After winning his first two fights in a dominant way, Nikita Tszyu faces an “ongoing issue” in Australian boxing due to the number of fighters who do not want to face him.
Ben Horn (4-4, 2KO), Jeff’s younger brother, was the only one to answer the call and will face Tszyu (2-0, 2KO) on July 20 at the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney. second chapter in Tszyu v Horn story after Tim beat Jeff in 2020.
In Tszyu’s two professional fights, he has finished both opponents, but has just over two laps under his belt, such as the brutal and quick blows he inflicts on his opponents.
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Given his last name, many fighters want to face the younger Tszyu in an effort to get their name on the lights and a ticket to the top.
But Tszyu’s manager, Glen Jennings, has revealed that silence is deafening when it comes time to talk about work.
“It’s an ongoing issue with Nikita,” Jennings told a news conference in Tszyu v Horn.
“(Tszyu)’s reputation is already ahead of him after two rounds, believe it or not, as a professional.
“Many of them shouted at him outside, so when the phone call comes, these same people tend to disappear.
“It simply came to our notice then. I always believed that call-out fighters were the tough ones who really wanted to fight.
“It seems to me nowadays that call fighters are the opposite. They like to shout, they like to make noise. Then when it comes to the phone call to do it, they are crickets. There is nothing, nothing. “
For Horn camp, the situation was not like the others who refused to accept the call.
As soon as the match was offered, Horn spoke with coach Glen Rushton and almost immediately accepted the challenge.
Raston, a world champion coach who guided Jeff to the famous victory over Manny Pacquiao in 2018, knows that this fight is full of dangers.
But the reward could be so sweet.
“We are realizing the challenge we face here,” Raston said.
“Nikita Tszyu and Tim are great boxers, so we know what we have to deal with.
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“But with great risk comes a great opportunity. One thing I will say about Ben Horn is that he has more balls than the Australian cricket team. He’s a really tough guy. I’ve seen Ben and Jeff go hammer and tongs, finger to finger.
“He never got a lip from Jeff and he certainly has no problem getting into the ring with Nikitas. He is a very tough guy, he is your typical tough tradition. “We have the butcher against the hunter, that sounds like a bloodbath to me.”
If Tszyu wins, Jennings believes the budding talent “will probably fight three more times” before the end of the year.
And he had a prophetic warning for the rest.
“These guys who are awful on the phone are waiting for more calls,” Jennings said.
“You can not shout at people on national television and then turn into a shrinking violet. “If you call and we say yes, we will do it, then let us do it.”