{"id":67191,"date":"2017-05-20T15:32:24","date_gmt":"2017-05-20T20:32:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=67191"},"modified":"2017-05-20T15:34:29","modified_gmt":"2017-05-20T20:34:29","slug":"remembering-the-great-kostya-tszyu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=67191","title":{"rendered":"Remembering the Great Kostya Tszyu"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>By Donald \u201cBraveheart\u201d Stewart<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of my top 5 fights of all time was the night that Ricky Hatton became world champion. Sometimes I think it is difficult for people to understand just what a massive achievement it can be for a humble working class lad from the backwaters of anywhere to achieve a dream that started after his father had decided he could not fit carpets for a living in the family business. His father\u2019s opinion was that Ricky was simply, \u201cuseless.\u201d<\/p>\n

Who would have thought that a man whose hands had let him down as an entry to one profession would end up earning him his fortune in another?<\/p>\n

Equally as much as I recognize that we get caught up in what \u201cour guy\u201d has achieved we forget he has to battle another human being who has a similar story to tell from the opposite corner; often another country\u2019s hero; for Hatton that man was a legendary figure. For Hatton supporters, his name is tagged on the end of things like it is inconsequential, but to Ricky Hatton it was never less than the mountain he had to climb. Kostya Tszyu was and is an icon.<\/p>\n

The legacy of Kostya Tszyu\u2019s career, both amateur and professional, appears to be being added to by the creation of a dynasty as Tszyu, in his homeland of Australia appears to be grooming son\u2019s, Tim and Nikita to follow in his own footsteps. Tim, a middleweight has a record of 4-0, whilst his brother Nikita is still amateur with one eye on home grown glory as he tries to make the Commonwealth Games in 2018, which is in Australia.<\/p>\n

Tim has not had his troubles to seek as he faced up to a 4 year lay-off due to a wrist injury whilst young Nikita, the younger brother is a 4 times national champion. Is it all in the genes? They certainly think so and cite the work ethic they have inherited from their father as they run a gym in Australia named after their father and also the decisions as boxers they will take, guided by their father\u2019s words \u2013 one step at a time. They will therefore be ready for the professional ranks when the time is right, Tim having made that leap already, but Nikita will do so when he feels that the time is his.<\/p>\n

What of that legacy and work ethic? Kostya Tszyu is a fascinating study and an amazing former Soviet Union amateur and Australian world champion having been granted Australian citizenship after he left the home of his birth.
\nHe was a 2-time light welterweight world champion whose last fight was that fateful evening where Ricky Hatton became our darling and Tszyu lost his title. It was remarkably, only his second loss in a tremendous career where he fought 34 times with a 31-win rate, 2 losses and a no contest.<\/p>\n

Born in the former Soviet Union, he made his name as an amateur representing the old country \u2013 the USSR. It brought him much glory including golds in the European championships and a bronze and gold medal from the world championships, all in 1989 and 1991. It was not all plain sailing for him though and his only appearance at an Olympics in 1988 saw him lose in the third round.<\/p>\n

All in all, as an amateur he had 270 bouts but it was professionally that he built his career through the quality of opponents he faced. In only his 4th contest it was up against former WBC featherweight champion Juan Laporte \u2013 won on points, his 6th fight was against future world champion, Sammy Fuentes \u2013 knocked out in the 1st, former world lightweight champion Livingstone Bramble took him the distance and former WBC challenger Angel Hernandez was knocked out in 7. Tszyu was a monster.<\/p>\n

Within 3 years of turning professional in 1992 he held the IBF light welterweight title after beating Jake Rodriguez; he knocked him out in the 6th.<\/p>\n

What followed were no fewer than 5 successful defenses, including beating Roger Mayweather, before he lost his title in a shock loss to Vince Phillips in 1997. 1997 was a tough year and had begun with his no contest fight against Joe Cortez where Cortez\u2019s corner claimed that Tszyu had won by a low blow. The Commission could not decide so called it a no contest instead.<\/p>\n

Adversity though did not daunt or put off Tszyu. Once again, the standard of opposition that was part of his \u201crecovery\u201d was breath-taking. He beat former world champions in Calvin Grove \u2013 out in the 1st, Rafael Ruelas \u2013 out in the 9th before he got into the ring in a world championship fight against Diosbelys Hurtado. It was for an interim belt and despite being put on the canvass himself in the 1st round he got up and Hurtado tasted the floor in the 5th but Hurtado did not get back up in time<\/p>\n

He went on to win the WBC title in 1999 after knocking out former world champion Miguel Angel Gonzalez in 10 rounds. His defending of his WBC belt included a stoppage against Julio Cesar Chavez in 2000. Unification was to follow as he took the WBA belt \u2013 Sharmba Mitchell in 7 and the IBF belt \u2013 Zab Judah in 2. Judah was very unhappy and attacked Jay Nady, the referee for what he called a \u201cpremature stoppage.\u201d It also brought him the Ring and Lineal title as the undisputed light welterweight world champion \u2013 the first in the light welterweight division in over 30 years. Defences followed until that fateful night in 2005 when he lost it to Ricky Hatton by retiring on his stool in the 11th round.<\/p>\n

In the Ring Magazine\u2019s top light welterweights of the 2000\u2019s Tszyu is ranked number one. No one can argue with that given his record and the list of champions and former champions he faced and beat. He was a ferocious puncher and often cited as the hardest hitter of any light welterweight.<\/p>\n

His personal story is no less remarkable because he left the Soviet Union with his then girlfriend to settle in Australia as he had fallen in love with the country when he was there for the 1991 world championships in Sydney.<\/p>\n

It remains to be seen if his legacy is carried on in his genes but Tim will be back out fighting on the 27th of May in Australia and we can tune in next year to see if Nikita makes the Australian Commonwealth Games squad as well as getting onto a podium for his country on the Gold Coast when the Games come visiting.<\/p>\n