany in April.
“It’s great that he’s still in the same position, that he kind of deserves that elite fighter in the world rankings,” Tszyu said. “I think it’s going to be a big fight. He gets (the chance to win) another title, becomes a two-time world champion. He has a very difficult opponent.”
The Tszyu-Mazoudier pay-per-view, available through Foxtel and Kayo, will set punters back $69.95.
“I’m just getting used to it (headline), it’s probably like second nature to me,” Tszyu said. “Learning that it’s part of the business and trying to be entertaining for the public.”
Australian boxing journalist Anthony Cocks has covered the sport for over 20 years for various print and online publications. Follow him on X.
