Введение
Российский австралийский боксёр (род. 1969)
Russian Australian boxer (born 1969)
As an amateur, Tszyu represented the Soviet Union, winning a bronze medal in the lightweight division at the 1989 World Championships, and gold in the light welterweight division at the 1991 World Championships. He also won consecutive gold medals at the 1989 and 1991 European Championships. In 1995, Tszyu won his first of many professional world championships at light welterweight—the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title—by defeating Jake Rodríguez. Five successful defences were made until an upset loss to Vince Phillips in 1997, which was Tszyu's first professional defeat. He would spend the next eight years undefeated, winning the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) title in 1999 and the World Boxing Association (WBA) (Super version) title in 2001. Tszyu scored arguably his most famous win that year, when he knocked out Zab Judah to reclaim the IBF title, as well as the vacant Ring magazine and lineal titles, thus becoming the first undisputed light welterweight champion in over 30 years. In 2005, in what would be his final fight, Tszyu was stopped by Ricky Hatton. Tszyu is considered by many in Australia to be a national sports hero. In The Ring'''s March 2010 issue, Tszyu was ranked as the number one light welterweight of the 2000s decade. In December 2010, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame for the Class of 2011. From 2012 to 2013 he coached professional boxers Alexander Povetkin, Denis Lebedev and Khabib Allakhverdiev. In 2023, his son Tim Tszyu won the World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior middleweight title. Early life
Tszyu was born in Serov, a town near the Ural Mountains, in the former Soviet Union to a Korean (paternal)–Mongol (maternal) father and a Russian mother. Tszyu's father was a fitter in a metal factory, whereas his mother was a nurse. Amateur career
As a child, Kostya was hyperactive, so his father decided to take him to a boxing gym, where he would channel that energy by fighting older boys. He impressed the Soviet amateur team coaches and he was sent to the Soviet Union's amateur boxing travelling training camps, where he visited more than 30 countries while training and fighting in tournaments. He trained with that group 250 days a year, and won various tournaments, such as amateur boxing's world championships. At the Cuban world championship tournament in 1987, he came in second place, and at the 1988 Summer Olympics, he lost in the third round. Tszyu was a member of the Soviet Army, but since he was selected as an elite athlete, he was not required to serve the ordinary duty. He fought at the world championships once again, in Moscow in 1989, where he came in third place. In 1991, he went again to the amateur world championships, this time held in Sydney. This was a trip that would change his life forever. Not only was the third time his charm, but he felt enchanted with the sights of Sydney and its people, and decided he wanted to live in Australia. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, early the next year, Tszyu emigrated to Australia with his girlfriend, where they married in 1993 and became Australian citizens, settling in Sans Souci, Sydney. Before marrying her, though, Tszyu had already turned professional, beating Darrell Hiles by a knockout in one round on 1 March 1992, at Melbourne. Highlights
Schwerin Junior Open (57 kg), Schwerin, East Germany, April 1986:
Finals: Lost to Jörg Heidenreich (East Germany) by unanimous decision, 5–0
European Junior Championships (57 kg), Copenhagen, Denmark, September 1986:
1/8: Defeated Manuel Moreno (Spain) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/4: Defeated Santo Serio (Italy) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Daniel Dumitrescu (Romania) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Defeated Fared Cheklat (France) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Soviet International Junior Tournament (60 kg), Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, December 1986:
Finals: Defeated Nikolay Dzhachvadze (Georgian SSR) RSC 3
World Junior Championships (60 kg), Havana, Cuba, July 1987:
1/4: Defeated D. Boyev (Bulgaria) RSC 3
1/2: Defeated Eduardo Rivas (Panama) KO 2
Finals: Lost to Juan Hernández Sierra (Cuba) by majority decision, 1–4
Soviet International Tournament (60 kg), Leningrad, Soviet Union, December 1987:
Finals: Defeated Serik Nurkazov (Kazakh SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Soviet National Championships (60 kg), Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, January 1988:
1/16: Defeated Adylkan Bekbolotov (Kyrgyz SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/8: Defeated Vladimir Kravtsov (RSFSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/4: Defeated Serik Nurkazov (Kazakh SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Samson Khachatryan (Armenian SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Lost to Orzubek Nazarov (Kyrgyz SSR) by split decision, 2–3
USA–USSR Duals (60 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, March 1988:
Defeated Donald Stokes (United States) on points, 16–8
Pre Olympic Tournament (60 kg), Seoul, South Korea, March 1988:
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by majority decision, 4–1
Soviet International Tournament (60 kg), Leningrad, Soviet Union, June 1988:
1/2: Lost to Julio González (Cuba) on points
Summer Olympics (60 kg), Seoul, South Korea, September 1988:
1/32: Defeated Leopoldo Cantancio (Philippines) KO 1
1/16: Defeated Sean Knight (Barbados) RSCH 1
1/8: Lost to Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by split decision, 2–3
Soviet National Championships (60 kg), Frunze, Kyrgyz SSR, January 1989:
1/2: Defeated Yevgeny Burchak (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Orzubek Nazarov (Kyrgyz SSR) RSC 3
Golden Belt Tournament (60 kg), Bucharest, Romania, April 1989:
(no data available)
European Championships (60 kg), Athens, Greece, May–June 1989:
1/8: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by split decision, 3–2
1/4: Defeated George Cramne (Sweden) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Dave Anderson (Scotland) by walkover
Finals: Defeated Daniel Dumitrescu (Romania) by majority decision, 4–1
World Championships (60 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, September 1989:
1/8: Defeated Mark Ramsey (England) on points, 22–3
1/4: Defeated Bo Espensen (Denmark) RSCH 2
1/2: Lost to Andreas Zülow (East Germany) on points, 14–17
Bulgaria–Europe Duals (60 kg), Varna, Bulgaria, November 1989:
Defeated Emil Chuprenski (Bulgaria) RET 2
Mayor's Cup (63,5 kg), Manila, Philippines, November 1989:
1/4: Defeated Nelson Factoranan (Philippines) KO 1
1/2: Defeated Andreas Otto (East Germany) by decision
Finals: Defeated Shannan Taylor (Australia) by unanimous decision, 5–0
King's Cup (63,5 kg), Bangkok, Thailand, February 1990:
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) on points, 17–7
USA–USSR Duals (63,5 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, April 1990:
Defeated Terron Millett (United States) by unanimous decision, 3–0
Soviet National Championships (63,5 kg), Lutsk, Ukrainian SSR, April 1990:
1/2: Defeated Vasily Kirilov (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Aleksandr Banin (Belarus SSR) by decision
Goodwill Games (63,5 kg), Seattle, Washington, July 1990:
1/4: Defeated Vukašin Dobrašinović (Yugoslavia) by walkover
1/2: Defeated Terron Millett (United States) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Defeated Aleksandr Banin (Soviet Union) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Swedish International Tournament (67 kg), Göteborg, Sweden, December 1990:
Finals: Defeated Sergey Pogosov (Soviet Union) RSC 3
Soviet National Championships (63,5 kg), Kazan, Tatar SSR, February 1991:
1/2: Defeated Vasily Kirilov (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Oleg Nikolayev (RSFSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
USA–USSR Duals (63,5 kg), Spokane, Washington, March 1991:
Lost to Vernon Forrest (United States) by split decision, 2–3
European Championships (63,5 kg), Göteborg, Sweden, May 1991:
1/16: Defeated James Pender (Scotland) on points, 21–0
1/8: Defeated Darren McCarrick (England) RSC 1
1/4: Defeated Attila Arslan (Turkey) RSC 2
1/2: Defeated Vukašin Dobrašinović (Yugoslavia) on points, 26–6
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (Germany) on points, 33–11
World Championships (63,5 kg), Sydney, Australia, November 1991:
1/8: Defeated Albertano Caballero (Mexico) RSC 2
1/4: Defeated Aníbal Acevedo (Puerto Rico) on points, 29–10
1/2: Defeated Moses James (Nigeria) on points, 25–4
Finals: Defeated Vernon Forrest (United States) on points, 32–9
1992 Olympics
He was the only Soviet boxer to win a gold medal at the 1991 World Championships in Sydney. Immediately at the Championships he was approached by local boxing promoters, deciding to pass up the 1992 Summer Olympics in favor of a professional career. A week later he signed with Australian promoter Bill Mordey as his manager and Johnny Lewis as his trainer in Sydney. Tszyu finished his amateur career with 270 fights, 259 wins, 11 losses, no stoppages and no draws. His professional debut was scheduled to take place in January 1992. Mordey described Tszyu as the best boxer he had seen in the past decade. Professional career
Tszyu started raising his quality of opposition almost immediately. In his fourth professional bout, he met the former WBC Featherweight Champion Juan Laporte, decisioning him over ten rounds. In his sixth bout, he beat contender Sammy Fuentes by a knockout in the first. Fuentes would go on to win a world title years after being handily beaten by Tszyu in 1993, Steve Larrimore, Larry La Crousiere and Robert Rivera, went to Australia to fight Tszyu, and none lasted more than two rounds. The only man to last more than two rounds with Tszyu in 1993 was Livingstone Bramble, a former World Lightweight Champion, who lost by decision to Tszyu at Newcastle, New South Wales. In 1994, Héctor López, Angel Hernandez (who had just come off of a loss after challenging Julio César Chávez for the WBC belt), and Pedro Chinito Sanchez from the Dominican Republic tried to beat Tszyu, but Tszyu beat Lopez by a decision in ten, Hernandez by a knockout in seven, and Sanchez by a knockout in four. After the win against Sanchez, Tszyu was ranked number one in the light welterweight division. WBC light welterweight champion
In 1995, he received his first world title shot when he fought IBF Light Welterweight Champion Jake Rodríguez at Las Vegas, Nevada. Tszyu became world champion by knocking Rodriguez out in the sixth round. He then defended the world title, beating former Super Featherweight and Light Welterweight World Champion Roger Mayweather by a decision in 12, Hugo Pineda by a knockout in 11, Cory Johnson by a knockout in four and Jan Bergman by a knockout in six. After this string of defences, Tszyu became a highly touted world Champion by many boxing magazines, and many articles about him appeared on The Ring, KO Magazine and other American boxing publications. Title defences
Tsyzu began 1997 with a title defense against Leonardo Moro Mas. Tsyzu knocked Mas down three times in the first round. Including a blow shortly before the bell. In a controversial decision, referee Joe Cortez judged that it was an "unintentional illegal blow", believing it to be shortly after the bell. As Mas was either unable or unwilling to continue, Cortez called the bout a technical draw. The IBF and the Nevada Athletic Commission later declared it a no contest. In his next fight he would suffer his first loss, a 10th round knockout to Vince Phillips, who would claim the world title. After beating former world champions Calvin Grove (KO 1) and Rafael Ruelas (KO 9), Tszyu was given another world title try, when the WBC's belt became vacant in 1998 following Oscar De La Hoya's move to the welterweight division. Tszyu found himself twice on the canvas in round one of his fight for the interim belt against Diosbelys Hurtado, but recuperated to beat Hurtado by a knockout in five. He became world champion once again in 1999 by knocking out former world champion Miguel Ángel González in ten, and twice retained it in 2000, beating Arizona's fringe contender Ahmed Santos in eight, and a 38 year old Mexican legend Julio César Chávez, the former world champion, in six at Phoenix, Arizona. Kostya was interviewed by Ray Wheatley on YouTube in 2011 and stated he regards his win over Miguel Angel Gonzalez as his best ever performance. Undisputed light welterweight champion
Tszyu then began pursuing his wish to unify all the belts. In 2001, he began by facing WBA Champion Sharmba Mitchell, taking the belt by a TKO after seven rounds (Mitchell suffered a knee injury in training, and during the bout). His next fight was against the German Turk, Oktay Urkal. Tszyu finished 2001 by recovering his IBF belt in a unification bout with the current champion Zab Judah, by a knockout in the second round. A small melee inside the ring followed that fight when Judah attacked referee Jay Nady for what he felt was a premature stoppage, reacting by throwing his corner's seat at the referee and even trying to choke Nady with his glove at one point. However, replays clearly show Judah walking on wobbly legs. As a result, Tszyu became the first man in 30 years to unify the belts in the light welterweight division. Tszyu in 2002 had only one bout, beating the top ranked contender of all three of his belts, Ben Tackie of Ghana by a decision in twelve rounds. Tszyu lost only one round on only one of the judges scorecards in a masterful display of boxing. On 19 January 2003, Tszyu began the year by retaining his title against former world champion Jesse James Leija by a knockout in six. After the fight, held in Melbourne, Tszyu announced that fight could be his last in Australia, due to pressure from promoters to fight in the United States (The win against Leija came on the birthday of Tszyu's son.). Tszyu vs. Mitchell II
His first fight in 2004 was supposed to have been held on 7 February in a rematch against Sharmba Mitchell. It would have been Tszyu's first fight as a professional in Moscow, but Tszyu injured his shoulder during training. He had successful surgery to correct the problem, but the injury further extended his absence from the ring. The WBA stripped Tszyu of his title for choosing to fight Mitchell instead of their regular champion, Vivian Harris, while the WBC stripped Tszyu for refusing to fight their mandatory, Gianluca Branco. On 6 November, he and Mitchell finally had their rematch, with Tszyu knocking Mitchell out once again, this time in three rounds. Tszyu was voted comeback fighter of the year by Ring magazine. Dethroned by Hatton
He next fought on 5 June 2005, against British boxer Ricky Hatton, Tszyu lost this fight and his world title by RTD (Referee technical decision) after retiring on his stool at the end of the 11th round. He was also behind on all three cards (by 1, 3 and 5 points). Potential comeback
On 30 January 2007 rumours spread of a Tszyu comeback. However, there was no confirmation. In April 2010, rumours about a possible comeback of Tszyu spread again. He continued to train and stayed in shape since his 2005 loss to Ricky Hatton. On 19 April 2010, Tszyu appeared on Long Lunch Today, an Australian TV program. During the show, he denied his retirement and said he would return if a fight with Shane Mosley, Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr. could be made. Personal life
Tszyu married Natasha Anikina on 24 September 1993. He has three children; Anastasia, Nikita and Tim. Nikita and Tim are both boxers. Tszyu initially moved with his family to Moscow in 2008, but they returned to Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. In September 2012, Tszyu left his family in Australia while he moved full time to live in Russia. Tszyu is now married to Tatiana Averina, with whom he has two children, and runs a restaurant in Moscow. Tszyu is an animal lover who owns several pets including Viking, a rottweiler who has been Tszyu's companion since he arrived in Australia; Jake, his pet diamond python; canaries and fish. Tszyu appeared with the animals on the pet show Harry's Practice'' in 2002.
As an amateur, Tszyu represented the Soviet Union, winning a bronze medal in the lightweight division at the 1989 World Championships, and gold in the light welterweight division at the 1991 World Championships. He also won consecutive gold medals at the 1989 and 1991 European Championships. In 1995, Tszyu won his first of many professional world championships at light welterweight—the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title—by defeating Jake Rodríguez. Five successful defences were made until an upset loss to Vince Phillips in 1997, which was Tszyu's first professional defeat. He would spend the next eight years undefeated, winning the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) title in 1999 and the World Boxing Association (WBA) (Super version) title in 2001. Tszyu scored arguably his most famous win that year, when he knocked out Zab Judah to reclaim the IBF title, as well as the vacant Ring magazine and lineal titles, thus becoming the first undisputed light welterweight champion in over 30 years. In 2005, in what would be his final fight, Tszyu was stopped by Ricky Hatton. Tszyu is considered by many in Australia to be a national sports hero. In The Ring'''s March 2010 issue, Tszyu was ranked as the number one light welterweight of the 2000s decade. In December 2010, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame for the Class of 2011. From 2012 to 2013 he coached professional boxers Alexander Povetkin, Denis Lebedev and Khabib Allakhverdiev. In 2023, his son Tim Tszyu won the World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior middleweight title. Early life
Tszyu was born in Serov, a town near the Ural Mountains, in the former Soviet Union to a Korean (paternal)–Mongol (maternal) father and a Russian mother. Tszyu's father was a fitter in a metal factory, whereas his mother was a nurse. Amateur career
As a child, Kostya was hyperactive, so his father decided to take him to a boxing gym, where he would channel that energy by fighting older boys. He impressed the Soviet amateur team coaches and he was sent to the Soviet Union's amateur boxing travelling training camps, where he visited more than 30 countries while training and fighting in tournaments. He trained with that group 250 days a year, and won various tournaments, such as amateur boxing's world championships. At the Cuban world championship tournament in 1987, he came in second place, and at the 1988 Summer Olympics, he lost in the third round. Tszyu was a member of the Soviet Army, but since he was selected as an elite athlete, he was not required to serve the ordinary duty. He fought at the world championships once again, in Moscow in 1989, where he came in third place. In 1991, he went again to the amateur world championships, this time held in Sydney. This was a trip that would change his life forever. Not only was the third time his charm, but he felt enchanted with the sights of Sydney and its people, and decided he wanted to live in Australia. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, early the next year, Tszyu emigrated to Australia with his girlfriend, where they married in 1993 and became Australian citizens, settling in Sans Souci, Sydney. Before marrying her, though, Tszyu had already turned professional, beating Darrell Hiles by a knockout in one round on 1 March 1992, at Melbourne. Highlights
Schwerin Junior Open (57 kg), Schwerin, East Germany, April 1986:
Finals: Lost to Jörg Heidenreich (East Germany) by unanimous decision, 5–0
European Junior Championships (57 kg), Copenhagen, Denmark, September 1986:
1/8: Defeated Manuel Moreno (Spain) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/4: Defeated Santo Serio (Italy) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Daniel Dumitrescu (Romania) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Defeated Fared Cheklat (France) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Soviet International Junior Tournament (60 kg), Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, December 1986:
Finals: Defeated Nikolay Dzhachvadze (Georgian SSR) RSC 3
World Junior Championships (60 kg), Havana, Cuba, July 1987:
1/4: Defeated D. Boyev (Bulgaria) RSC 3
1/2: Defeated Eduardo Rivas (Panama) KO 2
Finals: Lost to Juan Hernández Sierra (Cuba) by majority decision, 1–4
Soviet International Tournament (60 kg), Leningrad, Soviet Union, December 1987:
Finals: Defeated Serik Nurkazov (Kazakh SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Soviet National Championships (60 kg), Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, January 1988:
1/16: Defeated Adylkan Bekbolotov (Kyrgyz SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/8: Defeated Vladimir Kravtsov (RSFSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/4: Defeated Serik Nurkazov (Kazakh SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Samson Khachatryan (Armenian SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Lost to Orzubek Nazarov (Kyrgyz SSR) by split decision, 2–3
USA–USSR Duals (60 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, March 1988:
Defeated Donald Stokes (United States) on points, 16–8
Pre Olympic Tournament (60 kg), Seoul, South Korea, March 1988:
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by majority decision, 4–1
Soviet International Tournament (60 kg), Leningrad, Soviet Union, June 1988:
1/2: Lost to Julio González (Cuba) on points
Summer Olympics (60 kg), Seoul, South Korea, September 1988:
1/32: Defeated Leopoldo Cantancio (Philippines) KO 1
1/16: Defeated Sean Knight (Barbados) RSCH 1
1/8: Lost to Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by split decision, 2–3
Soviet National Championships (60 kg), Frunze, Kyrgyz SSR, January 1989:
1/2: Defeated Yevgeny Burchak (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Orzubek Nazarov (Kyrgyz SSR) RSC 3
Golden Belt Tournament (60 kg), Bucharest, Romania, April 1989:
(no data available)
European Championships (60 kg), Athens, Greece, May–June 1989:
1/8: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by split decision, 3–2
1/4: Defeated George Cramne (Sweden) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Dave Anderson (Scotland) by walkover
Finals: Defeated Daniel Dumitrescu (Romania) by majority decision, 4–1
World Championships (60 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, September 1989:
1/8: Defeated Mark Ramsey (England) on points, 22–3
1/4: Defeated Bo Espensen (Denmark) RSCH 2
1/2: Lost to Andreas Zülow (East Germany) on points, 14–17
Bulgaria–Europe Duals (60 kg), Varna, Bulgaria, November 1989:
Defeated Emil Chuprenski (Bulgaria) RET 2
Mayor's Cup (63,5 kg), Manila, Philippines, November 1989:
1/4: Defeated Nelson Factoranan (Philippines) KO 1
1/2: Defeated Andreas Otto (East Germany) by decision
Finals: Defeated Shannan Taylor (Australia) by unanimous decision, 5–0
King's Cup (63,5 kg), Bangkok, Thailand, February 1990:
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) on points, 17–7
USA–USSR Duals (63,5 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, April 1990:
Defeated Terron Millett (United States) by unanimous decision, 3–0
Soviet National Championships (63,5 kg), Lutsk, Ukrainian SSR, April 1990:
1/2: Defeated Vasily Kirilov (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Aleksandr Banin (Belarus SSR) by decision
Goodwill Games (63,5 kg), Seattle, Washington, July 1990:
1/4: Defeated Vukašin Dobrašinović (Yugoslavia) by walkover
1/2: Defeated Terron Millett (United States) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Defeated Aleksandr Banin (Soviet Union) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Swedish International Tournament (67 kg), Göteborg, Sweden, December 1990:
Finals: Defeated Sergey Pogosov (Soviet Union) RSC 3
Soviet National Championships (63,5 kg), Kazan, Tatar SSR, February 1991:
1/2: Defeated Vasily Kirilov (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Oleg Nikolayev (RSFSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
USA–USSR Duals (63,5 kg), Spokane, Washington, March 1991:
Lost to Vernon Forrest (United States) by split decision, 2–3
European Championships (63,5 kg), Göteborg, Sweden, May 1991:
1/16: Defeated James Pender (Scotland) on points, 21–0
1/8: Defeated Darren McCarrick (England) RSC 1
1/4: Defeated Attila Arslan (Turkey) RSC 2
1/2: Defeated Vukašin Dobrašinović (Yugoslavia) on points, 26–6
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (Germany) on points, 33–11
World Championships (63,5 kg), Sydney, Australia, November 1991:
1/8: Defeated Albertano Caballero (Mexico) RSC 2
1/4: Defeated Aníbal Acevedo (Puerto Rico) on points, 29–10
1/2: Defeated Moses James (Nigeria) on points, 25–4
Finals: Defeated Vernon Forrest (United States) on points, 32–9
1992 Olympics
He was the only Soviet boxer to win a gold medal at the 1991 World Championships in Sydney. Immediately at the Championships he was approached by local boxing promoters, deciding to pass up the 1992 Summer Olympics in favor of a professional career. A week later he signed with Australian promoter Bill Mordey as his manager and Johnny Lewis as his trainer in Sydney. Tszyu finished his amateur career with 270 fights, 259 wins, 11 losses, no stoppages and no draws. His professional debut was scheduled to take place in January 1992. Mordey described Tszyu as the best boxer he had seen in the past decade. Professional career
Tszyu started raising his quality of opposition almost immediately. In his fourth professional bout, he met the former WBC Featherweight Champion Juan Laporte, decisioning him over ten rounds. In his sixth bout, he beat contender Sammy Fuentes by a knockout in the first. Fuentes would go on to win a world title years after being handily beaten by Tszyu in 1993, Steve Larrimore, Larry La Crousiere and Robert Rivera, went to Australia to fight Tszyu, and none lasted more than two rounds. The only man to last more than two rounds with Tszyu in 1993 was Livingstone Bramble, a former World Lightweight Champion, who lost by decision to Tszyu at Newcastle, New South Wales. In 1994, Héctor López, Angel Hernandez (who had just come off of a loss after challenging Julio César Chávez for the WBC belt), and Pedro Chinito Sanchez from the Dominican Republic tried to beat Tszyu, but Tszyu beat Lopez by a decision in ten, Hernandez by a knockout in seven, and Sanchez by a knockout in four. After the win against Sanchez, Tszyu was ranked number one in the light welterweight division. WBC light welterweight champion
In 1995, he received his first world title shot when he fought IBF Light Welterweight Champion Jake Rodríguez at Las Vegas, Nevada. Tszyu became world champion by knocking Rodriguez out in the sixth round. He then defended the world title, beating former Super Featherweight and Light Welterweight World Champion Roger Mayweather by a decision in 12, Hugo Pineda by a knockout in 11, Cory Johnson by a knockout in four and Jan Bergman by a knockout in six. After this string of defences, Tszyu became a highly touted world Champion by many boxing magazines, and many articles about him appeared on The Ring, KO Magazine and other American boxing publications. Title defences
Tsyzu began 1997 with a title defense against Leonardo Moro Mas. Tsyzu knocked Mas down three times in the first round. Including a blow shortly before the bell. In a controversial decision, referee Joe Cortez judged that it was an "unintentional illegal blow", believing it to be shortly after the bell. As Mas was either unable or unwilling to continue, Cortez called the bout a technical draw. The IBF and the Nevada Athletic Commission later declared it a no contest. In his next fight he would suffer his first loss, a 10th round knockout to Vince Phillips, who would claim the world title. After beating former world champions Calvin Grove (KO 1) and Rafael Ruelas (KO 9), Tszyu was given another world title try, when the WBC's belt became vacant in 1998 following Oscar De La Hoya's move to the welterweight division. Tszyu found himself twice on the canvas in round one of his fight for the interim belt against Diosbelys Hurtado, but recuperated to beat Hurtado by a knockout in five. He became world champion once again in 1999 by knocking out former world champion Miguel Ángel González in ten, and twice retained it in 2000, beating Arizona's fringe contender Ahmed Santos in eight, and a 38 year old Mexican legend Julio César Chávez, the former world champion, in six at Phoenix, Arizona. Kostya was interviewed by Ray Wheatley on YouTube in 2011 and stated he regards his win over Miguel Angel Gonzalez as his best ever performance. Undisputed light welterweight champion
Tszyu then began pursuing his wish to unify all the belts. In 2001, he began by facing WBA Champion Sharmba Mitchell, taking the belt by a TKO after seven rounds (Mitchell suffered a knee injury in training, and during the bout). His next fight was against the German Turk, Oktay Urkal. Tszyu finished 2001 by recovering his IBF belt in a unification bout with the current champion Zab Judah, by a knockout in the second round. A small melee inside the ring followed that fight when Judah attacked referee Jay Nady for what he felt was a premature stoppage, reacting by throwing his corner's seat at the referee and even trying to choke Nady with his glove at one point. However, replays clearly show Judah walking on wobbly legs. As a result, Tszyu became the first man in 30 years to unify the belts in the light welterweight division. Tszyu in 2002 had only one bout, beating the top ranked contender of all three of his belts, Ben Tackie of Ghana by a decision in twelve rounds. Tszyu lost only one round on only one of the judges scorecards in a masterful display of boxing. On 19 January 2003, Tszyu began the year by retaining his title against former world champion Jesse James Leija by a knockout in six. After the fight, held in Melbourne, Tszyu announced that fight could be his last in Australia, due to pressure from promoters to fight in the United States (The win against Leija came on the birthday of Tszyu's son.). Tszyu vs. Mitchell II
His first fight in 2004 was supposed to have been held on 7 February in a rematch against Sharmba Mitchell. It would have been Tszyu's first fight as a professional in Moscow, but Tszyu injured his shoulder during training. He had successful surgery to correct the problem, but the injury further extended his absence from the ring. The WBA stripped Tszyu of his title for choosing to fight Mitchell instead of their regular champion, Vivian Harris, while the WBC stripped Tszyu for refusing to fight their mandatory, Gianluca Branco. On 6 November, he and Mitchell finally had their rematch, with Tszyu knocking Mitchell out once again, this time in three rounds. Tszyu was voted comeback fighter of the year by Ring magazine. Dethroned by Hatton
He next fought on 5 June 2005, against British boxer Ricky Hatton, Tszyu lost this fight and his world title by RTD (Referee technical decision) after retiring on his stool at the end of the 11th round. He was also behind on all three cards (by 1, 3 and 5 points). Potential comeback
On 30 January 2007 rumours spread of a Tszyu comeback. However, there was no confirmation. In April 2010, rumours about a possible comeback of Tszyu spread again. He continued to train and stayed in shape since his 2005 loss to Ricky Hatton. On 19 April 2010, Tszyu appeared on Long Lunch Today, an Australian TV program. During the show, he denied his retirement and said he would return if a fight with Shane Mosley, Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr. could be made. Personal life
Tszyu married Natasha Anikina on 24 September 1993. He has three children; Anastasia, Nikita and Tim. Nikita and Tim are both boxers. Tszyu initially moved with his family to Moscow in 2008, but they returned to Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. In September 2012, Tszyu left his family in Australia while he moved full time to live in Russia. Tszyu is now married to Tatiana Averina, with whom he has two children, and runs a restaurant in Moscow. Tszyu is an animal lover who owns several pets including Viking, a rottweiler who has been Tszyu's companion since he arrived in Australia; Jake, his pet diamond python; canaries and fish. Tszyu appeared with the animals on the pet show Harry's Practice'' in 2002.
На любительском ринге Цзю представлял Советский Союз, завоевав бронзовую медаль в лёгком весе на чемпионате мира 1989 года и золото в первом полусреднем весе на чемпионате мира 1991 года. Он также дважды подряд выигрывал золотые медали на чемпионатах Европы в 1989 и 1991 годах. В 1995 году Цзю завоевал свой первый из множества профессиональных титулов чемпиона мира в первом полусреднем весе – титул Международной федерации бокса (IBF), победив Джейка Родригеса. Он успешно защитил этот титул пять раз, пока не потерпел неожиданное поражение от Винса Филлипса в 1997 году, которое стало его первым поражением на профессиональном ринге. Следующие восемь лет он оставался непобеждённым, завоевав вакантный титул Всемирного боксёрского совета (WBC) в 1999 году и титул Всемирной боксёрской ассоциации (WBA) (Super) в 2001 году. В том же году Цзю одержал, пожалуй, свою самую знаменитую победу, нокаутировав Заба Джуда и вернув себе титул IBF, а также завоевав вакантные титулы журнала The Ring и абсолютного чемпиона. Таким образом, он стал первым абсолютным чемпионом в первом полусреднем весе более чем за 30 лет. В 2005 году, в своём последнем бою, Цзю был остановлен Рикки Хаттоном. Многие австралийцы считают Цзю национальным спортивным героем. В мартовском выпуске журнала The Ring за 2010 год Цзю был признан лучшим боксёром в первом полусреднем весе 2000-х годов. В декабре 2010 года он был принят в Международный зал славы бокса (класс 2011 года). С 2012 по 2013 год он тренировал профессиональных боксёров Александра Поветкина, Дениса Лебедева и Хабиба Аллахвердиева. В 2023 году его сын, Тим Цзю, завоевал титул чемпиона Всемирной боксёрской организации (WBO) в первом среднем весе.
Russian Australian boxer (born 1969)
As an amateur, Tszyu represented the Soviet Union, winning a bronze medal in the lightweight division at the 1989 World Championships, and gold in the light welterweight division at the 1991 World Championships. He also won consecutive gold medals at the 1989 and 1991 European Championships. In 1995, Tszyu won his first of many professional world championships at light welterweight—the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title—by defeating Jake Rodríguez. Five successful defences were made until an upset loss to Vince Phillips in 1997, which was Tszyu's first professional defeat. He would spend the next eight years undefeated, winning the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) title in 1999 and the World Boxing Association (WBA) (Super version) title in 2001. Tszyu scored arguably his most famous win that year, when he knocked out Zab Judah to reclaim the IBF title, as well as the vacant Ring magazine and lineal titles, thus becoming the first undisputed light welterweight champion in over 30 years. In 2005, in what would be his final fight, Tszyu was stopped by Ricky Hatton. Tszyu is considered by many in Australia to be a national sports hero. In The Ring'''s March 2010 issue, Tszyu was ranked as the number one light welterweight of the 2000s decade. In December 2010, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame for the Class of 2011. From 2012 to 2013 he coached professional boxers Alexander Povetkin, Denis Lebedev and Khabib Allakhverdiev. In 2023, his son Tim Tszyu won the World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior middleweight title. Early life
Tszyu was born in Serov, a town near the Ural Mountains, in the former Soviet Union to a Korean (paternal)–Mongol (maternal) father and a Russian mother. Tszyu's father was a fitter in a metal factory, whereas his mother was a nurse. Amateur career
As a child, Kostya was hyperactive, so his father decided to take him to a boxing gym, where he would channel that energy by fighting older boys. He impressed the Soviet amateur team coaches and he was sent to the Soviet Union's amateur boxing travelling training camps, where he visited more than 30 countries while training and fighting in tournaments. He trained with that group 250 days a year, and won various tournaments, such as amateur boxing's world championships. At the Cuban world championship tournament in 1987, he came in second place, and at the 1988 Summer Olympics, he lost in the third round. Tszyu was a member of the Soviet Army, but since he was selected as an elite athlete, he was not required to serve the ordinary duty. He fought at the world championships once again, in Moscow in 1989, where he came in third place. In 1991, he went again to the amateur world championships, this time held in Sydney. This was a trip that would change his life forever. Not only was the third time his charm, but he felt enchanted with the sights of Sydney and its people, and decided he wanted to live in Australia. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, early the next year, Tszyu emigrated to Australia with his girlfriend, where they married in 1993 and became Australian citizens, settling in Sans Souci, Sydney. Before marrying her, though, Tszyu had already turned professional, beating Darrell Hiles by a knockout in one round on 1 March 1992, at Melbourne. Highlights
Schwerin Junior Open (57 kg), Schwerin, East Germany, April 1986:
Finals: Lost to Jörg Heidenreich (East Germany) by unanimous decision, 5–0
European Junior Championships (57 kg), Copenhagen, Denmark, September 1986:
1/8: Defeated Manuel Moreno (Spain) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/4: Defeated Santo Serio (Italy) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Daniel Dumitrescu (Romania) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Defeated Fared Cheklat (France) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Soviet International Junior Tournament (60 kg), Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, December 1986:
Finals: Defeated Nikolay Dzhachvadze (Georgian SSR) RSC 3
World Junior Championships (60 kg), Havana, Cuba, July 1987:
1/4: Defeated D. Boyev (Bulgaria) RSC 3
1/2: Defeated Eduardo Rivas (Panama) KO 2
Finals: Lost to Juan Hernández Sierra (Cuba) by majority decision, 1–4
Soviet International Tournament (60 kg), Leningrad, Soviet Union, December 1987:
Finals: Defeated Serik Nurkazov (Kazakh SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Soviet National Championships (60 kg), Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, January 1988:
1/16: Defeated Adylkan Bekbolotov (Kyrgyz SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/8: Defeated Vladimir Kravtsov (RSFSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/4: Defeated Serik Nurkazov (Kazakh SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Samson Khachatryan (Armenian SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Lost to Orzubek Nazarov (Kyrgyz SSR) by split decision, 2–3
USA–USSR Duals (60 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, March 1988:
Defeated Donald Stokes (United States) on points, 16–8
Pre Olympic Tournament (60 kg), Seoul, South Korea, March 1988:
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by majority decision, 4–1
Soviet International Tournament (60 kg), Leningrad, Soviet Union, June 1988:
1/2: Lost to Julio González (Cuba) on points
Summer Olympics (60 kg), Seoul, South Korea, September 1988:
1/32: Defeated Leopoldo Cantancio (Philippines) KO 1
1/16: Defeated Sean Knight (Barbados) RSCH 1
1/8: Lost to Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by split decision, 2–3
Soviet National Championships (60 kg), Frunze, Kyrgyz SSR, January 1989:
1/2: Defeated Yevgeny Burchak (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Orzubek Nazarov (Kyrgyz SSR) RSC 3
Golden Belt Tournament (60 kg), Bucharest, Romania, April 1989:
(no data available)
European Championships (60 kg), Athens, Greece, May–June 1989:
1/8: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by split decision, 3–2
1/4: Defeated George Cramne (Sweden) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Dave Anderson (Scotland) by walkover
Finals: Defeated Daniel Dumitrescu (Romania) by majority decision, 4–1
World Championships (60 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, September 1989:
1/8: Defeated Mark Ramsey (England) on points, 22–3
1/4: Defeated Bo Espensen (Denmark) RSCH 2
1/2: Lost to Andreas Zülow (East Germany) on points, 14–17
Bulgaria–Europe Duals (60 kg), Varna, Bulgaria, November 1989:
Defeated Emil Chuprenski (Bulgaria) RET 2
Mayor's Cup (63,5 kg), Manila, Philippines, November 1989:
1/4: Defeated Nelson Factoranan (Philippines) KO 1
1/2: Defeated Andreas Otto (East Germany) by decision
Finals: Defeated Shannan Taylor (Australia) by unanimous decision, 5–0
King's Cup (63,5 kg), Bangkok, Thailand, February 1990:
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) on points, 17–7
USA–USSR Duals (63,5 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, April 1990:
Defeated Terron Millett (United States) by unanimous decision, 3–0
Soviet National Championships (63,5 kg), Lutsk, Ukrainian SSR, April 1990:
1/2: Defeated Vasily Kirilov (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Aleksandr Banin (Belarus SSR) by decision
Goodwill Games (63,5 kg), Seattle, Washington, July 1990:
1/4: Defeated Vukašin Dobrašinović (Yugoslavia) by walkover
1/2: Defeated Terron Millett (United States) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Defeated Aleksandr Banin (Soviet Union) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Swedish International Tournament (67 kg), Göteborg, Sweden, December 1990:
Finals: Defeated Sergey Pogosov (Soviet Union) RSC 3
Soviet National Championships (63,5 kg), Kazan, Tatar SSR, February 1991:
1/2: Defeated Vasily Kirilov (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Oleg Nikolayev (RSFSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
USA–USSR Duals (63,5 kg), Spokane, Washington, March 1991:
Lost to Vernon Forrest (United States) by split decision, 2–3
European Championships (63,5 kg), Göteborg, Sweden, May 1991:
1/16: Defeated James Pender (Scotland) on points, 21–0
1/8: Defeated Darren McCarrick (England) RSC 1
1/4: Defeated Attila Arslan (Turkey) RSC 2
1/2: Defeated Vukašin Dobrašinović (Yugoslavia) on points, 26–6
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (Germany) on points, 33–11
World Championships (63,5 kg), Sydney, Australia, November 1991:
1/8: Defeated Albertano Caballero (Mexico) RSC 2
1/4: Defeated Aníbal Acevedo (Puerto Rico) on points, 29–10
1/2: Defeated Moses James (Nigeria) on points, 25–4
Finals: Defeated Vernon Forrest (United States) on points, 32–9
1992 Olympics
He was the only Soviet boxer to win a gold medal at the 1991 World Championships in Sydney. Immediately at the Championships he was approached by local boxing promoters, deciding to pass up the 1992 Summer Olympics in favor of a professional career. A week later he signed with Australian promoter Bill Mordey as his manager and Johnny Lewis as his trainer in Sydney. Tszyu finished his amateur career with 270 fights, 259 wins, 11 losses, no stoppages and no draws. His professional debut was scheduled to take place in January 1992. Mordey described Tszyu as the best boxer he had seen in the past decade. Professional career
Tszyu started raising his quality of opposition almost immediately. In his fourth professional bout, he met the former WBC Featherweight Champion Juan Laporte, decisioning him over ten rounds. In his sixth bout, he beat contender Sammy Fuentes by a knockout in the first. Fuentes would go on to win a world title years after being handily beaten by Tszyu in 1993, Steve Larrimore, Larry La Crousiere and Robert Rivera, went to Australia to fight Tszyu, and none lasted more than two rounds. The only man to last more than two rounds with Tszyu in 1993 was Livingstone Bramble, a former World Lightweight Champion, who lost by decision to Tszyu at Newcastle, New South Wales. In 1994, Héctor López, Angel Hernandez (who had just come off of a loss after challenging Julio César Chávez for the WBC belt), and Pedro Chinito Sanchez from the Dominican Republic tried to beat Tszyu, but Tszyu beat Lopez by a decision in ten, Hernandez by a knockout in seven, and Sanchez by a knockout in four. After the win against Sanchez, Tszyu was ranked number one in the light welterweight division. WBC light welterweight champion
In 1995, he received his first world title shot when he fought IBF Light Welterweight Champion Jake Rodríguez at Las Vegas, Nevada. Tszyu became world champion by knocking Rodriguez out in the sixth round. He then defended the world title, beating former Super Featherweight and Light Welterweight World Champion Roger Mayweather by a decision in 12, Hugo Pineda by a knockout in 11, Cory Johnson by a knockout in four and Jan Bergman by a knockout in six. After this string of defences, Tszyu became a highly touted world Champion by many boxing magazines, and many articles about him appeared on The Ring, KO Magazine and other American boxing publications. Title defences
Tsyzu began 1997 with a title defense against Leonardo Moro Mas. Tsyzu knocked Mas down three times in the first round. Including a blow shortly before the bell. In a controversial decision, referee Joe Cortez judged that it was an "unintentional illegal blow", believing it to be shortly after the bell. As Mas was either unable or unwilling to continue, Cortez called the bout a technical draw. The IBF and the Nevada Athletic Commission later declared it a no contest. In his next fight he would suffer his first loss, a 10th round knockout to Vince Phillips, who would claim the world title. After beating former world champions Calvin Grove (KO 1) and Rafael Ruelas (KO 9), Tszyu was given another world title try, when the WBC's belt became vacant in 1998 following Oscar De La Hoya's move to the welterweight division. Tszyu found himself twice on the canvas in round one of his fight for the interim belt against Diosbelys Hurtado, but recuperated to beat Hurtado by a knockout in five. He became world champion once again in 1999 by knocking out former world champion Miguel Ángel González in ten, and twice retained it in 2000, beating Arizona's fringe contender Ahmed Santos in eight, and a 38 year old Mexican legend Julio César Chávez, the former world champion, in six at Phoenix, Arizona. Kostya was interviewed by Ray Wheatley on YouTube in 2011 and stated he regards his win over Miguel Angel Gonzalez as his best ever performance. Undisputed light welterweight champion
Tszyu then began pursuing his wish to unify all the belts. In 2001, he began by facing WBA Champion Sharmba Mitchell, taking the belt by a TKO after seven rounds (Mitchell suffered a knee injury in training, and during the bout). His next fight was against the German Turk, Oktay Urkal. Tszyu finished 2001 by recovering his IBF belt in a unification bout with the current champion Zab Judah, by a knockout in the second round. A small melee inside the ring followed that fight when Judah attacked referee Jay Nady for what he felt was a premature stoppage, reacting by throwing his corner's seat at the referee and even trying to choke Nady with his glove at one point. However, replays clearly show Judah walking on wobbly legs. As a result, Tszyu became the first man in 30 years to unify the belts in the light welterweight division. Tszyu in 2002 had only one bout, beating the top ranked contender of all three of his belts, Ben Tackie of Ghana by a decision in twelve rounds. Tszyu lost only one round on only one of the judges scorecards in a masterful display of boxing. On 19 January 2003, Tszyu began the year by retaining his title against former world champion Jesse James Leija by a knockout in six. After the fight, held in Melbourne, Tszyu announced that fight could be his last in Australia, due to pressure from promoters to fight in the United States (The win against Leija came on the birthday of Tszyu's son.). Tszyu vs. Mitchell II
His first fight in 2004 was supposed to have been held on 7 February in a rematch against Sharmba Mitchell. It would have been Tszyu's first fight as a professional in Moscow, but Tszyu injured his shoulder during training. He had successful surgery to correct the problem, but the injury further extended his absence from the ring. The WBA stripped Tszyu of his title for choosing to fight Mitchell instead of their regular champion, Vivian Harris, while the WBC stripped Tszyu for refusing to fight their mandatory, Gianluca Branco. On 6 November, he and Mitchell finally had their rematch, with Tszyu knocking Mitchell out once again, this time in three rounds. Tszyu was voted comeback fighter of the year by Ring magazine. Dethroned by Hatton
He next fought on 5 June 2005, against British boxer Ricky Hatton, Tszyu lost this fight and his world title by RTD (Referee technical decision) after retiring on his stool at the end of the 11th round. He was also behind on all three cards (by 1, 3 and 5 points). Potential comeback
On 30 January 2007 rumours spread of a Tszyu comeback. However, there was no confirmation. In April 2010, rumours about a possible comeback of Tszyu spread again. He continued to train and stayed in shape since his 2005 loss to Ricky Hatton. On 19 April 2010, Tszyu appeared on Long Lunch Today, an Australian TV program. During the show, he denied his retirement and said he would return if a fight with Shane Mosley, Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr. could be made. Personal life
Tszyu married Natasha Anikina on 24 September 1993. He has three children; Anastasia, Nikita and Tim. Nikita and Tim are both boxers. Tszyu initially moved with his family to Moscow in 2008, but they returned to Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. In September 2012, Tszyu left his family in Australia while he moved full time to live in Russia. Tszyu is now married to Tatiana Averina, with whom he has two children, and runs a restaurant in Moscow. Tszyu is an animal lover who owns several pets including Viking, a rottweiler who has been Tszyu's companion since he arrived in Australia; Jake, his pet diamond python; canaries and fish. Tszyu appeared with the animals on the pet show Harry's Practice'' in 2002.
As an amateur, Tszyu represented the Soviet Union, winning a bronze medal in the lightweight division at the 1989 World Championships, and gold in the light welterweight division at the 1991 World Championships. He also won consecutive gold medals at the 1989 and 1991 European Championships. In 1995, Tszyu won his first of many professional world championships at light welterweight—the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title—by defeating Jake Rodríguez. Five successful defences were made until an upset loss to Vince Phillips in 1997, which was Tszyu's first professional defeat. He would spend the next eight years undefeated, winning the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) title in 1999 and the World Boxing Association (WBA) (Super version) title in 2001. Tszyu scored arguably his most famous win that year, when he knocked out Zab Judah to reclaim the IBF title, as well as the vacant Ring magazine and lineal titles, thus becoming the first undisputed light welterweight champion in over 30 years. In 2005, in what would be his final fight, Tszyu was stopped by Ricky Hatton. Tszyu is considered by many in Australia to be a national sports hero. In The Ring'''s March 2010 issue, Tszyu was ranked as the number one light welterweight of the 2000s decade. In December 2010, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame for the Class of 2011. From 2012 to 2013 he coached professional boxers Alexander Povetkin, Denis Lebedev and Khabib Allakhverdiev. In 2023, his son Tim Tszyu won the World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior middleweight title. Early life
Tszyu was born in Serov, a town near the Ural Mountains, in the former Soviet Union to a Korean (paternal)–Mongol (maternal) father and a Russian mother. Tszyu's father was a fitter in a metal factory, whereas his mother was a nurse. Amateur career
As a child, Kostya was hyperactive, so his father decided to take him to a boxing gym, where he would channel that energy by fighting older boys. He impressed the Soviet amateur team coaches and he was sent to the Soviet Union's amateur boxing travelling training camps, where he visited more than 30 countries while training and fighting in tournaments. He trained with that group 250 days a year, and won various tournaments, such as amateur boxing's world championships. At the Cuban world championship tournament in 1987, he came in second place, and at the 1988 Summer Olympics, he lost in the third round. Tszyu was a member of the Soviet Army, but since he was selected as an elite athlete, he was not required to serve the ordinary duty. He fought at the world championships once again, in Moscow in 1989, where he came in third place. In 1991, he went again to the amateur world championships, this time held in Sydney. This was a trip that would change his life forever. Not only was the third time his charm, but he felt enchanted with the sights of Sydney and its people, and decided he wanted to live in Australia. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, early the next year, Tszyu emigrated to Australia with his girlfriend, where they married in 1993 and became Australian citizens, settling in Sans Souci, Sydney. Before marrying her, though, Tszyu had already turned professional, beating Darrell Hiles by a knockout in one round on 1 March 1992, at Melbourne. Highlights
Schwerin Junior Open (57 kg), Schwerin, East Germany, April 1986:
Finals: Lost to Jörg Heidenreich (East Germany) by unanimous decision, 5–0
European Junior Championships (57 kg), Copenhagen, Denmark, September 1986:
1/8: Defeated Manuel Moreno (Spain) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/4: Defeated Santo Serio (Italy) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Daniel Dumitrescu (Romania) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Defeated Fared Cheklat (France) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Soviet International Junior Tournament (60 kg), Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, December 1986:
Finals: Defeated Nikolay Dzhachvadze (Georgian SSR) RSC 3
World Junior Championships (60 kg), Havana, Cuba, July 1987:
1/4: Defeated D. Boyev (Bulgaria) RSC 3
1/2: Defeated Eduardo Rivas (Panama) KO 2
Finals: Lost to Juan Hernández Sierra (Cuba) by majority decision, 1–4
Soviet International Tournament (60 kg), Leningrad, Soviet Union, December 1987:
Finals: Defeated Serik Nurkazov (Kazakh SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Soviet National Championships (60 kg), Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, January 1988:
1/16: Defeated Adylkan Bekbolotov (Kyrgyz SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/8: Defeated Vladimir Kravtsov (RSFSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/4: Defeated Serik Nurkazov (Kazakh SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Samson Khachatryan (Armenian SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Lost to Orzubek Nazarov (Kyrgyz SSR) by split decision, 2–3
USA–USSR Duals (60 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, March 1988:
Defeated Donald Stokes (United States) on points, 16–8
Pre Olympic Tournament (60 kg), Seoul, South Korea, March 1988:
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by majority decision, 4–1
Soviet International Tournament (60 kg), Leningrad, Soviet Union, June 1988:
1/2: Lost to Julio González (Cuba) on points
Summer Olympics (60 kg), Seoul, South Korea, September 1988:
1/32: Defeated Leopoldo Cantancio (Philippines) KO 1
1/16: Defeated Sean Knight (Barbados) RSCH 1
1/8: Lost to Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by split decision, 2–3
Soviet National Championships (60 kg), Frunze, Kyrgyz SSR, January 1989:
1/2: Defeated Yevgeny Burchak (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Orzubek Nazarov (Kyrgyz SSR) RSC 3
Golden Belt Tournament (60 kg), Bucharest, Romania, April 1989:
(no data available)
European Championships (60 kg), Athens, Greece, May–June 1989:
1/8: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by split decision, 3–2
1/4: Defeated George Cramne (Sweden) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Dave Anderson (Scotland) by walkover
Finals: Defeated Daniel Dumitrescu (Romania) by majority decision, 4–1
World Championships (60 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, September 1989:
1/8: Defeated Mark Ramsey (England) on points, 22–3
1/4: Defeated Bo Espensen (Denmark) RSCH 2
1/2: Lost to Andreas Zülow (East Germany) on points, 14–17
Bulgaria–Europe Duals (60 kg), Varna, Bulgaria, November 1989:
Defeated Emil Chuprenski (Bulgaria) RET 2
Mayor's Cup (63,5 kg), Manila, Philippines, November 1989:
1/4: Defeated Nelson Factoranan (Philippines) KO 1
1/2: Defeated Andreas Otto (East Germany) by decision
Finals: Defeated Shannan Taylor (Australia) by unanimous decision, 5–0
King's Cup (63,5 kg), Bangkok, Thailand, February 1990:
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) on points, 17–7
USA–USSR Duals (63,5 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, April 1990:
Defeated Terron Millett (United States) by unanimous decision, 3–0
Soviet National Championships (63,5 kg), Lutsk, Ukrainian SSR, April 1990:
1/2: Defeated Vasily Kirilov (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Aleksandr Banin (Belarus SSR) by decision
Goodwill Games (63,5 kg), Seattle, Washington, July 1990:
1/4: Defeated Vukašin Dobrašinović (Yugoslavia) by walkover
1/2: Defeated Terron Millett (United States) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Defeated Aleksandr Banin (Soviet Union) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Swedish International Tournament (67 kg), Göteborg, Sweden, December 1990:
Finals: Defeated Sergey Pogosov (Soviet Union) RSC 3
Soviet National Championships (63,5 kg), Kazan, Tatar SSR, February 1991:
1/2: Defeated Vasily Kirilov (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Oleg Nikolayev (RSFSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
USA–USSR Duals (63,5 kg), Spokane, Washington, March 1991:
Lost to Vernon Forrest (United States) by split decision, 2–3
European Championships (63,5 kg), Göteborg, Sweden, May 1991:
1/16: Defeated James Pender (Scotland) on points, 21–0
1/8: Defeated Darren McCarrick (England) RSC 1
1/4: Defeated Attila Arslan (Turkey) RSC 2
1/2: Defeated Vukašin Dobrašinović (Yugoslavia) on points, 26–6
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (Germany) on points, 33–11
World Championships (63,5 kg), Sydney, Australia, November 1991:
1/8: Defeated Albertano Caballero (Mexico) RSC 2
1/4: Defeated Aníbal Acevedo (Puerto Rico) on points, 29–10
1/2: Defeated Moses James (Nigeria) on points, 25–4
Finals: Defeated Vernon Forrest (United States) on points, 32–9
1992 Olympics
He was the only Soviet boxer to win a gold medal at the 1991 World Championships in Sydney. Immediately at the Championships he was approached by local boxing promoters, deciding to pass up the 1992 Summer Olympics in favor of a professional career. A week later he signed with Australian promoter Bill Mordey as his manager and Johnny Lewis as his trainer in Sydney. Tszyu finished his amateur career with 270 fights, 259 wins, 11 losses, no stoppages and no draws. His professional debut was scheduled to take place in January 1992. Mordey described Tszyu as the best boxer he had seen in the past decade. Professional career
Tszyu started raising his quality of opposition almost immediately. In his fourth professional bout, he met the former WBC Featherweight Champion Juan Laporte, decisioning him over ten rounds. In his sixth bout, he beat contender Sammy Fuentes by a knockout in the first. Fuentes would go on to win a world title years after being handily beaten by Tszyu in 1993, Steve Larrimore, Larry La Crousiere and Robert Rivera, went to Australia to fight Tszyu, and none lasted more than two rounds. The only man to last more than two rounds with Tszyu in 1993 was Livingstone Bramble, a former World Lightweight Champion, who lost by decision to Tszyu at Newcastle, New South Wales. In 1994, Héctor López, Angel Hernandez (who had just come off of a loss after challenging Julio César Chávez for the WBC belt), and Pedro Chinito Sanchez from the Dominican Republic tried to beat Tszyu, but Tszyu beat Lopez by a decision in ten, Hernandez by a knockout in seven, and Sanchez by a knockout in four. After the win against Sanchez, Tszyu was ranked number one in the light welterweight division. WBC light welterweight champion
In 1995, he received his first world title shot when he fought IBF Light Welterweight Champion Jake Rodríguez at Las Vegas, Nevada. Tszyu became world champion by knocking Rodriguez out in the sixth round. He then defended the world title, beating former Super Featherweight and Light Welterweight World Champion Roger Mayweather by a decision in 12, Hugo Pineda by a knockout in 11, Cory Johnson by a knockout in four and Jan Bergman by a knockout in six. After this string of defences, Tszyu became a highly touted world Champion by many boxing magazines, and many articles about him appeared on The Ring, KO Magazine and other American boxing publications. Title defences
Tsyzu began 1997 with a title defense against Leonardo Moro Mas. Tsyzu knocked Mas down three times in the first round. Including a blow shortly before the bell. In a controversial decision, referee Joe Cortez judged that it was an "unintentional illegal blow", believing it to be shortly after the bell. As Mas was either unable or unwilling to continue, Cortez called the bout a technical draw. The IBF and the Nevada Athletic Commission later declared it a no contest. In his next fight he would suffer his first loss, a 10th round knockout to Vince Phillips, who would claim the world title. After beating former world champions Calvin Grove (KO 1) and Rafael Ruelas (KO 9), Tszyu was given another world title try, when the WBC's belt became vacant in 1998 following Oscar De La Hoya's move to the welterweight division. Tszyu found himself twice on the canvas in round one of his fight for the interim belt against Diosbelys Hurtado, but recuperated to beat Hurtado by a knockout in five. He became world champion once again in 1999 by knocking out former world champion Miguel Ángel González in ten, and twice retained it in 2000, beating Arizona's fringe contender Ahmed Santos in eight, and a 38 year old Mexican legend Julio César Chávez, the former world champion, in six at Phoenix, Arizona. Kostya was interviewed by Ray Wheatley on YouTube in 2011 and stated he regards his win over Miguel Angel Gonzalez as his best ever performance. Undisputed light welterweight champion
Tszyu then began pursuing his wish to unify all the belts. In 2001, he began by facing WBA Champion Sharmba Mitchell, taking the belt by a TKO after seven rounds (Mitchell suffered a knee injury in training, and during the bout). His next fight was against the German Turk, Oktay Urkal. Tszyu finished 2001 by recovering his IBF belt in a unification bout with the current champion Zab Judah, by a knockout in the second round. A small melee inside the ring followed that fight when Judah attacked referee Jay Nady for what he felt was a premature stoppage, reacting by throwing his corner's seat at the referee and even trying to choke Nady with his glove at one point. However, replays clearly show Judah walking on wobbly legs. As a result, Tszyu became the first man in 30 years to unify the belts in the light welterweight division. Tszyu in 2002 had only one bout, beating the top ranked contender of all three of his belts, Ben Tackie of Ghana by a decision in twelve rounds. Tszyu lost only one round on only one of the judges scorecards in a masterful display of boxing. On 19 January 2003, Tszyu began the year by retaining his title against former world champion Jesse James Leija by a knockout in six. After the fight, held in Melbourne, Tszyu announced that fight could be his last in Australia, due to pressure from promoters to fight in the United States (The win against Leija came on the birthday of Tszyu's son.). Tszyu vs. Mitchell II
His first fight in 2004 was supposed to have been held on 7 February in a rematch against Sharmba Mitchell. It would have been Tszyu's first fight as a professional in Moscow, but Tszyu injured his shoulder during training. He had successful surgery to correct the problem, but the injury further extended his absence from the ring. The WBA stripped Tszyu of his title for choosing to fight Mitchell instead of their regular champion, Vivian Harris, while the WBC stripped Tszyu for refusing to fight their mandatory, Gianluca Branco. On 6 November, he and Mitchell finally had their rematch, with Tszyu knocking Mitchell out once again, this time in three rounds. Tszyu was voted comeback fighter of the year by Ring magazine. Dethroned by Hatton
He next fought on 5 June 2005, against British boxer Ricky Hatton, Tszyu lost this fight and his world title by RTD (Referee technical decision) after retiring on his stool at the end of the 11th round. He was also behind on all three cards (by 1, 3 and 5 points). Potential comeback
On 30 January 2007 rumours spread of a Tszyu comeback. However, there was no confirmation. In April 2010, rumours about a possible comeback of Tszyu spread again. He continued to train and stayed in shape since his 2005 loss to Ricky Hatton. On 19 April 2010, Tszyu appeared on Long Lunch Today, an Australian TV program. During the show, he denied his retirement and said he would return if a fight with Shane Mosley, Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr. could be made. Personal life
Tszyu married Natasha Anikina on 24 September 1993. He has three children; Anastasia, Nikita and Tim. Nikita and Tim are both boxers. Tszyu initially moved with his family to Moscow in 2008, but they returned to Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. In September 2012, Tszyu left his family in Australia while he moved full time to live in Russia. Tszyu is now married to Tatiana Averina, with whom he has two children, and runs a restaurant in Moscow. Tszyu is an animal lover who owns several pets including Viking, a rottweiler who has been Tszyu's companion since he arrived in Australia; Jake, his pet diamond python; canaries and fish. Tszyu appeared with the animals on the pet show Harry's Practice'' in 2002.
Ранние годы
Цзю родился в Серове, городе недалеко от Уральских гор, в бывшем Советском Союзе, в семье отца-корейца (по отцовской линии) и матери-монголки (по материнской линии) и русской матери. Отец Цзю работал слесарем на металлургическом заводе, а мать – медсестрой.
Russian Australian boxer (born 1969)
As an amateur, Tszyu represented the Soviet Union, winning a bronze medal in the lightweight division at the 1989 World Championships, and gold in the light welterweight division at the 1991 World Championships. He also won consecutive gold medals at the 1989 and 1991 European Championships. In 1995, Tszyu won his first of many professional world championships at light welterweight—the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title—by defeating Jake Rodríguez. Five successful defences were made until an upset loss to Vince Phillips in 1997, which was Tszyu's first professional defeat. He would spend the next eight years undefeated, winning the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) title in 1999 and the World Boxing Association (WBA) (Super version) title in 2001. Tszyu scored arguably his most famous win that year, when he knocked out Zab Judah to reclaim the IBF title, as well as the vacant Ring magazine and lineal titles, thus becoming the first undisputed light welterweight champion in over 30 years. In 2005, in what would be his final fight, Tszyu was stopped by Ricky Hatton. Tszyu is considered by many in Australia to be a national sports hero. In The Ring'''s March 2010 issue, Tszyu was ranked as the number one light welterweight of the 2000s decade. In December 2010, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame for the Class of 2011. From 2012 to 2013 he coached professional boxers Alexander Povetkin, Denis Lebedev and Khabib Allakhverdiev. In 2023, his son Tim Tszyu won the World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior middleweight title. Early life
Tszyu was born in Serov, a town near the Ural Mountains, in the former Soviet Union to a Korean (paternal)–Mongol (maternal) father and a Russian mother. Tszyu's father was a fitter in a metal factory, whereas his mother was a nurse. Amateur career
As a child, Kostya was hyperactive, so his father decided to take him to a boxing gym, where he would channel that energy by fighting older boys. He impressed the Soviet amateur team coaches and he was sent to the Soviet Union's amateur boxing travelling training camps, where he visited more than 30 countries while training and fighting in tournaments. He trained with that group 250 days a year, and won various tournaments, such as amateur boxing's world championships. At the Cuban world championship tournament in 1987, he came in second place, and at the 1988 Summer Olympics, he lost in the third round. Tszyu was a member of the Soviet Army, but since he was selected as an elite athlete, he was not required to serve the ordinary duty. He fought at the world championships once again, in Moscow in 1989, where he came in third place. In 1991, he went again to the amateur world championships, this time held in Sydney. This was a trip that would change his life forever. Not only was the third time his charm, but he felt enchanted with the sights of Sydney and its people, and decided he wanted to live in Australia. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, early the next year, Tszyu emigrated to Australia with his girlfriend, where they married in 1993 and became Australian citizens, settling in Sans Souci, Sydney. Before marrying her, though, Tszyu had already turned professional, beating Darrell Hiles by a knockout in one round on 1 March 1992, at Melbourne. Highlights
Schwerin Junior Open (57 kg), Schwerin, East Germany, April 1986:
Finals: Lost to Jörg Heidenreich (East Germany) by unanimous decision, 5–0
European Junior Championships (57 kg), Copenhagen, Denmark, September 1986:
1/8: Defeated Manuel Moreno (Spain) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/4: Defeated Santo Serio (Italy) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Daniel Dumitrescu (Romania) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Defeated Fared Cheklat (France) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Soviet International Junior Tournament (60 kg), Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, December 1986:
Finals: Defeated Nikolay Dzhachvadze (Georgian SSR) RSC 3
World Junior Championships (60 kg), Havana, Cuba, July 1987:
1/4: Defeated D. Boyev (Bulgaria) RSC 3
1/2: Defeated Eduardo Rivas (Panama) KO 2
Finals: Lost to Juan Hernández Sierra (Cuba) by majority decision, 1–4
Soviet International Tournament (60 kg), Leningrad, Soviet Union, December 1987:
Finals: Defeated Serik Nurkazov (Kazakh SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Soviet National Championships (60 kg), Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, January 1988:
1/16: Defeated Adylkan Bekbolotov (Kyrgyz SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/8: Defeated Vladimir Kravtsov (RSFSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/4: Defeated Serik Nurkazov (Kazakh SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Samson Khachatryan (Armenian SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Lost to Orzubek Nazarov (Kyrgyz SSR) by split decision, 2–3
USA–USSR Duals (60 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, March 1988:
Defeated Donald Stokes (United States) on points, 16–8
Pre Olympic Tournament (60 kg), Seoul, South Korea, March 1988:
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by majority decision, 4–1
Soviet International Tournament (60 kg), Leningrad, Soviet Union, June 1988:
1/2: Lost to Julio González (Cuba) on points
Summer Olympics (60 kg), Seoul, South Korea, September 1988:
1/32: Defeated Leopoldo Cantancio (Philippines) KO 1
1/16: Defeated Sean Knight (Barbados) RSCH 1
1/8: Lost to Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by split decision, 2–3
Soviet National Championships (60 kg), Frunze, Kyrgyz SSR, January 1989:
1/2: Defeated Yevgeny Burchak (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Orzubek Nazarov (Kyrgyz SSR) RSC 3
Golden Belt Tournament (60 kg), Bucharest, Romania, April 1989:
(no data available)
European Championships (60 kg), Athens, Greece, May–June 1989:
1/8: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by split decision, 3–2
1/4: Defeated George Cramne (Sweden) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Dave Anderson (Scotland) by walkover
Finals: Defeated Daniel Dumitrescu (Romania) by majority decision, 4–1
World Championships (60 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, September 1989:
1/8: Defeated Mark Ramsey (England) on points, 22–3
1/4: Defeated Bo Espensen (Denmark) RSCH 2
1/2: Lost to Andreas Zülow (East Germany) on points, 14–17
Bulgaria–Europe Duals (60 kg), Varna, Bulgaria, November 1989:
Defeated Emil Chuprenski (Bulgaria) RET 2
Mayor's Cup (63,5 kg), Manila, Philippines, November 1989:
1/4: Defeated Nelson Factoranan (Philippines) KO 1
1/2: Defeated Andreas Otto (East Germany) by decision
Finals: Defeated Shannan Taylor (Australia) by unanimous decision, 5–0
King's Cup (63,5 kg), Bangkok, Thailand, February 1990:
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) on points, 17–7
USA–USSR Duals (63,5 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, April 1990:
Defeated Terron Millett (United States) by unanimous decision, 3–0
Soviet National Championships (63,5 kg), Lutsk, Ukrainian SSR, April 1990:
1/2: Defeated Vasily Kirilov (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Aleksandr Banin (Belarus SSR) by decision
Goodwill Games (63,5 kg), Seattle, Washington, July 1990:
1/4: Defeated Vukašin Dobrašinović (Yugoslavia) by walkover
1/2: Defeated Terron Millett (United States) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Defeated Aleksandr Banin (Soviet Union) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Swedish International Tournament (67 kg), Göteborg, Sweden, December 1990:
Finals: Defeated Sergey Pogosov (Soviet Union) RSC 3
Soviet National Championships (63,5 kg), Kazan, Tatar SSR, February 1991:
1/2: Defeated Vasily Kirilov (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Oleg Nikolayev (RSFSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
USA–USSR Duals (63,5 kg), Spokane, Washington, March 1991:
Lost to Vernon Forrest (United States) by split decision, 2–3
European Championships (63,5 kg), Göteborg, Sweden, May 1991:
1/16: Defeated James Pender (Scotland) on points, 21–0
1/8: Defeated Darren McCarrick (England) RSC 1
1/4: Defeated Attila Arslan (Turkey) RSC 2
1/2: Defeated Vukašin Dobrašinović (Yugoslavia) on points, 26–6
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (Germany) on points, 33–11
World Championships (63,5 kg), Sydney, Australia, November 1991:
1/8: Defeated Albertano Caballero (Mexico) RSC 2
1/4: Defeated Aníbal Acevedo (Puerto Rico) on points, 29–10
1/2: Defeated Moses James (Nigeria) on points, 25–4
Finals: Defeated Vernon Forrest (United States) on points, 32–9
1992 Olympics
He was the only Soviet boxer to win a gold medal at the 1991 World Championships in Sydney. Immediately at the Championships he was approached by local boxing promoters, deciding to pass up the 1992 Summer Olympics in favor of a professional career. A week later he signed with Australian promoter Bill Mordey as his manager and Johnny Lewis as his trainer in Sydney. Tszyu finished his amateur career with 270 fights, 259 wins, 11 losses, no stoppages and no draws. His professional debut was scheduled to take place in January 1992. Mordey described Tszyu as the best boxer he had seen in the past decade. Professional career
Tszyu started raising his quality of opposition almost immediately. In his fourth professional bout, he met the former WBC Featherweight Champion Juan Laporte, decisioning him over ten rounds. In his sixth bout, he beat contender Sammy Fuentes by a knockout in the first. Fuentes would go on to win a world title years after being handily beaten by Tszyu in 1993, Steve Larrimore, Larry La Crousiere and Robert Rivera, went to Australia to fight Tszyu, and none lasted more than two rounds. The only man to last more than two rounds with Tszyu in 1993 was Livingstone Bramble, a former World Lightweight Champion, who lost by decision to Tszyu at Newcastle, New South Wales. In 1994, Héctor López, Angel Hernandez (who had just come off of a loss after challenging Julio César Chávez for the WBC belt), and Pedro Chinito Sanchez from the Dominican Republic tried to beat Tszyu, but Tszyu beat Lopez by a decision in ten, Hernandez by a knockout in seven, and Sanchez by a knockout in four. After the win against Sanchez, Tszyu was ranked number one in the light welterweight division. WBC light welterweight champion
In 1995, he received his first world title shot when he fought IBF Light Welterweight Champion Jake Rodríguez at Las Vegas, Nevada. Tszyu became world champion by knocking Rodriguez out in the sixth round. He then defended the world title, beating former Super Featherweight and Light Welterweight World Champion Roger Mayweather by a decision in 12, Hugo Pineda by a knockout in 11, Cory Johnson by a knockout in four and Jan Bergman by a knockout in six. After this string of defences, Tszyu became a highly touted world Champion by many boxing magazines, and many articles about him appeared on The Ring, KO Magazine and other American boxing publications. Title defences
Tsyzu began 1997 with a title defense against Leonardo Moro Mas. Tsyzu knocked Mas down three times in the first round. Including a blow shortly before the bell. In a controversial decision, referee Joe Cortez judged that it was an "unintentional illegal blow", believing it to be shortly after the bell. As Mas was either unable or unwilling to continue, Cortez called the bout a technical draw. The IBF and the Nevada Athletic Commission later declared it a no contest. In his next fight he would suffer his first loss, a 10th round knockout to Vince Phillips, who would claim the world title. After beating former world champions Calvin Grove (KO 1) and Rafael Ruelas (KO 9), Tszyu was given another world title try, when the WBC's belt became vacant in 1998 following Oscar De La Hoya's move to the welterweight division. Tszyu found himself twice on the canvas in round one of his fight for the interim belt against Diosbelys Hurtado, but recuperated to beat Hurtado by a knockout in five. He became world champion once again in 1999 by knocking out former world champion Miguel Ángel González in ten, and twice retained it in 2000, beating Arizona's fringe contender Ahmed Santos in eight, and a 38 year old Mexican legend Julio César Chávez, the former world champion, in six at Phoenix, Arizona. Kostya was interviewed by Ray Wheatley on YouTube in 2011 and stated he regards his win over Miguel Angel Gonzalez as his best ever performance. Undisputed light welterweight champion
Tszyu then began pursuing his wish to unify all the belts. In 2001, he began by facing WBA Champion Sharmba Mitchell, taking the belt by a TKO after seven rounds (Mitchell suffered a knee injury in training, and during the bout). His next fight was against the German Turk, Oktay Urkal. Tszyu finished 2001 by recovering his IBF belt in a unification bout with the current champion Zab Judah, by a knockout in the second round. A small melee inside the ring followed that fight when Judah attacked referee Jay Nady for what he felt was a premature stoppage, reacting by throwing his corner's seat at the referee and even trying to choke Nady with his glove at one point. However, replays clearly show Judah walking on wobbly legs. As a result, Tszyu became the first man in 30 years to unify the belts in the light welterweight division. Tszyu in 2002 had only one bout, beating the top ranked contender of all three of his belts, Ben Tackie of Ghana by a decision in twelve rounds. Tszyu lost only one round on only one of the judges scorecards in a masterful display of boxing. On 19 January 2003, Tszyu began the year by retaining his title against former world champion Jesse James Leija by a knockout in six. After the fight, held in Melbourne, Tszyu announced that fight could be his last in Australia, due to pressure from promoters to fight in the United States (The win against Leija came on the birthday of Tszyu's son.). Tszyu vs. Mitchell II
His first fight in 2004 was supposed to have been held on 7 February in a rematch against Sharmba Mitchell. It would have been Tszyu's first fight as a professional in Moscow, but Tszyu injured his shoulder during training. He had successful surgery to correct the problem, but the injury further extended his absence from the ring. The WBA stripped Tszyu of his title for choosing to fight Mitchell instead of their regular champion, Vivian Harris, while the WBC stripped Tszyu for refusing to fight their mandatory, Gianluca Branco. On 6 November, he and Mitchell finally had their rematch, with Tszyu knocking Mitchell out once again, this time in three rounds. Tszyu was voted comeback fighter of the year by Ring magazine. Dethroned by Hatton
He next fought on 5 June 2005, against British boxer Ricky Hatton, Tszyu lost this fight and his world title by RTD (Referee technical decision) after retiring on his stool at the end of the 11th round. He was also behind on all three cards (by 1, 3 and 5 points). Potential comeback
On 30 January 2007 rumours spread of a Tszyu comeback. However, there was no confirmation. In April 2010, rumours about a possible comeback of Tszyu spread again. He continued to train and stayed in shape since his 2005 loss to Ricky Hatton. On 19 April 2010, Tszyu appeared on Long Lunch Today, an Australian TV program. During the show, he denied his retirement and said he would return if a fight with Shane Mosley, Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr. could be made. Personal life
Tszyu married Natasha Anikina on 24 September 1993. He has three children; Anastasia, Nikita and Tim. Nikita and Tim are both boxers. Tszyu initially moved with his family to Moscow in 2008, but they returned to Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. In September 2012, Tszyu left his family in Australia while he moved full time to live in Russia. Tszyu is now married to Tatiana Averina, with whom he has two children, and runs a restaurant in Moscow. Tszyu is an animal lover who owns several pets including Viking, a rottweiler who has been Tszyu's companion since he arrived in Australia; Jake, his pet diamond python; canaries and fish. Tszyu appeared with the animals on the pet show Harry's Practice'' in 2002.
As an amateur, Tszyu represented the Soviet Union, winning a bronze medal in the lightweight division at the 1989 World Championships, and gold in the light welterweight division at the 1991 World Championships. He also won consecutive gold medals at the 1989 and 1991 European Championships. In 1995, Tszyu won his first of many professional world championships at light welterweight—the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title—by defeating Jake Rodríguez. Five successful defences were made until an upset loss to Vince Phillips in 1997, which was Tszyu's first professional defeat. He would spend the next eight years undefeated, winning the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) title in 1999 and the World Boxing Association (WBA) (Super version) title in 2001. Tszyu scored arguably his most famous win that year, when he knocked out Zab Judah to reclaim the IBF title, as well as the vacant Ring magazine and lineal titles, thus becoming the first undisputed light welterweight champion in over 30 years. In 2005, in what would be his final fight, Tszyu was stopped by Ricky Hatton. Tszyu is considered by many in Australia to be a national sports hero. In The Ring'''s March 2010 issue, Tszyu was ranked as the number one light welterweight of the 2000s decade. In December 2010, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame for the Class of 2011. From 2012 to 2013 he coached professional boxers Alexander Povetkin, Denis Lebedev and Khabib Allakhverdiev. In 2023, his son Tim Tszyu won the World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior middleweight title. Early life
Tszyu was born in Serov, a town near the Ural Mountains, in the former Soviet Union to a Korean (paternal)–Mongol (maternal) father and a Russian mother. Tszyu's father was a fitter in a metal factory, whereas his mother was a nurse. Amateur career
As a child, Kostya was hyperactive, so his father decided to take him to a boxing gym, where he would channel that energy by fighting older boys. He impressed the Soviet amateur team coaches and he was sent to the Soviet Union's amateur boxing travelling training camps, where he visited more than 30 countries while training and fighting in tournaments. He trained with that group 250 days a year, and won various tournaments, such as amateur boxing's world championships. At the Cuban world championship tournament in 1987, he came in second place, and at the 1988 Summer Olympics, he lost in the third round. Tszyu was a member of the Soviet Army, but since he was selected as an elite athlete, he was not required to serve the ordinary duty. He fought at the world championships once again, in Moscow in 1989, where he came in third place. In 1991, he went again to the amateur world championships, this time held in Sydney. This was a trip that would change his life forever. Not only was the third time his charm, but he felt enchanted with the sights of Sydney and its people, and decided he wanted to live in Australia. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, early the next year, Tszyu emigrated to Australia with his girlfriend, where they married in 1993 and became Australian citizens, settling in Sans Souci, Sydney. Before marrying her, though, Tszyu had already turned professional, beating Darrell Hiles by a knockout in one round on 1 March 1992, at Melbourne. Highlights
Schwerin Junior Open (57 kg), Schwerin, East Germany, April 1986:
Finals: Lost to Jörg Heidenreich (East Germany) by unanimous decision, 5–0
European Junior Championships (57 kg), Copenhagen, Denmark, September 1986:
1/8: Defeated Manuel Moreno (Spain) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/4: Defeated Santo Serio (Italy) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Daniel Dumitrescu (Romania) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Defeated Fared Cheklat (France) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Soviet International Junior Tournament (60 kg), Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, December 1986:
Finals: Defeated Nikolay Dzhachvadze (Georgian SSR) RSC 3
World Junior Championships (60 kg), Havana, Cuba, July 1987:
1/4: Defeated D. Boyev (Bulgaria) RSC 3
1/2: Defeated Eduardo Rivas (Panama) KO 2
Finals: Lost to Juan Hernández Sierra (Cuba) by majority decision, 1–4
Soviet International Tournament (60 kg), Leningrad, Soviet Union, December 1987:
Finals: Defeated Serik Nurkazov (Kazakh SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Soviet National Championships (60 kg), Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, January 1988:
1/16: Defeated Adylkan Bekbolotov (Kyrgyz SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/8: Defeated Vladimir Kravtsov (RSFSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/4: Defeated Serik Nurkazov (Kazakh SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Samson Khachatryan (Armenian SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Lost to Orzubek Nazarov (Kyrgyz SSR) by split decision, 2–3
USA–USSR Duals (60 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, March 1988:
Defeated Donald Stokes (United States) on points, 16–8
Pre Olympic Tournament (60 kg), Seoul, South Korea, March 1988:
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by majority decision, 4–1
Soviet International Tournament (60 kg), Leningrad, Soviet Union, June 1988:
1/2: Lost to Julio González (Cuba) on points
Summer Olympics (60 kg), Seoul, South Korea, September 1988:
1/32: Defeated Leopoldo Cantancio (Philippines) KO 1
1/16: Defeated Sean Knight (Barbados) RSCH 1
1/8: Lost to Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by split decision, 2–3
Soviet National Championships (60 kg), Frunze, Kyrgyz SSR, January 1989:
1/2: Defeated Yevgeny Burchak (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Orzubek Nazarov (Kyrgyz SSR) RSC 3
Golden Belt Tournament (60 kg), Bucharest, Romania, April 1989:
(no data available)
European Championships (60 kg), Athens, Greece, May–June 1989:
1/8: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by split decision, 3–2
1/4: Defeated George Cramne (Sweden) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Dave Anderson (Scotland) by walkover
Finals: Defeated Daniel Dumitrescu (Romania) by majority decision, 4–1
World Championships (60 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, September 1989:
1/8: Defeated Mark Ramsey (England) on points, 22–3
1/4: Defeated Bo Espensen (Denmark) RSCH 2
1/2: Lost to Andreas Zülow (East Germany) on points, 14–17
Bulgaria–Europe Duals (60 kg), Varna, Bulgaria, November 1989:
Defeated Emil Chuprenski (Bulgaria) RET 2
Mayor's Cup (63,5 kg), Manila, Philippines, November 1989:
1/4: Defeated Nelson Factoranan (Philippines) KO 1
1/2: Defeated Andreas Otto (East Germany) by decision
Finals: Defeated Shannan Taylor (Australia) by unanimous decision, 5–0
King's Cup (63,5 kg), Bangkok, Thailand, February 1990:
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) on points, 17–7
USA–USSR Duals (63,5 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, April 1990:
Defeated Terron Millett (United States) by unanimous decision, 3–0
Soviet National Championships (63,5 kg), Lutsk, Ukrainian SSR, April 1990:
1/2: Defeated Vasily Kirilov (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Aleksandr Banin (Belarus SSR) by decision
Goodwill Games (63,5 kg), Seattle, Washington, July 1990:
1/4: Defeated Vukašin Dobrašinović (Yugoslavia) by walkover
1/2: Defeated Terron Millett (United States) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Defeated Aleksandr Banin (Soviet Union) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Swedish International Tournament (67 kg), Göteborg, Sweden, December 1990:
Finals: Defeated Sergey Pogosov (Soviet Union) RSC 3
Soviet National Championships (63,5 kg), Kazan, Tatar SSR, February 1991:
1/2: Defeated Vasily Kirilov (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Oleg Nikolayev (RSFSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
USA–USSR Duals (63,5 kg), Spokane, Washington, March 1991:
Lost to Vernon Forrest (United States) by split decision, 2–3
European Championships (63,5 kg), Göteborg, Sweden, May 1991:
1/16: Defeated James Pender (Scotland) on points, 21–0
1/8: Defeated Darren McCarrick (England) RSC 1
1/4: Defeated Attila Arslan (Turkey) RSC 2
1/2: Defeated Vukašin Dobrašinović (Yugoslavia) on points, 26–6
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (Germany) on points, 33–11
World Championships (63,5 kg), Sydney, Australia, November 1991:
1/8: Defeated Albertano Caballero (Mexico) RSC 2
1/4: Defeated Aníbal Acevedo (Puerto Rico) on points, 29–10
1/2: Defeated Moses James (Nigeria) on points, 25–4
Finals: Defeated Vernon Forrest (United States) on points, 32–9
1992 Olympics
He was the only Soviet boxer to win a gold medal at the 1991 World Championships in Sydney. Immediately at the Championships he was approached by local boxing promoters, deciding to pass up the 1992 Summer Olympics in favor of a professional career. A week later he signed with Australian promoter Bill Mordey as his manager and Johnny Lewis as his trainer in Sydney. Tszyu finished his amateur career with 270 fights, 259 wins, 11 losses, no stoppages and no draws. His professional debut was scheduled to take place in January 1992. Mordey described Tszyu as the best boxer he had seen in the past decade. Professional career
Tszyu started raising his quality of opposition almost immediately. In his fourth professional bout, he met the former WBC Featherweight Champion Juan Laporte, decisioning him over ten rounds. In his sixth bout, he beat contender Sammy Fuentes by a knockout in the first. Fuentes would go on to win a world title years after being handily beaten by Tszyu in 1993, Steve Larrimore, Larry La Crousiere and Robert Rivera, went to Australia to fight Tszyu, and none lasted more than two rounds. The only man to last more than two rounds with Tszyu in 1993 was Livingstone Bramble, a former World Lightweight Champion, who lost by decision to Tszyu at Newcastle, New South Wales. In 1994, Héctor López, Angel Hernandez (who had just come off of a loss after challenging Julio César Chávez for the WBC belt), and Pedro Chinito Sanchez from the Dominican Republic tried to beat Tszyu, but Tszyu beat Lopez by a decision in ten, Hernandez by a knockout in seven, and Sanchez by a knockout in four. After the win against Sanchez, Tszyu was ranked number one in the light welterweight division. WBC light welterweight champion
In 1995, he received his first world title shot when he fought IBF Light Welterweight Champion Jake Rodríguez at Las Vegas, Nevada. Tszyu became world champion by knocking Rodriguez out in the sixth round. He then defended the world title, beating former Super Featherweight and Light Welterweight World Champion Roger Mayweather by a decision in 12, Hugo Pineda by a knockout in 11, Cory Johnson by a knockout in four and Jan Bergman by a knockout in six. After this string of defences, Tszyu became a highly touted world Champion by many boxing magazines, and many articles about him appeared on The Ring, KO Magazine and other American boxing publications. Title defences
Tsyzu began 1997 with a title defense against Leonardo Moro Mas. Tsyzu knocked Mas down three times in the first round. Including a blow shortly before the bell. In a controversial decision, referee Joe Cortez judged that it was an "unintentional illegal blow", believing it to be shortly after the bell. As Mas was either unable or unwilling to continue, Cortez called the bout a technical draw. The IBF and the Nevada Athletic Commission later declared it a no contest. In his next fight he would suffer his first loss, a 10th round knockout to Vince Phillips, who would claim the world title. After beating former world champions Calvin Grove (KO 1) and Rafael Ruelas (KO 9), Tszyu was given another world title try, when the WBC's belt became vacant in 1998 following Oscar De La Hoya's move to the welterweight division. Tszyu found himself twice on the canvas in round one of his fight for the interim belt against Diosbelys Hurtado, but recuperated to beat Hurtado by a knockout in five. He became world champion once again in 1999 by knocking out former world champion Miguel Ángel González in ten, and twice retained it in 2000, beating Arizona's fringe contender Ahmed Santos in eight, and a 38 year old Mexican legend Julio César Chávez, the former world champion, in six at Phoenix, Arizona. Kostya was interviewed by Ray Wheatley on YouTube in 2011 and stated he regards his win over Miguel Angel Gonzalez as his best ever performance. Undisputed light welterweight champion
Tszyu then began pursuing his wish to unify all the belts. In 2001, he began by facing WBA Champion Sharmba Mitchell, taking the belt by a TKO after seven rounds (Mitchell suffered a knee injury in training, and during the bout). His next fight was against the German Turk, Oktay Urkal. Tszyu finished 2001 by recovering his IBF belt in a unification bout with the current champion Zab Judah, by a knockout in the second round. A small melee inside the ring followed that fight when Judah attacked referee Jay Nady for what he felt was a premature stoppage, reacting by throwing his corner's seat at the referee and even trying to choke Nady with his glove at one point. However, replays clearly show Judah walking on wobbly legs. As a result, Tszyu became the first man in 30 years to unify the belts in the light welterweight division. Tszyu in 2002 had only one bout, beating the top ranked contender of all three of his belts, Ben Tackie of Ghana by a decision in twelve rounds. Tszyu lost only one round on only one of the judges scorecards in a masterful display of boxing. On 19 January 2003, Tszyu began the year by retaining his title against former world champion Jesse James Leija by a knockout in six. After the fight, held in Melbourne, Tszyu announced that fight could be his last in Australia, due to pressure from promoters to fight in the United States (The win against Leija came on the birthday of Tszyu's son.). Tszyu vs. Mitchell II
His first fight in 2004 was supposed to have been held on 7 February in a rematch against Sharmba Mitchell. It would have been Tszyu's first fight as a professional in Moscow, but Tszyu injured his shoulder during training. He had successful surgery to correct the problem, but the injury further extended his absence from the ring. The WBA stripped Tszyu of his title for choosing to fight Mitchell instead of their regular champion, Vivian Harris, while the WBC stripped Tszyu for refusing to fight their mandatory, Gianluca Branco. On 6 November, he and Mitchell finally had their rematch, with Tszyu knocking Mitchell out once again, this time in three rounds. Tszyu was voted comeback fighter of the year by Ring magazine. Dethroned by Hatton
He next fought on 5 June 2005, against British boxer Ricky Hatton, Tszyu lost this fight and his world title by RTD (Referee technical decision) after retiring on his stool at the end of the 11th round. He was also behind on all three cards (by 1, 3 and 5 points). Potential comeback
On 30 January 2007 rumours spread of a Tszyu comeback. However, there was no confirmation. In April 2010, rumours about a possible comeback of Tszyu spread again. He continued to train and stayed in shape since his 2005 loss to Ricky Hatton. On 19 April 2010, Tszyu appeared on Long Lunch Today, an Australian TV program. During the show, he denied his retirement and said he would return if a fight with Shane Mosley, Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr. could be made. Personal life
Tszyu married Natasha Anikina on 24 September 1993. He has three children; Anastasia, Nikita and Tim. Nikita and Tim are both boxers. Tszyu initially moved with his family to Moscow in 2008, but they returned to Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. In September 2012, Tszyu left his family in Australia while he moved full time to live in Russia. Tszyu is now married to Tatiana Averina, with whom he has two children, and runs a restaurant in Moscow. Tszyu is an animal lover who owns several pets including Viking, a rottweiler who has been Tszyu's companion since he arrived in Australia; Jake, his pet diamond python; canaries and fish. Tszyu appeared with the animals on the pet show Harry's Practice'' in 2002.
Любительская карьера
В детстве Костя был гиперактивным, поэтому его отец решил отдать его в боксёрский зал, где он мог направить свою энергию в бои со старшими мальчиками. Он произвёл впечатление на тренеров советской любительской сборной, и его отправили в тренировочные лагеря советских боксёров-любителей, где он посетил более 30 стран, тренируясь и участвуя в турнирах. Он тренировался в этой группе 250 дней в году и выигрывал различные турниры, такие как чемпионаты мира по боксу среди любителей. На кубинском чемпионате мира 1987 года он занял второе место, а на летних Олимпийских играх 1988 года проиграл в третьем раунде. Цзю был членом Советской Армии, но, поскольку он был отобран в качестве элитного спортсмена, он не был обязан проходить обычную службу. Он снова выступил на чемпионате мира в Москве в 1989 году, где занял третье место. В 1991 году он снова поехал на чемпионат мира среди любителей, на этот раз в Сидней. Эта поездка навсегда изменила его жизнь. Не только в третий раз ему повезло, но он был очарован достопримечательностями Сиднея и его жителями и решил, что хочет жить в Австралии. После распада Советского Союза в 1991 году, в начале следующего года Цзю эмигрировал в Австралию со своей девушкой, где они поженились в 1993 году и стали гражданами Австралии, поселившись в Сан-Суси, Сиднее. До женитьбы на ней Цзю уже стал профессионалом, победив Даррела Хайлса нокаутом в первом раунде 1 марта 1992 года в Мельбурне.
Russian Australian boxer (born 1969)
As an amateur, Tszyu represented the Soviet Union, winning a bronze medal in the lightweight division at the 1989 World Championships, and gold in the light welterweight division at the 1991 World Championships. He also won consecutive gold medals at the 1989 and 1991 European Championships. In 1995, Tszyu won his first of many professional world championships at light welterweight—the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title—by defeating Jake Rodríguez. Five successful defences were made until an upset loss to Vince Phillips in 1997, which was Tszyu's first professional defeat. He would spend the next eight years undefeated, winning the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) title in 1999 and the World Boxing Association (WBA) (Super version) title in 2001. Tszyu scored arguably his most famous win that year, when he knocked out Zab Judah to reclaim the IBF title, as well as the vacant Ring magazine and lineal titles, thus becoming the first undisputed light welterweight champion in over 30 years. In 2005, in what would be his final fight, Tszyu was stopped by Ricky Hatton. Tszyu is considered by many in Australia to be a national sports hero. In The Ring'''s March 2010 issue, Tszyu was ranked as the number one light welterweight of the 2000s decade. In December 2010, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame for the Class of 2011. From 2012 to 2013 he coached professional boxers Alexander Povetkin, Denis Lebedev and Khabib Allakhverdiev. In 2023, his son Tim Tszyu won the World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior middleweight title. Early life
Tszyu was born in Serov, a town near the Ural Mountains, in the former Soviet Union to a Korean (paternal)–Mongol (maternal) father and a Russian mother. Tszyu's father was a fitter in a metal factory, whereas his mother was a nurse. Amateur career
As a child, Kostya was hyperactive, so his father decided to take him to a boxing gym, where he would channel that energy by fighting older boys. He impressed the Soviet amateur team coaches and he was sent to the Soviet Union's amateur boxing travelling training camps, where he visited more than 30 countries while training and fighting in tournaments. He trained with that group 250 days a year, and won various tournaments, such as amateur boxing's world championships. At the Cuban world championship tournament in 1987, he came in second place, and at the 1988 Summer Olympics, he lost in the third round. Tszyu was a member of the Soviet Army, but since he was selected as an elite athlete, he was not required to serve the ordinary duty. He fought at the world championships once again, in Moscow in 1989, where he came in third place. In 1991, he went again to the amateur world championships, this time held in Sydney. This was a trip that would change his life forever. Not only was the third time his charm, but he felt enchanted with the sights of Sydney and its people, and decided he wanted to live in Australia. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, early the next year, Tszyu emigrated to Australia with his girlfriend, where they married in 1993 and became Australian citizens, settling in Sans Souci, Sydney. Before marrying her, though, Tszyu had already turned professional, beating Darrell Hiles by a knockout in one round on 1 March 1992, at Melbourne. Highlights
Schwerin Junior Open (57 kg), Schwerin, East Germany, April 1986:
Finals: Lost to Jörg Heidenreich (East Germany) by unanimous decision, 5–0
European Junior Championships (57 kg), Copenhagen, Denmark, September 1986:
1/8: Defeated Manuel Moreno (Spain) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/4: Defeated Santo Serio (Italy) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Daniel Dumitrescu (Romania) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Defeated Fared Cheklat (France) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Soviet International Junior Tournament (60 kg), Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, December 1986:
Finals: Defeated Nikolay Dzhachvadze (Georgian SSR) RSC 3
World Junior Championships (60 kg), Havana, Cuba, July 1987:
1/4: Defeated D. Boyev (Bulgaria) RSC 3
1/2: Defeated Eduardo Rivas (Panama) KO 2
Finals: Lost to Juan Hernández Sierra (Cuba) by majority decision, 1–4
Soviet International Tournament (60 kg), Leningrad, Soviet Union, December 1987:
Finals: Defeated Serik Nurkazov (Kazakh SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Soviet National Championships (60 kg), Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, January 1988:
1/16: Defeated Adylkan Bekbolotov (Kyrgyz SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/8: Defeated Vladimir Kravtsov (RSFSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/4: Defeated Serik Nurkazov (Kazakh SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Samson Khachatryan (Armenian SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Lost to Orzubek Nazarov (Kyrgyz SSR) by split decision, 2–3
USA–USSR Duals (60 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, March 1988:
Defeated Donald Stokes (United States) on points, 16–8
Pre Olympic Tournament (60 kg), Seoul, South Korea, March 1988:
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by majority decision, 4–1
Soviet International Tournament (60 kg), Leningrad, Soviet Union, June 1988:
1/2: Lost to Julio González (Cuba) on points
Summer Olympics (60 kg), Seoul, South Korea, September 1988:
1/32: Defeated Leopoldo Cantancio (Philippines) KO 1
1/16: Defeated Sean Knight (Barbados) RSCH 1
1/8: Lost to Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by split decision, 2–3
Soviet National Championships (60 kg), Frunze, Kyrgyz SSR, January 1989:
1/2: Defeated Yevgeny Burchak (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Orzubek Nazarov (Kyrgyz SSR) RSC 3
Golden Belt Tournament (60 kg), Bucharest, Romania, April 1989:
(no data available)
European Championships (60 kg), Athens, Greece, May–June 1989:
1/8: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by split decision, 3–2
1/4: Defeated George Cramne (Sweden) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Dave Anderson (Scotland) by walkover
Finals: Defeated Daniel Dumitrescu (Romania) by majority decision, 4–1
World Championships (60 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, September 1989:
1/8: Defeated Mark Ramsey (England) on points, 22–3
1/4: Defeated Bo Espensen (Denmark) RSCH 2
1/2: Lost to Andreas Zülow (East Germany) on points, 14–17
Bulgaria–Europe Duals (60 kg), Varna, Bulgaria, November 1989:
Defeated Emil Chuprenski (Bulgaria) RET 2
Mayor's Cup (63,5 kg), Manila, Philippines, November 1989:
1/4: Defeated Nelson Factoranan (Philippines) KO 1
1/2: Defeated Andreas Otto (East Germany) by decision
Finals: Defeated Shannan Taylor (Australia) by unanimous decision, 5–0
King's Cup (63,5 kg), Bangkok, Thailand, February 1990:
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) on points, 17–7
USA–USSR Duals (63,5 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, April 1990:
Defeated Terron Millett (United States) by unanimous decision, 3–0
Soviet National Championships (63,5 kg), Lutsk, Ukrainian SSR, April 1990:
1/2: Defeated Vasily Kirilov (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Aleksandr Banin (Belarus SSR) by decision
Goodwill Games (63,5 kg), Seattle, Washington, July 1990:
1/4: Defeated Vukašin Dobrašinović (Yugoslavia) by walkover
1/2: Defeated Terron Millett (United States) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Defeated Aleksandr Banin (Soviet Union) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Swedish International Tournament (67 kg), Göteborg, Sweden, December 1990:
Finals: Defeated Sergey Pogosov (Soviet Union) RSC 3
Soviet National Championships (63,5 kg), Kazan, Tatar SSR, February 1991:
1/2: Defeated Vasily Kirilov (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Oleg Nikolayev (RSFSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
USA–USSR Duals (63,5 kg), Spokane, Washington, March 1991:
Lost to Vernon Forrest (United States) by split decision, 2–3
European Championships (63,5 kg), Göteborg, Sweden, May 1991:
1/16: Defeated James Pender (Scotland) on points, 21–0
1/8: Defeated Darren McCarrick (England) RSC 1
1/4: Defeated Attila Arslan (Turkey) RSC 2
1/2: Defeated Vukašin Dobrašinović (Yugoslavia) on points, 26–6
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (Germany) on points, 33–11
World Championships (63,5 kg), Sydney, Australia, November 1991:
1/8: Defeated Albertano Caballero (Mexico) RSC 2
1/4: Defeated Aníbal Acevedo (Puerto Rico) on points, 29–10
1/2: Defeated Moses James (Nigeria) on points, 25–4
Finals: Defeated Vernon Forrest (United States) on points, 32–9
1992 Olympics
He was the only Soviet boxer to win a gold medal at the 1991 World Championships in Sydney. Immediately at the Championships he was approached by local boxing promoters, deciding to pass up the 1992 Summer Olympics in favor of a professional career. A week later he signed with Australian promoter Bill Mordey as his manager and Johnny Lewis as his trainer in Sydney. Tszyu finished his amateur career with 270 fights, 259 wins, 11 losses, no stoppages and no draws. His professional debut was scheduled to take place in January 1992. Mordey described Tszyu as the best boxer he had seen in the past decade. Professional career
Tszyu started raising his quality of opposition almost immediately. In his fourth professional bout, he met the former WBC Featherweight Champion Juan Laporte, decisioning him over ten rounds. In his sixth bout, he beat contender Sammy Fuentes by a knockout in the first. Fuentes would go on to win a world title years after being handily beaten by Tszyu in 1993, Steve Larrimore, Larry La Crousiere and Robert Rivera, went to Australia to fight Tszyu, and none lasted more than two rounds. The only man to last more than two rounds with Tszyu in 1993 was Livingstone Bramble, a former World Lightweight Champion, who lost by decision to Tszyu at Newcastle, New South Wales. In 1994, Héctor López, Angel Hernandez (who had just come off of a loss after challenging Julio César Chávez for the WBC belt), and Pedro Chinito Sanchez from the Dominican Republic tried to beat Tszyu, but Tszyu beat Lopez by a decision in ten, Hernandez by a knockout in seven, and Sanchez by a knockout in four. After the win against Sanchez, Tszyu was ranked number one in the light welterweight division. WBC light welterweight champion
In 1995, he received his first world title shot when he fought IBF Light Welterweight Champion Jake Rodríguez at Las Vegas, Nevada. Tszyu became world champion by knocking Rodriguez out in the sixth round. He then defended the world title, beating former Super Featherweight and Light Welterweight World Champion Roger Mayweather by a decision in 12, Hugo Pineda by a knockout in 11, Cory Johnson by a knockout in four and Jan Bergman by a knockout in six. After this string of defences, Tszyu became a highly touted world Champion by many boxing magazines, and many articles about him appeared on The Ring, KO Magazine and other American boxing publications. Title defences
Tsyzu began 1997 with a title defense against Leonardo Moro Mas. Tsyzu knocked Mas down three times in the first round. Including a blow shortly before the bell. In a controversial decision, referee Joe Cortez judged that it was an "unintentional illegal blow", believing it to be shortly after the bell. As Mas was either unable or unwilling to continue, Cortez called the bout a technical draw. The IBF and the Nevada Athletic Commission later declared it a no contest. In his next fight he would suffer his first loss, a 10th round knockout to Vince Phillips, who would claim the world title. After beating former world champions Calvin Grove (KO 1) and Rafael Ruelas (KO 9), Tszyu was given another world title try, when the WBC's belt became vacant in 1998 following Oscar De La Hoya's move to the welterweight division. Tszyu found himself twice on the canvas in round one of his fight for the interim belt against Diosbelys Hurtado, but recuperated to beat Hurtado by a knockout in five. He became world champion once again in 1999 by knocking out former world champion Miguel Ángel González in ten, and twice retained it in 2000, beating Arizona's fringe contender Ahmed Santos in eight, and a 38 year old Mexican legend Julio César Chávez, the former world champion, in six at Phoenix, Arizona. Kostya was interviewed by Ray Wheatley on YouTube in 2011 and stated he regards his win over Miguel Angel Gonzalez as his best ever performance. Undisputed light welterweight champion
Tszyu then began pursuing his wish to unify all the belts. In 2001, he began by facing WBA Champion Sharmba Mitchell, taking the belt by a TKO after seven rounds (Mitchell suffered a knee injury in training, and during the bout). His next fight was against the German Turk, Oktay Urkal. Tszyu finished 2001 by recovering his IBF belt in a unification bout with the current champion Zab Judah, by a knockout in the second round. A small melee inside the ring followed that fight when Judah attacked referee Jay Nady for what he felt was a premature stoppage, reacting by throwing his corner's seat at the referee and even trying to choke Nady with his glove at one point. However, replays clearly show Judah walking on wobbly legs. As a result, Tszyu became the first man in 30 years to unify the belts in the light welterweight division. Tszyu in 2002 had only one bout, beating the top ranked contender of all three of his belts, Ben Tackie of Ghana by a decision in twelve rounds. Tszyu lost only one round on only one of the judges scorecards in a masterful display of boxing. On 19 January 2003, Tszyu began the year by retaining his title against former world champion Jesse James Leija by a knockout in six. After the fight, held in Melbourne, Tszyu announced that fight could be his last in Australia, due to pressure from promoters to fight in the United States (The win against Leija came on the birthday of Tszyu's son.). Tszyu vs. Mitchell II
His first fight in 2004 was supposed to have been held on 7 February in a rematch against Sharmba Mitchell. It would have been Tszyu's first fight as a professional in Moscow, but Tszyu injured his shoulder during training. He had successful surgery to correct the problem, but the injury further extended his absence from the ring. The WBA stripped Tszyu of his title for choosing to fight Mitchell instead of their regular champion, Vivian Harris, while the WBC stripped Tszyu for refusing to fight their mandatory, Gianluca Branco. On 6 November, he and Mitchell finally had their rematch, with Tszyu knocking Mitchell out once again, this time in three rounds. Tszyu was voted comeback fighter of the year by Ring magazine. Dethroned by Hatton
He next fought on 5 June 2005, against British boxer Ricky Hatton, Tszyu lost this fight and his world title by RTD (Referee technical decision) after retiring on his stool at the end of the 11th round. He was also behind on all three cards (by 1, 3 and 5 points). Potential comeback
On 30 January 2007 rumours spread of a Tszyu comeback. However, there was no confirmation. In April 2010, rumours about a possible comeback of Tszyu spread again. He continued to train and stayed in shape since his 2005 loss to Ricky Hatton. On 19 April 2010, Tszyu appeared on Long Lunch Today, an Australian TV program. During the show, he denied his retirement and said he would return if a fight with Shane Mosley, Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr. could be made. Personal life
Tszyu married Natasha Anikina on 24 September 1993. He has three children; Anastasia, Nikita and Tim. Nikita and Tim are both boxers. Tszyu initially moved with his family to Moscow in 2008, but they returned to Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. In September 2012, Tszyu left his family in Australia while he moved full time to live in Russia. Tszyu is now married to Tatiana Averina, with whom he has two children, and runs a restaurant in Moscow. Tszyu is an animal lover who owns several pets including Viking, a rottweiler who has been Tszyu's companion since he arrived in Australia; Jake, his pet diamond python; canaries and fish. Tszyu appeared with the animals on the pet show Harry's Practice'' in 2002.
As an amateur, Tszyu represented the Soviet Union, winning a bronze medal in the lightweight division at the 1989 World Championships, and gold in the light welterweight division at the 1991 World Championships. He also won consecutive gold medals at the 1989 and 1991 European Championships. In 1995, Tszyu won his first of many professional world championships at light welterweight—the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title—by defeating Jake Rodríguez. Five successful defences were made until an upset loss to Vince Phillips in 1997, which was Tszyu's first professional defeat. He would spend the next eight years undefeated, winning the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) title in 1999 and the World Boxing Association (WBA) (Super version) title in 2001. Tszyu scored arguably his most famous win that year, when he knocked out Zab Judah to reclaim the IBF title, as well as the vacant Ring magazine and lineal titles, thus becoming the first undisputed light welterweight champion in over 30 years. In 2005, in what would be his final fight, Tszyu was stopped by Ricky Hatton. Tszyu is considered by many in Australia to be a national sports hero. In The Ring'''s March 2010 issue, Tszyu was ranked as the number one light welterweight of the 2000s decade. In December 2010, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame for the Class of 2011. From 2012 to 2013 he coached professional boxers Alexander Povetkin, Denis Lebedev and Khabib Allakhverdiev. In 2023, his son Tim Tszyu won the World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior middleweight title. Early life
Tszyu was born in Serov, a town near the Ural Mountains, in the former Soviet Union to a Korean (paternal)–Mongol (maternal) father and a Russian mother. Tszyu's father was a fitter in a metal factory, whereas his mother was a nurse. Amateur career
As a child, Kostya was hyperactive, so his father decided to take him to a boxing gym, where he would channel that energy by fighting older boys. He impressed the Soviet amateur team coaches and he was sent to the Soviet Union's amateur boxing travelling training camps, where he visited more than 30 countries while training and fighting in tournaments. He trained with that group 250 days a year, and won various tournaments, such as amateur boxing's world championships. At the Cuban world championship tournament in 1987, he came in second place, and at the 1988 Summer Olympics, he lost in the third round. Tszyu was a member of the Soviet Army, but since he was selected as an elite athlete, he was not required to serve the ordinary duty. He fought at the world championships once again, in Moscow in 1989, where he came in third place. In 1991, he went again to the amateur world championships, this time held in Sydney. This was a trip that would change his life forever. Not only was the third time his charm, but he felt enchanted with the sights of Sydney and its people, and decided he wanted to live in Australia. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, early the next year, Tszyu emigrated to Australia with his girlfriend, where they married in 1993 and became Australian citizens, settling in Sans Souci, Sydney. Before marrying her, though, Tszyu had already turned professional, beating Darrell Hiles by a knockout in one round on 1 March 1992, at Melbourne. Highlights
Schwerin Junior Open (57 kg), Schwerin, East Germany, April 1986:
Finals: Lost to Jörg Heidenreich (East Germany) by unanimous decision, 5–0
European Junior Championships (57 kg), Copenhagen, Denmark, September 1986:
1/8: Defeated Manuel Moreno (Spain) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/4: Defeated Santo Serio (Italy) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Daniel Dumitrescu (Romania) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Defeated Fared Cheklat (France) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Soviet International Junior Tournament (60 kg), Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, December 1986:
Finals: Defeated Nikolay Dzhachvadze (Georgian SSR) RSC 3
World Junior Championships (60 kg), Havana, Cuba, July 1987:
1/4: Defeated D. Boyev (Bulgaria) RSC 3
1/2: Defeated Eduardo Rivas (Panama) KO 2
Finals: Lost to Juan Hernández Sierra (Cuba) by majority decision, 1–4
Soviet International Tournament (60 kg), Leningrad, Soviet Union, December 1987:
Finals: Defeated Serik Nurkazov (Kazakh SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Soviet National Championships (60 kg), Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, January 1988:
1/16: Defeated Adylkan Bekbolotov (Kyrgyz SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/8: Defeated Vladimir Kravtsov (RSFSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/4: Defeated Serik Nurkazov (Kazakh SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Samson Khachatryan (Armenian SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Lost to Orzubek Nazarov (Kyrgyz SSR) by split decision, 2–3
USA–USSR Duals (60 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, March 1988:
Defeated Donald Stokes (United States) on points, 16–8
Pre Olympic Tournament (60 kg), Seoul, South Korea, March 1988:
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by majority decision, 4–1
Soviet International Tournament (60 kg), Leningrad, Soviet Union, June 1988:
1/2: Lost to Julio González (Cuba) on points
Summer Olympics (60 kg), Seoul, South Korea, September 1988:
1/32: Defeated Leopoldo Cantancio (Philippines) KO 1
1/16: Defeated Sean Knight (Barbados) RSCH 1
1/8: Lost to Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by split decision, 2–3
Soviet National Championships (60 kg), Frunze, Kyrgyz SSR, January 1989:
1/2: Defeated Yevgeny Burchak (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Orzubek Nazarov (Kyrgyz SSR) RSC 3
Golden Belt Tournament (60 kg), Bucharest, Romania, April 1989:
(no data available)
European Championships (60 kg), Athens, Greece, May–June 1989:
1/8: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by split decision, 3–2
1/4: Defeated George Cramne (Sweden) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Dave Anderson (Scotland) by walkover
Finals: Defeated Daniel Dumitrescu (Romania) by majority decision, 4–1
World Championships (60 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, September 1989:
1/8: Defeated Mark Ramsey (England) on points, 22–3
1/4: Defeated Bo Espensen (Denmark) RSCH 2
1/2: Lost to Andreas Zülow (East Germany) on points, 14–17
Bulgaria–Europe Duals (60 kg), Varna, Bulgaria, November 1989:
Defeated Emil Chuprenski (Bulgaria) RET 2
Mayor's Cup (63,5 kg), Manila, Philippines, November 1989:
1/4: Defeated Nelson Factoranan (Philippines) KO 1
1/2: Defeated Andreas Otto (East Germany) by decision
Finals: Defeated Shannan Taylor (Australia) by unanimous decision, 5–0
King's Cup (63,5 kg), Bangkok, Thailand, February 1990:
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) on points, 17–7
USA–USSR Duals (63,5 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, April 1990:
Defeated Terron Millett (United States) by unanimous decision, 3–0
Soviet National Championships (63,5 kg), Lutsk, Ukrainian SSR, April 1990:
1/2: Defeated Vasily Kirilov (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Aleksandr Banin (Belarus SSR) by decision
Goodwill Games (63,5 kg), Seattle, Washington, July 1990:
1/4: Defeated Vukašin Dobrašinović (Yugoslavia) by walkover
1/2: Defeated Terron Millett (United States) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Defeated Aleksandr Banin (Soviet Union) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Swedish International Tournament (67 kg), Göteborg, Sweden, December 1990:
Finals: Defeated Sergey Pogosov (Soviet Union) RSC 3
Soviet National Championships (63,5 kg), Kazan, Tatar SSR, February 1991:
1/2: Defeated Vasily Kirilov (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Oleg Nikolayev (RSFSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
USA–USSR Duals (63,5 kg), Spokane, Washington, March 1991:
Lost to Vernon Forrest (United States) by split decision, 2–3
European Championships (63,5 kg), Göteborg, Sweden, May 1991:
1/16: Defeated James Pender (Scotland) on points, 21–0
1/8: Defeated Darren McCarrick (England) RSC 1
1/4: Defeated Attila Arslan (Turkey) RSC 2
1/2: Defeated Vukašin Dobrašinović (Yugoslavia) on points, 26–6
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (Germany) on points, 33–11
World Championships (63,5 kg), Sydney, Australia, November 1991:
1/8: Defeated Albertano Caballero (Mexico) RSC 2
1/4: Defeated Aníbal Acevedo (Puerto Rico) on points, 29–10
1/2: Defeated Moses James (Nigeria) on points, 25–4
Finals: Defeated Vernon Forrest (United States) on points, 32–9
1992 Olympics
He was the only Soviet boxer to win a gold medal at the 1991 World Championships in Sydney. Immediately at the Championships he was approached by local boxing promoters, deciding to pass up the 1992 Summer Olympics in favor of a professional career. A week later he signed with Australian promoter Bill Mordey as his manager and Johnny Lewis as his trainer in Sydney. Tszyu finished his amateur career with 270 fights, 259 wins, 11 losses, no stoppages and no draws. His professional debut was scheduled to take place in January 1992. Mordey described Tszyu as the best boxer he had seen in the past decade. Professional career
Tszyu started raising his quality of opposition almost immediately. In his fourth professional bout, he met the former WBC Featherweight Champion Juan Laporte, decisioning him over ten rounds. In his sixth bout, he beat contender Sammy Fuentes by a knockout in the first. Fuentes would go on to win a world title years after being handily beaten by Tszyu in 1993, Steve Larrimore, Larry La Crousiere and Robert Rivera, went to Australia to fight Tszyu, and none lasted more than two rounds. The only man to last more than two rounds with Tszyu in 1993 was Livingstone Bramble, a former World Lightweight Champion, who lost by decision to Tszyu at Newcastle, New South Wales. In 1994, Héctor López, Angel Hernandez (who had just come off of a loss after challenging Julio César Chávez for the WBC belt), and Pedro Chinito Sanchez from the Dominican Republic tried to beat Tszyu, but Tszyu beat Lopez by a decision in ten, Hernandez by a knockout in seven, and Sanchez by a knockout in four. After the win against Sanchez, Tszyu was ranked number one in the light welterweight division. WBC light welterweight champion
In 1995, he received his first world title shot when he fought IBF Light Welterweight Champion Jake Rodríguez at Las Vegas, Nevada. Tszyu became world champion by knocking Rodriguez out in the sixth round. He then defended the world title, beating former Super Featherweight and Light Welterweight World Champion Roger Mayweather by a decision in 12, Hugo Pineda by a knockout in 11, Cory Johnson by a knockout in four and Jan Bergman by a knockout in six. After this string of defences, Tszyu became a highly touted world Champion by many boxing magazines, and many articles about him appeared on The Ring, KO Magazine and other American boxing publications. Title defences
Tsyzu began 1997 with a title defense against Leonardo Moro Mas. Tsyzu knocked Mas down three times in the first round. Including a blow shortly before the bell. In a controversial decision, referee Joe Cortez judged that it was an "unintentional illegal blow", believing it to be shortly after the bell. As Mas was either unable or unwilling to continue, Cortez called the bout a technical draw. The IBF and the Nevada Athletic Commission later declared it a no contest. In his next fight he would suffer his first loss, a 10th round knockout to Vince Phillips, who would claim the world title. After beating former world champions Calvin Grove (KO 1) and Rafael Ruelas (KO 9), Tszyu was given another world title try, when the WBC's belt became vacant in 1998 following Oscar De La Hoya's move to the welterweight division. Tszyu found himself twice on the canvas in round one of his fight for the interim belt against Diosbelys Hurtado, but recuperated to beat Hurtado by a knockout in five. He became world champion once again in 1999 by knocking out former world champion Miguel Ángel González in ten, and twice retained it in 2000, beating Arizona's fringe contender Ahmed Santos in eight, and a 38 year old Mexican legend Julio César Chávez, the former world champion, in six at Phoenix, Arizona. Kostya was interviewed by Ray Wheatley on YouTube in 2011 and stated he regards his win over Miguel Angel Gonzalez as his best ever performance. Undisputed light welterweight champion
Tszyu then began pursuing his wish to unify all the belts. In 2001, he began by facing WBA Champion Sharmba Mitchell, taking the belt by a TKO after seven rounds (Mitchell suffered a knee injury in training, and during the bout). His next fight was against the German Turk, Oktay Urkal. Tszyu finished 2001 by recovering his IBF belt in a unification bout with the current champion Zab Judah, by a knockout in the second round. A small melee inside the ring followed that fight when Judah attacked referee Jay Nady for what he felt was a premature stoppage, reacting by throwing his corner's seat at the referee and even trying to choke Nady with his glove at one point. However, replays clearly show Judah walking on wobbly legs. As a result, Tszyu became the first man in 30 years to unify the belts in the light welterweight division. Tszyu in 2002 had only one bout, beating the top ranked contender of all three of his belts, Ben Tackie of Ghana by a decision in twelve rounds. Tszyu lost only one round on only one of the judges scorecards in a masterful display of boxing. On 19 January 2003, Tszyu began the year by retaining his title against former world champion Jesse James Leija by a knockout in six. After the fight, held in Melbourne, Tszyu announced that fight could be his last in Australia, due to pressure from promoters to fight in the United States (The win against Leija came on the birthday of Tszyu's son.). Tszyu vs. Mitchell II
His first fight in 2004 was supposed to have been held on 7 February in a rematch against Sharmba Mitchell. It would have been Tszyu's first fight as a professional in Moscow, but Tszyu injured his shoulder during training. He had successful surgery to correct the problem, but the injury further extended his absence from the ring. The WBA stripped Tszyu of his title for choosing to fight Mitchell instead of their regular champion, Vivian Harris, while the WBC stripped Tszyu for refusing to fight their mandatory, Gianluca Branco. On 6 November, he and Mitchell finally had their rematch, with Tszyu knocking Mitchell out once again, this time in three rounds. Tszyu was voted comeback fighter of the year by Ring magazine. Dethroned by Hatton
He next fought on 5 June 2005, against British boxer Ricky Hatton, Tszyu lost this fight and his world title by RTD (Referee technical decision) after retiring on his stool at the end of the 11th round. He was also behind on all three cards (by 1, 3 and 5 points). Potential comeback
On 30 January 2007 rumours spread of a Tszyu comeback. However, there was no confirmation. In April 2010, rumours about a possible comeback of Tszyu spread again. He continued to train and stayed in shape since his 2005 loss to Ricky Hatton. On 19 April 2010, Tszyu appeared on Long Lunch Today, an Australian TV program. During the show, he denied his retirement and said he would return if a fight with Shane Mosley, Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr. could be made. Personal life
Tszyu married Natasha Anikina on 24 September 1993. He has three children; Anastasia, Nikita and Tim. Nikita and Tim are both boxers. Tszyu initially moved with his family to Moscow in 2008, but they returned to Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. In September 2012, Tszyu left his family in Australia while he moved full time to live in Russia. Tszyu is now married to Tatiana Averina, with whom he has two children, and runs a restaurant in Moscow. Tszyu is an animal lover who owns several pets including Viking, a rottweiler who has been Tszyu's companion since he arrived in Australia; Jake, his pet diamond python; canaries and fish. Tszyu appeared with the animals on the pet show Harry's Practice'' in 2002.
Основные достижения:
Russian Australian boxer (born 1969)
As an amateur, Tszyu represented the Soviet Union, winning a bronze medal in the lightweight division at the 1989 World Championships, and gold in the light welterweight division at the 1991 World Championships. He also won consecutive gold medals at the 1989 and 1991 European Championships. In 1995, Tszyu won his first of many professional world championships at light welterweight—the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title—by defeating Jake Rodríguez. Five successful defences were made until an upset loss to Vince Phillips in 1997, which was Tszyu's first professional defeat. He would spend the next eight years undefeated, winning the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) title in 1999 and the World Boxing Association (WBA) (Super version) title in 2001. Tszyu scored arguably his most famous win that year, when he knocked out Zab Judah to reclaim the IBF title, as well as the vacant Ring magazine and lineal titles, thus becoming the first undisputed light welterweight champion in over 30 years. In 2005, in what would be his final fight, Tszyu was stopped by Ricky Hatton. Tszyu is considered by many in Australia to be a national sports hero. In The Ring'''s March 2010 issue, Tszyu was ranked as the number one light welterweight of the 2000s decade. In December 2010, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame for the Class of 2011. From 2012 to 2013 he coached professional boxers Alexander Povetkin, Denis Lebedev and Khabib Allakhverdiev. In 2023, his son Tim Tszyu won the World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior middleweight title. Early life
Tszyu was born in Serov, a town near the Ural Mountains, in the former Soviet Union to a Korean (paternal)–Mongol (maternal) father and a Russian mother. Tszyu's father was a fitter in a metal factory, whereas his mother was a nurse. Amateur career
As a child, Kostya was hyperactive, so his father decided to take him to a boxing gym, where he would channel that energy by fighting older boys. He impressed the Soviet amateur team coaches and he was sent to the Soviet Union's amateur boxing travelling training camps, where he visited more than 30 countries while training and fighting in tournaments. He trained with that group 250 days a year, and won various tournaments, such as amateur boxing's world championships. At the Cuban world championship tournament in 1987, he came in second place, and at the 1988 Summer Olympics, he lost in the third round. Tszyu was a member of the Soviet Army, but since he was selected as an elite athlete, he was not required to serve the ordinary duty. He fought at the world championships once again, in Moscow in 1989, where he came in third place. In 1991, he went again to the amateur world championships, this time held in Sydney. This was a trip that would change his life forever. Not only was the third time his charm, but he felt enchanted with the sights of Sydney and its people, and decided he wanted to live in Australia. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, early the next year, Tszyu emigrated to Australia with his girlfriend, where they married in 1993 and became Australian citizens, settling in Sans Souci, Sydney. Before marrying her, though, Tszyu had already turned professional, beating Darrell Hiles by a knockout in one round on 1 March 1992, at Melbourne. Highlights
Schwerin Junior Open (57 kg), Schwerin, East Germany, April 1986:
Finals: Lost to Jörg Heidenreich (East Germany) by unanimous decision, 5–0
European Junior Championships (57 kg), Copenhagen, Denmark, September 1986:
1/8: Defeated Manuel Moreno (Spain) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/4: Defeated Santo Serio (Italy) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Daniel Dumitrescu (Romania) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Defeated Fared Cheklat (France) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Soviet International Junior Tournament (60 kg), Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, December 1986:
Finals: Defeated Nikolay Dzhachvadze (Georgian SSR) RSC 3
World Junior Championships (60 kg), Havana, Cuba, July 1987:
1/4: Defeated D. Boyev (Bulgaria) RSC 3
1/2: Defeated Eduardo Rivas (Panama) KO 2
Finals: Lost to Juan Hernández Sierra (Cuba) by majority decision, 1–4
Soviet International Tournament (60 kg), Leningrad, Soviet Union, December 1987:
Finals: Defeated Serik Nurkazov (Kazakh SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Soviet National Championships (60 kg), Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, January 1988:
1/16: Defeated Adylkan Bekbolotov (Kyrgyz SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/8: Defeated Vladimir Kravtsov (RSFSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/4: Defeated Serik Nurkazov (Kazakh SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Samson Khachatryan (Armenian SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Lost to Orzubek Nazarov (Kyrgyz SSR) by split decision, 2–3
USA–USSR Duals (60 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, March 1988:
Defeated Donald Stokes (United States) on points, 16–8
Pre Olympic Tournament (60 kg), Seoul, South Korea, March 1988:
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by majority decision, 4–1
Soviet International Tournament (60 kg), Leningrad, Soviet Union, June 1988:
1/2: Lost to Julio González (Cuba) on points
Summer Olympics (60 kg), Seoul, South Korea, September 1988:
1/32: Defeated Leopoldo Cantancio (Philippines) KO 1
1/16: Defeated Sean Knight (Barbados) RSCH 1
1/8: Lost to Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by split decision, 2–3
Soviet National Championships (60 kg), Frunze, Kyrgyz SSR, January 1989:
1/2: Defeated Yevgeny Burchak (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Orzubek Nazarov (Kyrgyz SSR) RSC 3
Golden Belt Tournament (60 kg), Bucharest, Romania, April 1989:
(no data available)
European Championships (60 kg), Athens, Greece, May–June 1989:
1/8: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by split decision, 3–2
1/4: Defeated George Cramne (Sweden) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Dave Anderson (Scotland) by walkover
Finals: Defeated Daniel Dumitrescu (Romania) by majority decision, 4–1
World Championships (60 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, September 1989:
1/8: Defeated Mark Ramsey (England) on points, 22–3
1/4: Defeated Bo Espensen (Denmark) RSCH 2
1/2: Lost to Andreas Zülow (East Germany) on points, 14–17
Bulgaria–Europe Duals (60 kg), Varna, Bulgaria, November 1989:
Defeated Emil Chuprenski (Bulgaria) RET 2
Mayor's Cup (63,5 kg), Manila, Philippines, November 1989:
1/4: Defeated Nelson Factoranan (Philippines) KO 1
1/2: Defeated Andreas Otto (East Germany) by decision
Finals: Defeated Shannan Taylor (Australia) by unanimous decision, 5–0
King's Cup (63,5 kg), Bangkok, Thailand, February 1990:
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) on points, 17–7
USA–USSR Duals (63,5 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, April 1990:
Defeated Terron Millett (United States) by unanimous decision, 3–0
Soviet National Championships (63,5 kg), Lutsk, Ukrainian SSR, April 1990:
1/2: Defeated Vasily Kirilov (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Aleksandr Banin (Belarus SSR) by decision
Goodwill Games (63,5 kg), Seattle, Washington, July 1990:
1/4: Defeated Vukašin Dobrašinović (Yugoslavia) by walkover
1/2: Defeated Terron Millett (United States) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Defeated Aleksandr Banin (Soviet Union) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Swedish International Tournament (67 kg), Göteborg, Sweden, December 1990:
Finals: Defeated Sergey Pogosov (Soviet Union) RSC 3
Soviet National Championships (63,5 kg), Kazan, Tatar SSR, February 1991:
1/2: Defeated Vasily Kirilov (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Oleg Nikolayev (RSFSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
USA–USSR Duals (63,5 kg), Spokane, Washington, March 1991:
Lost to Vernon Forrest (United States) by split decision, 2–3
European Championships (63,5 kg), Göteborg, Sweden, May 1991:
1/16: Defeated James Pender (Scotland) on points, 21–0
1/8: Defeated Darren McCarrick (England) RSC 1
1/4: Defeated Attila Arslan (Turkey) RSC 2
1/2: Defeated Vukašin Dobrašinović (Yugoslavia) on points, 26–6
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (Germany) on points, 33–11
World Championships (63,5 kg), Sydney, Australia, November 1991:
1/8: Defeated Albertano Caballero (Mexico) RSC 2
1/4: Defeated Aníbal Acevedo (Puerto Rico) on points, 29–10
1/2: Defeated Moses James (Nigeria) on points, 25–4
Finals: Defeated Vernon Forrest (United States) on points, 32–9
1992 Olympics
He was the only Soviet boxer to win a gold medal at the 1991 World Championships in Sydney. Immediately at the Championships he was approached by local boxing promoters, deciding to pass up the 1992 Summer Olympics in favor of a professional career. A week later he signed with Australian promoter Bill Mordey as his manager and Johnny Lewis as his trainer in Sydney. Tszyu finished his amateur career with 270 fights, 259 wins, 11 losses, no stoppages and no draws. His professional debut was scheduled to take place in January 1992. Mordey described Tszyu as the best boxer he had seen in the past decade. Professional career
Tszyu started raising his quality of opposition almost immediately. In his fourth professional bout, he met the former WBC Featherweight Champion Juan Laporte, decisioning him over ten rounds. In his sixth bout, he beat contender Sammy Fuentes by a knockout in the first. Fuentes would go on to win a world title years after being handily beaten by Tszyu in 1993, Steve Larrimore, Larry La Crousiere and Robert Rivera, went to Australia to fight Tszyu, and none lasted more than two rounds. The only man to last more than two rounds with Tszyu in 1993 was Livingstone Bramble, a former World Lightweight Champion, who lost by decision to Tszyu at Newcastle, New South Wales. In 1994, Héctor López, Angel Hernandez (who had just come off of a loss after challenging Julio César Chávez for the WBC belt), and Pedro Chinito Sanchez from the Dominican Republic tried to beat Tszyu, but Tszyu beat Lopez by a decision in ten, Hernandez by a knockout in seven, and Sanchez by a knockout in four. After the win against Sanchez, Tszyu was ranked number one in the light welterweight division. WBC light welterweight champion
In 1995, he received his first world title shot when he fought IBF Light Welterweight Champion Jake Rodríguez at Las Vegas, Nevada. Tszyu became world champion by knocking Rodriguez out in the sixth round. He then defended the world title, beating former Super Featherweight and Light Welterweight World Champion Roger Mayweather by a decision in 12, Hugo Pineda by a knockout in 11, Cory Johnson by a knockout in four and Jan Bergman by a knockout in six. After this string of defences, Tszyu became a highly touted world Champion by many boxing magazines, and many articles about him appeared on The Ring, KO Magazine and other American boxing publications. Title defences
Tsyzu began 1997 with a title defense against Leonardo Moro Mas. Tsyzu knocked Mas down three times in the first round. Including a blow shortly before the bell. In a controversial decision, referee Joe Cortez judged that it was an "unintentional illegal blow", believing it to be shortly after the bell. As Mas was either unable or unwilling to continue, Cortez called the bout a technical draw. The IBF and the Nevada Athletic Commission later declared it a no contest. In his next fight he would suffer his first loss, a 10th round knockout to Vince Phillips, who would claim the world title. After beating former world champions Calvin Grove (KO 1) and Rafael Ruelas (KO 9), Tszyu was given another world title try, when the WBC's belt became vacant in 1998 following Oscar De La Hoya's move to the welterweight division. Tszyu found himself twice on the canvas in round one of his fight for the interim belt against Diosbelys Hurtado, but recuperated to beat Hurtado by a knockout in five. He became world champion once again in 1999 by knocking out former world champion Miguel Ángel González in ten, and twice retained it in 2000, beating Arizona's fringe contender Ahmed Santos in eight, and a 38 year old Mexican legend Julio César Chávez, the former world champion, in six at Phoenix, Arizona. Kostya was interviewed by Ray Wheatley on YouTube in 2011 and stated he regards his win over Miguel Angel Gonzalez as his best ever performance. Undisputed light welterweight champion
Tszyu then began pursuing his wish to unify all the belts. In 2001, he began by facing WBA Champion Sharmba Mitchell, taking the belt by a TKO after seven rounds (Mitchell suffered a knee injury in training, and during the bout). His next fight was against the German Turk, Oktay Urkal. Tszyu finished 2001 by recovering his IBF belt in a unification bout with the current champion Zab Judah, by a knockout in the second round. A small melee inside the ring followed that fight when Judah attacked referee Jay Nady for what he felt was a premature stoppage, reacting by throwing his corner's seat at the referee and even trying to choke Nady with his glove at one point. However, replays clearly show Judah walking on wobbly legs. As a result, Tszyu became the first man in 30 years to unify the belts in the light welterweight division. Tszyu in 2002 had only one bout, beating the top ranked contender of all three of his belts, Ben Tackie of Ghana by a decision in twelve rounds. Tszyu lost only one round on only one of the judges scorecards in a masterful display of boxing. On 19 January 2003, Tszyu began the year by retaining his title against former world champion Jesse James Leija by a knockout in six. After the fight, held in Melbourne, Tszyu announced that fight could be his last in Australia, due to pressure from promoters to fight in the United States (The win against Leija came on the birthday of Tszyu's son.). Tszyu vs. Mitchell II
His first fight in 2004 was supposed to have been held on 7 February in a rematch against Sharmba Mitchell. It would have been Tszyu's first fight as a professional in Moscow, but Tszyu injured his shoulder during training. He had successful surgery to correct the problem, but the injury further extended his absence from the ring. The WBA stripped Tszyu of his title for choosing to fight Mitchell instead of their regular champion, Vivian Harris, while the WBC stripped Tszyu for refusing to fight their mandatory, Gianluca Branco. On 6 November, he and Mitchell finally had their rematch, with Tszyu knocking Mitchell out once again, this time in three rounds. Tszyu was voted comeback fighter of the year by Ring magazine. Dethroned by Hatton
He next fought on 5 June 2005, against British boxer Ricky Hatton, Tszyu lost this fight and his world title by RTD (Referee technical decision) after retiring on his stool at the end of the 11th round. He was also behind on all three cards (by 1, 3 and 5 points). Potential comeback
On 30 January 2007 rumours spread of a Tszyu comeback. However, there was no confirmation. In April 2010, rumours about a possible comeback of Tszyu spread again. He continued to train and stayed in shape since his 2005 loss to Ricky Hatton. On 19 April 2010, Tszyu appeared on Long Lunch Today, an Australian TV program. During the show, he denied his retirement and said he would return if a fight with Shane Mosley, Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr. could be made. Personal life
Tszyu married Natasha Anikina on 24 September 1993. He has three children; Anastasia, Nikita and Tim. Nikita and Tim are both boxers. Tszyu initially moved with his family to Moscow in 2008, but they returned to Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. In September 2012, Tszyu left his family in Australia while he moved full time to live in Russia. Tszyu is now married to Tatiana Averina, with whom he has two children, and runs a restaurant in Moscow. Tszyu is an animal lover who owns several pets including Viking, a rottweiler who has been Tszyu's companion since he arrived in Australia; Jake, his pet diamond python; canaries and fish. Tszyu appeared with the animals on the pet show Harry's Practice'' in 2002.
As an amateur, Tszyu represented the Soviet Union, winning a bronze medal in the lightweight division at the 1989 World Championships, and gold in the light welterweight division at the 1991 World Championships. He also won consecutive gold medals at the 1989 and 1991 European Championships. In 1995, Tszyu won his first of many professional world championships at light welterweight—the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title—by defeating Jake Rodríguez. Five successful defences were made until an upset loss to Vince Phillips in 1997, which was Tszyu's first professional defeat. He would spend the next eight years undefeated, winning the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) title in 1999 and the World Boxing Association (WBA) (Super version) title in 2001. Tszyu scored arguably his most famous win that year, when he knocked out Zab Judah to reclaim the IBF title, as well as the vacant Ring magazine and lineal titles, thus becoming the first undisputed light welterweight champion in over 30 years. In 2005, in what would be his final fight, Tszyu was stopped by Ricky Hatton. Tszyu is considered by many in Australia to be a national sports hero. In The Ring'''s March 2010 issue, Tszyu was ranked as the number one light welterweight of the 2000s decade. In December 2010, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame for the Class of 2011. From 2012 to 2013 he coached professional boxers Alexander Povetkin, Denis Lebedev and Khabib Allakhverdiev. In 2023, his son Tim Tszyu won the World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior middleweight title. Early life
Tszyu was born in Serov, a town near the Ural Mountains, in the former Soviet Union to a Korean (paternal)–Mongol (maternal) father and a Russian mother. Tszyu's father was a fitter in a metal factory, whereas his mother was a nurse. Amateur career
As a child, Kostya was hyperactive, so his father decided to take him to a boxing gym, where he would channel that energy by fighting older boys. He impressed the Soviet amateur team coaches and he was sent to the Soviet Union's amateur boxing travelling training camps, where he visited more than 30 countries while training and fighting in tournaments. He trained with that group 250 days a year, and won various tournaments, such as amateur boxing's world championships. At the Cuban world championship tournament in 1987, he came in second place, and at the 1988 Summer Olympics, he lost in the third round. Tszyu was a member of the Soviet Army, but since he was selected as an elite athlete, he was not required to serve the ordinary duty. He fought at the world championships once again, in Moscow in 1989, where he came in third place. In 1991, he went again to the amateur world championships, this time held in Sydney. This was a trip that would change his life forever. Not only was the third time his charm, but he felt enchanted with the sights of Sydney and its people, and decided he wanted to live in Australia. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, early the next year, Tszyu emigrated to Australia with his girlfriend, where they married in 1993 and became Australian citizens, settling in Sans Souci, Sydney. Before marrying her, though, Tszyu had already turned professional, beating Darrell Hiles by a knockout in one round on 1 March 1992, at Melbourne. Highlights
Schwerin Junior Open (57 kg), Schwerin, East Germany, April 1986:
Finals: Lost to Jörg Heidenreich (East Germany) by unanimous decision, 5–0
European Junior Championships (57 kg), Copenhagen, Denmark, September 1986:
1/8: Defeated Manuel Moreno (Spain) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/4: Defeated Santo Serio (Italy) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Daniel Dumitrescu (Romania) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Defeated Fared Cheklat (France) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Soviet International Junior Tournament (60 kg), Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, December 1986:
Finals: Defeated Nikolay Dzhachvadze (Georgian SSR) RSC 3
World Junior Championships (60 kg), Havana, Cuba, July 1987:
1/4: Defeated D. Boyev (Bulgaria) RSC 3
1/2: Defeated Eduardo Rivas (Panama) KO 2
Finals: Lost to Juan Hernández Sierra (Cuba) by majority decision, 1–4
Soviet International Tournament (60 kg), Leningrad, Soviet Union, December 1987:
Finals: Defeated Serik Nurkazov (Kazakh SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Soviet National Championships (60 kg), Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, January 1988:
1/16: Defeated Adylkan Bekbolotov (Kyrgyz SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/8: Defeated Vladimir Kravtsov (RSFSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/4: Defeated Serik Nurkazov (Kazakh SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Samson Khachatryan (Armenian SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Lost to Orzubek Nazarov (Kyrgyz SSR) by split decision, 2–3
USA–USSR Duals (60 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, March 1988:
Defeated Donald Stokes (United States) on points, 16–8
Pre Olympic Tournament (60 kg), Seoul, South Korea, March 1988:
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by majority decision, 4–1
Soviet International Tournament (60 kg), Leningrad, Soviet Union, June 1988:
1/2: Lost to Julio González (Cuba) on points
Summer Olympics (60 kg), Seoul, South Korea, September 1988:
1/32: Defeated Leopoldo Cantancio (Philippines) KO 1
1/16: Defeated Sean Knight (Barbados) RSCH 1
1/8: Lost to Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by split decision, 2–3
Soviet National Championships (60 kg), Frunze, Kyrgyz SSR, January 1989:
1/2: Defeated Yevgeny Burchak (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Orzubek Nazarov (Kyrgyz SSR) RSC 3
Golden Belt Tournament (60 kg), Bucharest, Romania, April 1989:
(no data available)
European Championships (60 kg), Athens, Greece, May–June 1989:
1/8: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by split decision, 3–2
1/4: Defeated George Cramne (Sweden) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Dave Anderson (Scotland) by walkover
Finals: Defeated Daniel Dumitrescu (Romania) by majority decision, 4–1
World Championships (60 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, September 1989:
1/8: Defeated Mark Ramsey (England) on points, 22–3
1/4: Defeated Bo Espensen (Denmark) RSCH 2
1/2: Lost to Andreas Zülow (East Germany) on points, 14–17
Bulgaria–Europe Duals (60 kg), Varna, Bulgaria, November 1989:
Defeated Emil Chuprenski (Bulgaria) RET 2
Mayor's Cup (63,5 kg), Manila, Philippines, November 1989:
1/4: Defeated Nelson Factoranan (Philippines) KO 1
1/2: Defeated Andreas Otto (East Germany) by decision
Finals: Defeated Shannan Taylor (Australia) by unanimous decision, 5–0
King's Cup (63,5 kg), Bangkok, Thailand, February 1990:
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) on points, 17–7
USA–USSR Duals (63,5 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, April 1990:
Defeated Terron Millett (United States) by unanimous decision, 3–0
Soviet National Championships (63,5 kg), Lutsk, Ukrainian SSR, April 1990:
1/2: Defeated Vasily Kirilov (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Aleksandr Banin (Belarus SSR) by decision
Goodwill Games (63,5 kg), Seattle, Washington, July 1990:
1/4: Defeated Vukašin Dobrašinović (Yugoslavia) by walkover
1/2: Defeated Terron Millett (United States) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Defeated Aleksandr Banin (Soviet Union) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Swedish International Tournament (67 kg), Göteborg, Sweden, December 1990:
Finals: Defeated Sergey Pogosov (Soviet Union) RSC 3
Soviet National Championships (63,5 kg), Kazan, Tatar SSR, February 1991:
1/2: Defeated Vasily Kirilov (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Oleg Nikolayev (RSFSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
USA–USSR Duals (63,5 kg), Spokane, Washington, March 1991:
Lost to Vernon Forrest (United States) by split decision, 2–3
European Championships (63,5 kg), Göteborg, Sweden, May 1991:
1/16: Defeated James Pender (Scotland) on points, 21–0
1/8: Defeated Darren McCarrick (England) RSC 1
1/4: Defeated Attila Arslan (Turkey) RSC 2
1/2: Defeated Vukašin Dobrašinović (Yugoslavia) on points, 26–6
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (Germany) on points, 33–11
World Championships (63,5 kg), Sydney, Australia, November 1991:
1/8: Defeated Albertano Caballero (Mexico) RSC 2
1/4: Defeated Aníbal Acevedo (Puerto Rico) on points, 29–10
1/2: Defeated Moses James (Nigeria) on points, 25–4
Finals: Defeated Vernon Forrest (United States) on points, 32–9
1992 Olympics
He was the only Soviet boxer to win a gold medal at the 1991 World Championships in Sydney. Immediately at the Championships he was approached by local boxing promoters, deciding to pass up the 1992 Summer Olympics in favor of a professional career. A week later he signed with Australian promoter Bill Mordey as his manager and Johnny Lewis as his trainer in Sydney. Tszyu finished his amateur career with 270 fights, 259 wins, 11 losses, no stoppages and no draws. His professional debut was scheduled to take place in January 1992. Mordey described Tszyu as the best boxer he had seen in the past decade. Professional career
Tszyu started raising his quality of opposition almost immediately. In his fourth professional bout, he met the former WBC Featherweight Champion Juan Laporte, decisioning him over ten rounds. In his sixth bout, he beat contender Sammy Fuentes by a knockout in the first. Fuentes would go on to win a world title years after being handily beaten by Tszyu in 1993, Steve Larrimore, Larry La Crousiere and Robert Rivera, went to Australia to fight Tszyu, and none lasted more than two rounds. The only man to last more than two rounds with Tszyu in 1993 was Livingstone Bramble, a former World Lightweight Champion, who lost by decision to Tszyu at Newcastle, New South Wales. In 1994, Héctor López, Angel Hernandez (who had just come off of a loss after challenging Julio César Chávez for the WBC belt), and Pedro Chinito Sanchez from the Dominican Republic tried to beat Tszyu, but Tszyu beat Lopez by a decision in ten, Hernandez by a knockout in seven, and Sanchez by a knockout in four. After the win against Sanchez, Tszyu was ranked number one in the light welterweight division. WBC light welterweight champion
In 1995, he received his first world title shot when he fought IBF Light Welterweight Champion Jake Rodríguez at Las Vegas, Nevada. Tszyu became world champion by knocking Rodriguez out in the sixth round. He then defended the world title, beating former Super Featherweight and Light Welterweight World Champion Roger Mayweather by a decision in 12, Hugo Pineda by a knockout in 11, Cory Johnson by a knockout in four and Jan Bergman by a knockout in six. After this string of defences, Tszyu became a highly touted world Champion by many boxing magazines, and many articles about him appeared on The Ring, KO Magazine and other American boxing publications. Title defences
Tsyzu began 1997 with a title defense against Leonardo Moro Mas. Tsyzu knocked Mas down three times in the first round. Including a blow shortly before the bell. In a controversial decision, referee Joe Cortez judged that it was an "unintentional illegal blow", believing it to be shortly after the bell. As Mas was either unable or unwilling to continue, Cortez called the bout a technical draw. The IBF and the Nevada Athletic Commission later declared it a no contest. In his next fight he would suffer his first loss, a 10th round knockout to Vince Phillips, who would claim the world title. After beating former world champions Calvin Grove (KO 1) and Rafael Ruelas (KO 9), Tszyu was given another world title try, when the WBC's belt became vacant in 1998 following Oscar De La Hoya's move to the welterweight division. Tszyu found himself twice on the canvas in round one of his fight for the interim belt against Diosbelys Hurtado, but recuperated to beat Hurtado by a knockout in five. He became world champion once again in 1999 by knocking out former world champion Miguel Ángel González in ten, and twice retained it in 2000, beating Arizona's fringe contender Ahmed Santos in eight, and a 38 year old Mexican legend Julio César Chávez, the former world champion, in six at Phoenix, Arizona. Kostya was interviewed by Ray Wheatley on YouTube in 2011 and stated he regards his win over Miguel Angel Gonzalez as his best ever performance. Undisputed light welterweight champion
Tszyu then began pursuing his wish to unify all the belts. In 2001, he began by facing WBA Champion Sharmba Mitchell, taking the belt by a TKO after seven rounds (Mitchell suffered a knee injury in training, and during the bout). His next fight was against the German Turk, Oktay Urkal. Tszyu finished 2001 by recovering his IBF belt in a unification bout with the current champion Zab Judah, by a knockout in the second round. A small melee inside the ring followed that fight when Judah attacked referee Jay Nady for what he felt was a premature stoppage, reacting by throwing his corner's seat at the referee and even trying to choke Nady with his glove at one point. However, replays clearly show Judah walking on wobbly legs. As a result, Tszyu became the first man in 30 years to unify the belts in the light welterweight division. Tszyu in 2002 had only one bout, beating the top ranked contender of all three of his belts, Ben Tackie of Ghana by a decision in twelve rounds. Tszyu lost only one round on only one of the judges scorecards in a masterful display of boxing. On 19 January 2003, Tszyu began the year by retaining his title against former world champion Jesse James Leija by a knockout in six. After the fight, held in Melbourne, Tszyu announced that fight could be his last in Australia, due to pressure from promoters to fight in the United States (The win against Leija came on the birthday of Tszyu's son.). Tszyu vs. Mitchell II
His first fight in 2004 was supposed to have been held on 7 February in a rematch against Sharmba Mitchell. It would have been Tszyu's first fight as a professional in Moscow, but Tszyu injured his shoulder during training. He had successful surgery to correct the problem, but the injury further extended his absence from the ring. The WBA stripped Tszyu of his title for choosing to fight Mitchell instead of their regular champion, Vivian Harris, while the WBC stripped Tszyu for refusing to fight their mandatory, Gianluca Branco. On 6 November, he and Mitchell finally had their rematch, with Tszyu knocking Mitchell out once again, this time in three rounds. Tszyu was voted comeback fighter of the year by Ring magazine. Dethroned by Hatton
He next fought on 5 June 2005, against British boxer Ricky Hatton, Tszyu lost this fight and his world title by RTD (Referee technical decision) after retiring on his stool at the end of the 11th round. He was also behind on all three cards (by 1, 3 and 5 points). Potential comeback
On 30 January 2007 rumours spread of a Tszyu comeback. However, there was no confirmation. In April 2010, rumours about a possible comeback of Tszyu spread again. He continued to train and stayed in shape since his 2005 loss to Ricky Hatton. On 19 April 2010, Tszyu appeared on Long Lunch Today, an Australian TV program. During the show, he denied his retirement and said he would return if a fight with Shane Mosley, Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr. could be made. Personal life
Tszyu married Natasha Anikina on 24 September 1993. He has three children; Anastasia, Nikita and Tim. Nikita and Tim are both boxers. Tszyu initially moved with his family to Moscow in 2008, but they returned to Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. In September 2012, Tszyu left his family in Australia while he moved full time to live in Russia. Tszyu is now married to Tatiana Averina, with whom he has two children, and runs a restaurant in Moscow. Tszyu is an animal lover who owns several pets including Viking, a rottweiler who has been Tszyu's companion since he arrived in Australia; Jake, his pet diamond python; canaries and fish. Tszyu appeared with the animals on the pet show Harry's Practice'' in 2002.
Schwerin Junior Open (57 кг), Шверин, Восточная Германия, апрель 1986:
Финал: Проиграл Йоргу Хайденрайху (Восточная Германия) единогласным решением судей, 5–0
European Junior Championships (57 кг), Копенгаген, Дания, сентябрь 1986:
1/8: Победил Мануэля Морено (Испания) единогласным решением судей, 5–0
1/4: Победил Санто Серио (Италия) единогласным решением судей, 5–0
1/2: Победил Даниэля Думитреску (Румыния) единогласным решением судей, 5–0
Финал: Победил Фареда Шеклата (Франция) единогласным решением судей, 5–0
Soviet International Junior Tournament (60 кг), Тбилиси, Грузинская ССР, декабрь 1986:
Финал: Победил Николая Джачвадзе (Грузинская ССР) RSC 3
World Junior Championships (60 кг), Гавана, Куба, июль 1987:
1/4: Победил Д. Боева (Болгария) RSC 3
1/2: Победил Эдуардо Риваса (Панама) KO 2
Финал: Проиграл Хуану Эрнандесу Сьерра (Куба) большинством голосов судей, 1–4
Soviet International Tournament (60 кг), Ленинград, Советский Союз, декабрь 1987:
Финал: Победил Серика Нурказова (Казахская ССР) единогласным решением судей, 5–0
Soviet National Championships (60 кг), Ташкент, Узбекская ССР, январь 1988:
1/16: Победил Адылкана Бекболотова (Киргизская ССР) единогласным решением судей, 5–0
1/8: Победил Владимира Кравцова (РСФСР) единогласным решением судей, 5–0
1/4: Победил Серика Нурказова (Казахская ССР) единогласным решением судей, 5–0
1/2: Победил Самсона Хачатряна (Армянская ССР) единогласным решением судей, 5–0
Финал: Проиграл Орзубеку Назарову (Киргизская ССР) раздельным решением судей, 2–3
USA–USSR Duals (60 кг), Москва, Советский Союз, март 1988:
Победил Дональда Стоукса (США) по очкам, 16–8
Pre Olympic Tournament (60 кг), Сеул, Южная Корея, март 1988:
Финал: Победил Андреаса Цюлова (Восточная Германия) большинством голосов судей, 4–1
Soviet International Tournament (60 кг), Ленинград, Советский Союз, июнь 1988:
1/2: Проиграл Хулио Гонсалесу (Куба) по очкам
Summer Olympics (60 кг), Сеул, Южная Корея, сентябрь 1988:
1/32: Победил Леопольдо Кантансио (Филиппины) KO 1
1/16: Победил Шона Найта (Барбадос) RSCH 1
1/8: Проиграл Андреасу Цюлову (Восточная Германия) раздельным решением судей, 2–3
Soviet National Championships (60 кг), Фрунзе, Киргизская ССР, январь 1989:
1/2: Победил Евгения Бурчака (РСФСР)
Финал: Победил Орзубека Назарова (Киргизская ССР) RSC 3
Golden Belt Tournament (60 кг), Бухарест, Румыния, апрель 1989:
(нет данных)
European Championships (60 кг), Афины, Греция, май–июнь 1989:
1/8: Победил Андреаса Цюлова (Восточная Германия) раздельным решением судей, 3–2
1/4: Победил Джорджа Крамне (Швеция) единогласным решением судей, 5–0
1/2: Победил Дэйва Андерсона (Шотландия) без боя
Финал: Победил Даниэля Думитреску (Румыния) большинством голосов судей, 4–1
Russian Australian boxer (born 1969)
As an amateur, Tszyu represented the Soviet Union, winning a bronze medal in the lightweight division at the 1989 World Championships, and gold in the light welterweight division at the 1991 World Championships. He also won consecutive gold medals at the 1989 and 1991 European Championships. In 1995, Tszyu won his first of many professional world championships at light welterweight—the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title—by defeating Jake Rodríguez. Five successful defences were made until an upset loss to Vince Phillips in 1997, which was Tszyu's first professional defeat. He would spend the next eight years undefeated, winning the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) title in 1999 and the World Boxing Association (WBA) (Super version) title in 2001. Tszyu scored arguably his most famous win that year, when he knocked out Zab Judah to reclaim the IBF title, as well as the vacant Ring magazine and lineal titles, thus becoming the first undisputed light welterweight champion in over 30 years. In 2005, in what would be his final fight, Tszyu was stopped by Ricky Hatton. Tszyu is considered by many in Australia to be a national sports hero. In The Ring'''s March 2010 issue, Tszyu was ranked as the number one light welterweight of the 2000s decade. In December 2010, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame for the Class of 2011. From 2012 to 2013 he coached professional boxers Alexander Povetkin, Denis Lebedev and Khabib Allakhverdiev. In 2023, his son Tim Tszyu won the World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior middleweight title. Early life
Tszyu was born in Serov, a town near the Ural Mountains, in the former Soviet Union to a Korean (paternal)–Mongol (maternal) father and a Russian mother. Tszyu's father was a fitter in a metal factory, whereas his mother was a nurse. Amateur career
As a child, Kostya was hyperactive, so his father decided to take him to a boxing gym, where he would channel that energy by fighting older boys. He impressed the Soviet amateur team coaches and he was sent to the Soviet Union's amateur boxing travelling training camps, where he visited more than 30 countries while training and fighting in tournaments. He trained with that group 250 days a year, and won various tournaments, such as amateur boxing's world championships. At the Cuban world championship tournament in 1987, he came in second place, and at the 1988 Summer Olympics, he lost in the third round. Tszyu was a member of the Soviet Army, but since he was selected as an elite athlete, he was not required to serve the ordinary duty. He fought at the world championships once again, in Moscow in 1989, where he came in third place. In 1991, he went again to the amateur world championships, this time held in Sydney. This was a trip that would change his life forever. Not only was the third time his charm, but he felt enchanted with the sights of Sydney and its people, and decided he wanted to live in Australia. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, early the next year, Tszyu emigrated to Australia with his girlfriend, where they married in 1993 and became Australian citizens, settling in Sans Souci, Sydney. Before marrying her, though, Tszyu had already turned professional, beating Darrell Hiles by a knockout in one round on 1 March 1992, at Melbourne. Highlights
Schwerin Junior Open (57 kg), Schwerin, East Germany, April 1986:
Finals: Lost to Jörg Heidenreich (East Germany) by unanimous decision, 5–0
European Junior Championships (57 kg), Copenhagen, Denmark, September 1986:
1/8: Defeated Manuel Moreno (Spain) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/4: Defeated Santo Serio (Italy) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Daniel Dumitrescu (Romania) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Defeated Fared Cheklat (France) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Soviet International Junior Tournament (60 kg), Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, December 1986:
Finals: Defeated Nikolay Dzhachvadze (Georgian SSR) RSC 3
World Junior Championships (60 kg), Havana, Cuba, July 1987:
1/4: Defeated D. Boyev (Bulgaria) RSC 3
1/2: Defeated Eduardo Rivas (Panama) KO 2
Finals: Lost to Juan Hernández Sierra (Cuba) by majority decision, 1–4
Soviet International Tournament (60 kg), Leningrad, Soviet Union, December 1987:
Finals: Defeated Serik Nurkazov (Kazakh SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Soviet National Championships (60 kg), Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, January 1988:
1/16: Defeated Adylkan Bekbolotov (Kyrgyz SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/8: Defeated Vladimir Kravtsov (RSFSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/4: Defeated Serik Nurkazov (Kazakh SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Samson Khachatryan (Armenian SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Lost to Orzubek Nazarov (Kyrgyz SSR) by split decision, 2–3
USA–USSR Duals (60 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, March 1988:
Defeated Donald Stokes (United States) on points, 16–8
Pre Olympic Tournament (60 kg), Seoul, South Korea, March 1988:
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by majority decision, 4–1
Soviet International Tournament (60 kg), Leningrad, Soviet Union, June 1988:
1/2: Lost to Julio González (Cuba) on points
Summer Olympics (60 kg), Seoul, South Korea, September 1988:
1/32: Defeated Leopoldo Cantancio (Philippines) KO 1
1/16: Defeated Sean Knight (Barbados) RSCH 1
1/8: Lost to Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by split decision, 2–3
Soviet National Championships (60 kg), Frunze, Kyrgyz SSR, January 1989:
1/2: Defeated Yevgeny Burchak (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Orzubek Nazarov (Kyrgyz SSR) RSC 3
Golden Belt Tournament (60 kg), Bucharest, Romania, April 1989:
(no data available)
European Championships (60 kg), Athens, Greece, May–June 1989:
1/8: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by split decision, 3–2
1/4: Defeated George Cramne (Sweden) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Dave Anderson (Scotland) by walkover
Finals: Defeated Daniel Dumitrescu (Romania) by majority decision, 4–1
World Championships (60 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, September 1989:
1/8: Defeated Mark Ramsey (England) on points, 22–3
1/4: Defeated Bo Espensen (Denmark) RSCH 2
1/2: Lost to Andreas Zülow (East Germany) on points, 14–17
Bulgaria–Europe Duals (60 kg), Varna, Bulgaria, November 1989:
Defeated Emil Chuprenski (Bulgaria) RET 2
Mayor's Cup (63,5 kg), Manila, Philippines, November 1989:
1/4: Defeated Nelson Factoranan (Philippines) KO 1
1/2: Defeated Andreas Otto (East Germany) by decision
Finals: Defeated Shannan Taylor (Australia) by unanimous decision, 5–0
King's Cup (63,5 kg), Bangkok, Thailand, February 1990:
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) on points, 17–7
USA–USSR Duals (63,5 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, April 1990:
Defeated Terron Millett (United States) by unanimous decision, 3–0
Soviet National Championships (63,5 kg), Lutsk, Ukrainian SSR, April 1990:
1/2: Defeated Vasily Kirilov (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Aleksandr Banin (Belarus SSR) by decision
Goodwill Games (63,5 kg), Seattle, Washington, July 1990:
1/4: Defeated Vukašin Dobrašinović (Yugoslavia) by walkover
1/2: Defeated Terron Millett (United States) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Defeated Aleksandr Banin (Soviet Union) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Swedish International Tournament (67 kg), Göteborg, Sweden, December 1990:
Finals: Defeated Sergey Pogosov (Soviet Union) RSC 3
Soviet National Championships (63,5 kg), Kazan, Tatar SSR, February 1991:
1/2: Defeated Vasily Kirilov (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Oleg Nikolayev (RSFSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
USA–USSR Duals (63,5 kg), Spokane, Washington, March 1991:
Lost to Vernon Forrest (United States) by split decision, 2–3
European Championships (63,5 kg), Göteborg, Sweden, May 1991:
1/16: Defeated James Pender (Scotland) on points, 21–0
1/8: Defeated Darren McCarrick (England) RSC 1
1/4: Defeated Attila Arslan (Turkey) RSC 2
1/2: Defeated Vukašin Dobrašinović (Yugoslavia) on points, 26–6
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (Germany) on points, 33–11
World Championships (63,5 kg), Sydney, Australia, November 1991:
1/8: Defeated Albertano Caballero (Mexico) RSC 2
1/4: Defeated Aníbal Acevedo (Puerto Rico) on points, 29–10
1/2: Defeated Moses James (Nigeria) on points, 25–4
Finals: Defeated Vernon Forrest (United States) on points, 32–9
1992 Olympics
He was the only Soviet boxer to win a gold medal at the 1991 World Championships in Sydney. Immediately at the Championships he was approached by local boxing promoters, deciding to pass up the 1992 Summer Olympics in favor of a professional career. A week later he signed with Australian promoter Bill Mordey as his manager and Johnny Lewis as his trainer in Sydney. Tszyu finished his amateur career with 270 fights, 259 wins, 11 losses, no stoppages and no draws. His professional debut was scheduled to take place in January 1992. Mordey described Tszyu as the best boxer he had seen in the past decade. Professional career
Tszyu started raising his quality of opposition almost immediately. In his fourth professional bout, he met the former WBC Featherweight Champion Juan Laporte, decisioning him over ten rounds. In his sixth bout, he beat contender Sammy Fuentes by a knockout in the first. Fuentes would go on to win a world title years after being handily beaten by Tszyu in 1993, Steve Larrimore, Larry La Crousiere and Robert Rivera, went to Australia to fight Tszyu, and none lasted more than two rounds. The only man to last more than two rounds with Tszyu in 1993 was Livingstone Bramble, a former World Lightweight Champion, who lost by decision to Tszyu at Newcastle, New South Wales. In 1994, Héctor López, Angel Hernandez (who had just come off of a loss after challenging Julio César Chávez for the WBC belt), and Pedro Chinito Sanchez from the Dominican Republic tried to beat Tszyu, but Tszyu beat Lopez by a decision in ten, Hernandez by a knockout in seven, and Sanchez by a knockout in four. After the win against Sanchez, Tszyu was ranked number one in the light welterweight division. WBC light welterweight champion
In 1995, he received his first world title shot when he fought IBF Light Welterweight Champion Jake Rodríguez at Las Vegas, Nevada. Tszyu became world champion by knocking Rodriguez out in the sixth round. He then defended the world title, beating former Super Featherweight and Light Welterweight World Champion Roger Mayweather by a decision in 12, Hugo Pineda by a knockout in 11, Cory Johnson by a knockout in four and Jan Bergman by a knockout in six. After this string of defences, Tszyu became a highly touted world Champion by many boxing magazines, and many articles about him appeared on The Ring, KO Magazine and other American boxing publications. Title defences
Tsyzu began 1997 with a title defense against Leonardo Moro Mas. Tsyzu knocked Mas down three times in the first round. Including a blow shortly before the bell. In a controversial decision, referee Joe Cortez judged that it was an "unintentional illegal blow", believing it to be shortly after the bell. As Mas was either unable or unwilling to continue, Cortez called the bout a technical draw. The IBF and the Nevada Athletic Commission later declared it a no contest. In his next fight he would suffer his first loss, a 10th round knockout to Vince Phillips, who would claim the world title. After beating former world champions Calvin Grove (KO 1) and Rafael Ruelas (KO 9), Tszyu was given another world title try, when the WBC's belt became vacant in 1998 following Oscar De La Hoya's move to the welterweight division. Tszyu found himself twice on the canvas in round one of his fight for the interim belt against Diosbelys Hurtado, but recuperated to beat Hurtado by a knockout in five. He became world champion once again in 1999 by knocking out former world champion Miguel Ángel González in ten, and twice retained it in 2000, beating Arizona's fringe contender Ahmed Santos in eight, and a 38 year old Mexican legend Julio César Chávez, the former world champion, in six at Phoenix, Arizona. Kostya was interviewed by Ray Wheatley on YouTube in 2011 and stated he regards his win over Miguel Angel Gonzalez as his best ever performance. Undisputed light welterweight champion
Tszyu then began pursuing his wish to unify all the belts. In 2001, he began by facing WBA Champion Sharmba Mitchell, taking the belt by a TKO after seven rounds (Mitchell suffered a knee injury in training, and during the bout). His next fight was against the German Turk, Oktay Urkal. Tszyu finished 2001 by recovering his IBF belt in a unification bout with the current champion Zab Judah, by a knockout in the second round. A small melee inside the ring followed that fight when Judah attacked referee Jay Nady for what he felt was a premature stoppage, reacting by throwing his corner's seat at the referee and even trying to choke Nady with his glove at one point. However, replays clearly show Judah walking on wobbly legs. As a result, Tszyu became the first man in 30 years to unify the belts in the light welterweight division. Tszyu in 2002 had only one bout, beating the top ranked contender of all three of his belts, Ben Tackie of Ghana by a decision in twelve rounds. Tszyu lost only one round on only one of the judges scorecards in a masterful display of boxing. On 19 January 2003, Tszyu began the year by retaining his title against former world champion Jesse James Leija by a knockout in six. After the fight, held in Melbourne, Tszyu announced that fight could be his last in Australia, due to pressure from promoters to fight in the United States (The win against Leija came on the birthday of Tszyu's son.). Tszyu vs. Mitchell II
His first fight in 2004 was supposed to have been held on 7 February in a rematch against Sharmba Mitchell. It would have been Tszyu's first fight as a professional in Moscow, but Tszyu injured his shoulder during training. He had successful surgery to correct the problem, but the injury further extended his absence from the ring. The WBA stripped Tszyu of his title for choosing to fight Mitchell instead of their regular champion, Vivian Harris, while the WBC stripped Tszyu for refusing to fight their mandatory, Gianluca Branco. On 6 November, he and Mitchell finally had their rematch, with Tszyu knocking Mitchell out once again, this time in three rounds. Tszyu was voted comeback fighter of the year by Ring magazine. Dethroned by Hatton
He next fought on 5 June 2005, against British boxer Ricky Hatton, Tszyu lost this fight and his world title by RTD (Referee technical decision) after retiring on his stool at the end of the 11th round. He was also behind on all three cards (by 1, 3 and 5 points). Potential comeback
On 30 January 2007 rumours spread of a Tszyu comeback. However, there was no confirmation. In April 2010, rumours about a possible comeback of Tszyu spread again. He continued to train and stayed in shape since his 2005 loss to Ricky Hatton. On 19 April 2010, Tszyu appeared on Long Lunch Today, an Australian TV program. During the show, he denied his retirement and said he would return if a fight with Shane Mosley, Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr. could be made. Personal life
Tszyu married Natasha Anikina on 24 September 1993. He has three children; Anastasia, Nikita and Tim. Nikita and Tim are both boxers. Tszyu initially moved with his family to Moscow in 2008, but they returned to Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. In September 2012, Tszyu left his family in Australia while he moved full time to live in Russia. Tszyu is now married to Tatiana Averina, with whom he has two children, and runs a restaurant in Moscow. Tszyu is an animal lover who owns several pets including Viking, a rottweiler who has been Tszyu's companion since he arrived in Australia; Jake, his pet diamond python; canaries and fish. Tszyu appeared with the animals on the pet show Harry's Practice'' in 2002.
As an amateur, Tszyu represented the Soviet Union, winning a bronze medal in the lightweight division at the 1989 World Championships, and gold in the light welterweight division at the 1991 World Championships. He also won consecutive gold medals at the 1989 and 1991 European Championships. In 1995, Tszyu won his first of many professional world championships at light welterweight—the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title—by defeating Jake Rodríguez. Five successful defences were made until an upset loss to Vince Phillips in 1997, which was Tszyu's first professional defeat. He would spend the next eight years undefeated, winning the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) title in 1999 and the World Boxing Association (WBA) (Super version) title in 2001. Tszyu scored arguably his most famous win that year, when he knocked out Zab Judah to reclaim the IBF title, as well as the vacant Ring magazine and lineal titles, thus becoming the first undisputed light welterweight champion in over 30 years. In 2005, in what would be his final fight, Tszyu was stopped by Ricky Hatton. Tszyu is considered by many in Australia to be a national sports hero. In The Ring'''s March 2010 issue, Tszyu was ranked as the number one light welterweight of the 2000s decade. In December 2010, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame for the Class of 2011. From 2012 to 2013 he coached professional boxers Alexander Povetkin, Denis Lebedev and Khabib Allakhverdiev. In 2023, his son Tim Tszyu won the World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior middleweight title. Early life
Tszyu was born in Serov, a town near the Ural Mountains, in the former Soviet Union to a Korean (paternal)–Mongol (maternal) father and a Russian mother. Tszyu's father was a fitter in a metal factory, whereas his mother was a nurse. Amateur career
As a child, Kostya was hyperactive, so his father decided to take him to a boxing gym, where he would channel that energy by fighting older boys. He impressed the Soviet amateur team coaches and he was sent to the Soviet Union's amateur boxing travelling training camps, where he visited more than 30 countries while training and fighting in tournaments. He trained with that group 250 days a year, and won various tournaments, such as amateur boxing's world championships. At the Cuban world championship tournament in 1987, he came in second place, and at the 1988 Summer Olympics, he lost in the third round. Tszyu was a member of the Soviet Army, but since he was selected as an elite athlete, he was not required to serve the ordinary duty. He fought at the world championships once again, in Moscow in 1989, where he came in third place. In 1991, he went again to the amateur world championships, this time held in Sydney. This was a trip that would change his life forever. Not only was the third time his charm, but he felt enchanted with the sights of Sydney and its people, and decided he wanted to live in Australia. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, early the next year, Tszyu emigrated to Australia with his girlfriend, where they married in 1993 and became Australian citizens, settling in Sans Souci, Sydney. Before marrying her, though, Tszyu had already turned professional, beating Darrell Hiles by a knockout in one round on 1 March 1992, at Melbourne. Highlights
Schwerin Junior Open (57 kg), Schwerin, East Germany, April 1986:
Finals: Lost to Jörg Heidenreich (East Germany) by unanimous decision, 5–0
European Junior Championships (57 kg), Copenhagen, Denmark, September 1986:
1/8: Defeated Manuel Moreno (Spain) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/4: Defeated Santo Serio (Italy) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Daniel Dumitrescu (Romania) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Defeated Fared Cheklat (France) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Soviet International Junior Tournament (60 kg), Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, December 1986:
Finals: Defeated Nikolay Dzhachvadze (Georgian SSR) RSC 3
World Junior Championships (60 kg), Havana, Cuba, July 1987:
1/4: Defeated D. Boyev (Bulgaria) RSC 3
1/2: Defeated Eduardo Rivas (Panama) KO 2
Finals: Lost to Juan Hernández Sierra (Cuba) by majority decision, 1–4
Soviet International Tournament (60 kg), Leningrad, Soviet Union, December 1987:
Finals: Defeated Serik Nurkazov (Kazakh SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Soviet National Championships (60 kg), Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, January 1988:
1/16: Defeated Adylkan Bekbolotov (Kyrgyz SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/8: Defeated Vladimir Kravtsov (RSFSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/4: Defeated Serik Nurkazov (Kazakh SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Samson Khachatryan (Armenian SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Lost to Orzubek Nazarov (Kyrgyz SSR) by split decision, 2–3
USA–USSR Duals (60 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, March 1988:
Defeated Donald Stokes (United States) on points, 16–8
Pre Olympic Tournament (60 kg), Seoul, South Korea, March 1988:
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by majority decision, 4–1
Soviet International Tournament (60 kg), Leningrad, Soviet Union, June 1988:
1/2: Lost to Julio González (Cuba) on points
Summer Olympics (60 kg), Seoul, South Korea, September 1988:
1/32: Defeated Leopoldo Cantancio (Philippines) KO 1
1/16: Defeated Sean Knight (Barbados) RSCH 1
1/8: Lost to Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by split decision, 2–3
Soviet National Championships (60 kg), Frunze, Kyrgyz SSR, January 1989:
1/2: Defeated Yevgeny Burchak (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Orzubek Nazarov (Kyrgyz SSR) RSC 3
Golden Belt Tournament (60 kg), Bucharest, Romania, April 1989:
(no data available)
European Championships (60 kg), Athens, Greece, May–June 1989:
1/8: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by split decision, 3–2
1/4: Defeated George Cramne (Sweden) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Dave Anderson (Scotland) by walkover
Finals: Defeated Daniel Dumitrescu (Romania) by majority decision, 4–1
World Championships (60 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, September 1989:
1/8: Defeated Mark Ramsey (England) on points, 22–3
1/4: Defeated Bo Espensen (Denmark) RSCH 2
1/2: Lost to Andreas Zülow (East Germany) on points, 14–17
Bulgaria–Europe Duals (60 kg), Varna, Bulgaria, November 1989:
Defeated Emil Chuprenski (Bulgaria) RET 2
Mayor's Cup (63,5 kg), Manila, Philippines, November 1989:
1/4: Defeated Nelson Factoranan (Philippines) KO 1
1/2: Defeated Andreas Otto (East Germany) by decision
Finals: Defeated Shannan Taylor (Australia) by unanimous decision, 5–0
King's Cup (63,5 kg), Bangkok, Thailand, February 1990:
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) on points, 17–7
USA–USSR Duals (63,5 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, April 1990:
Defeated Terron Millett (United States) by unanimous decision, 3–0
Soviet National Championships (63,5 kg), Lutsk, Ukrainian SSR, April 1990:
1/2: Defeated Vasily Kirilov (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Aleksandr Banin (Belarus SSR) by decision
Goodwill Games (63,5 kg), Seattle, Washington, July 1990:
1/4: Defeated Vukašin Dobrašinović (Yugoslavia) by walkover
1/2: Defeated Terron Millett (United States) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Defeated Aleksandr Banin (Soviet Union) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Swedish International Tournament (67 kg), Göteborg, Sweden, December 1990:
Finals: Defeated Sergey Pogosov (Soviet Union) RSC 3
Soviet National Championships (63,5 kg), Kazan, Tatar SSR, February 1991:
1/2: Defeated Vasily Kirilov (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Oleg Nikolayev (RSFSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
USA–USSR Duals (63,5 kg), Spokane, Washington, March 1991:
Lost to Vernon Forrest (United States) by split decision, 2–3
European Championships (63,5 kg), Göteborg, Sweden, May 1991:
1/16: Defeated James Pender (Scotland) on points, 21–0
1/8: Defeated Darren McCarrick (England) RSC 1
1/4: Defeated Attila Arslan (Turkey) RSC 2
1/2: Defeated Vukašin Dobrašinović (Yugoslavia) on points, 26–6
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (Germany) on points, 33–11
World Championships (63,5 kg), Sydney, Australia, November 1991:
1/8: Defeated Albertano Caballero (Mexico) RSC 2
1/4: Defeated Aníbal Acevedo (Puerto Rico) on points, 29–10
1/2: Defeated Moses James (Nigeria) on points, 25–4
Finals: Defeated Vernon Forrest (United States) on points, 32–9
1992 Olympics
He was the only Soviet boxer to win a gold medal at the 1991 World Championships in Sydney. Immediately at the Championships he was approached by local boxing promoters, deciding to pass up the 1992 Summer Olympics in favor of a professional career. A week later he signed with Australian promoter Bill Mordey as his manager and Johnny Lewis as his trainer in Sydney. Tszyu finished his amateur career with 270 fights, 259 wins, 11 losses, no stoppages and no draws. His professional debut was scheduled to take place in January 1992. Mordey described Tszyu as the best boxer he had seen in the past decade. Professional career
Tszyu started raising his quality of opposition almost immediately. In his fourth professional bout, he met the former WBC Featherweight Champion Juan Laporte, decisioning him over ten rounds. In his sixth bout, he beat contender Sammy Fuentes by a knockout in the first. Fuentes would go on to win a world title years after being handily beaten by Tszyu in 1993, Steve Larrimore, Larry La Crousiere and Robert Rivera, went to Australia to fight Tszyu, and none lasted more than two rounds. The only man to last more than two rounds with Tszyu in 1993 was Livingstone Bramble, a former World Lightweight Champion, who lost by decision to Tszyu at Newcastle, New South Wales. In 1994, Héctor López, Angel Hernandez (who had just come off of a loss after challenging Julio César Chávez for the WBC belt), and Pedro Chinito Sanchez from the Dominican Republic tried to beat Tszyu, but Tszyu beat Lopez by a decision in ten, Hernandez by a knockout in seven, and Sanchez by a knockout in four. After the win against Sanchez, Tszyu was ranked number one in the light welterweight division. WBC light welterweight champion
In 1995, he received his first world title shot when he fought IBF Light Welterweight Champion Jake Rodríguez at Las Vegas, Nevada. Tszyu became world champion by knocking Rodriguez out in the sixth round. He then defended the world title, beating former Super Featherweight and Light Welterweight World Champion Roger Mayweather by a decision in 12, Hugo Pineda by a knockout in 11, Cory Johnson by a knockout in four and Jan Bergman by a knockout in six. After this string of defences, Tszyu became a highly touted world Champion by many boxing magazines, and many articles about him appeared on The Ring, KO Magazine and other American boxing publications. Title defences
Tsyzu began 1997 with a title defense against Leonardo Moro Mas. Tsyzu knocked Mas down three times in the first round. Including a blow shortly before the bell. In a controversial decision, referee Joe Cortez judged that it was an "unintentional illegal blow", believing it to be shortly after the bell. As Mas was either unable or unwilling to continue, Cortez called the bout a technical draw. The IBF and the Nevada Athletic Commission later declared it a no contest. In his next fight he would suffer his first loss, a 10th round knockout to Vince Phillips, who would claim the world title. After beating former world champions Calvin Grove (KO 1) and Rafael Ruelas (KO 9), Tszyu was given another world title try, when the WBC's belt became vacant in 1998 following Oscar De La Hoya's move to the welterweight division. Tszyu found himself twice on the canvas in round one of his fight for the interim belt against Diosbelys Hurtado, but recuperated to beat Hurtado by a knockout in five. He became world champion once again in 1999 by knocking out former world champion Miguel Ángel González in ten, and twice retained it in 2000, beating Arizona's fringe contender Ahmed Santos in eight, and a 38 year old Mexican legend Julio César Chávez, the former world champion, in six at Phoenix, Arizona. Kostya was interviewed by Ray Wheatley on YouTube in 2011 and stated he regards his win over Miguel Angel Gonzalez as his best ever performance. Undisputed light welterweight champion
Tszyu then began pursuing his wish to unify all the belts. In 2001, he began by facing WBA Champion Sharmba Mitchell, taking the belt by a TKO after seven rounds (Mitchell suffered a knee injury in training, and during the bout). His next fight was against the German Turk, Oktay Urkal. Tszyu finished 2001 by recovering his IBF belt in a unification bout with the current champion Zab Judah, by a knockout in the second round. A small melee inside the ring followed that fight when Judah attacked referee Jay Nady for what he felt was a premature stoppage, reacting by throwing his corner's seat at the referee and even trying to choke Nady with his glove at one point. However, replays clearly show Judah walking on wobbly legs. As a result, Tszyu became the first man in 30 years to unify the belts in the light welterweight division. Tszyu in 2002 had only one bout, beating the top ranked contender of all three of his belts, Ben Tackie of Ghana by a decision in twelve rounds. Tszyu lost only one round on only one of the judges scorecards in a masterful display of boxing. On 19 January 2003, Tszyu began the year by retaining his title against former world champion Jesse James Leija by a knockout in six. After the fight, held in Melbourne, Tszyu announced that fight could be his last in Australia, due to pressure from promoters to fight in the United States (The win against Leija came on the birthday of Tszyu's son.). Tszyu vs. Mitchell II
His first fight in 2004 was supposed to have been held on 7 February in a rematch against Sharmba Mitchell. It would have been Tszyu's first fight as a professional in Moscow, but Tszyu injured his shoulder during training. He had successful surgery to correct the problem, but the injury further extended his absence from the ring. The WBA stripped Tszyu of his title for choosing to fight Mitchell instead of their regular champion, Vivian Harris, while the WBC stripped Tszyu for refusing to fight their mandatory, Gianluca Branco. On 6 November, he and Mitchell finally had their rematch, with Tszyu knocking Mitchell out once again, this time in three rounds. Tszyu was voted comeback fighter of the year by Ring magazine. Dethroned by Hatton
He next fought on 5 June 2005, against British boxer Ricky Hatton, Tszyu lost this fight and his world title by RTD (Referee technical decision) after retiring on his stool at the end of the 11th round. He was also behind on all three cards (by 1, 3 and 5 points). Potential comeback
On 30 January 2007 rumours spread of a Tszyu comeback. However, there was no confirmation. In April 2010, rumours about a possible comeback of Tszyu spread again. He continued to train and stayed in shape since his 2005 loss to Ricky Hatton. On 19 April 2010, Tszyu appeared on Long Lunch Today, an Australian TV program. During the show, he denied his retirement and said he would return if a fight with Shane Mosley, Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr. could be made. Personal life
Tszyu married Natasha Anikina on 24 September 1993. He has three children; Anastasia, Nikita and Tim. Nikita and Tim are both boxers. Tszyu initially moved with his family to Moscow in 2008, but they returned to Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. In September 2012, Tszyu left his family in Australia while he moved full time to live in Russia. Tszyu is now married to Tatiana Averina, with whom he has two children, and runs a restaurant in Moscow. Tszyu is an animal lover who owns several pets including Viking, a rottweiler who has been Tszyu's companion since he arrived in Australia; Jake, his pet diamond python; canaries and fish. Tszyu appeared with the animals on the pet show Harry's Practice'' in 2002.
World Championships (60 кг), Москва, Советский Союз, сентябрь 1989:
1/8: Победил Марка Рэмси (Англия) по очкам, 22–3
1/4: Победил Бо Эспенсена (Дания) RSCH 2
1/2: Проиграл Андреасу Цюлову (Восточная Германия) по очкам, 14–17
Bulgaria–Europe Duals (60 кг), Варна, Болгария, ноябрь 1989:
Победил Эмила Чупренски (Болгария) RET 2
Mayor's Cup (63,5 кг), Манила, Филиппины, ноябрь 1989:
1/4: Победил Нельсона Факторанана (Филиппины) KO 1
1/2: Победил Андреаса Отто (Восточная Германия) по решению судей
Финал: Победил Шэннана Тейлора (Австралия) единогласным решением судей, 5–0
King's Cup (63,5 кг), Бангкок, Таиланд, февраль 1990:
Финал: Победил Андреаса Цюлова (Восточная Германия) по очкам, 17–7
USA–USSR Duals (63,5 кг), Москва, Советский Союз, апрель 1990:
Победил Террона Миллета (США) единогласным решением судей, 3–0
Soviet National Championships (63,5 кг), Луцк, Украинская ССР, апрель 1990:
1/2: Победил Василия Кирилова (РСФСР)
Финал: Победил Александра Банина (Белорусская ССР) по решению судей
Goodwill Games (63,5 кг), Сиэтл, Вашингтон, июль 1990:
1/4: Победил Вукашина Добрашиновича (Югославия) без боя
1/2: Победил Террона Миллета (США) единогласным решением судей, 5–0
Финал: Победил Александра Банина (Советский Союз) единогласным решением судей, 5–0
Swedish International Tournament (67 кг), Гётеборг, Швеция, декабрь 1990:
Финал: Победил Сергея Погосова (Советский Союз) RSC 3
Soviet National Championships (63,5 кг), Казань, Татарская ССР, февраль 1991:
1/2: Победил Василия Кирилова (РСФСР)
Финал: Победил Олега Николаева (РСФСР) единогласным решением судей, 5–0
USA–USSR Duals (63,5 кг), Спокан, Вашингтон, март 1991:
Проиграл Вернону Форресту (США) раздельным решением судей, 2–3
European Championships (63,5 кг), Гётеборг, Швеция, май 1991:
1/16: Победил Джеймса Пендера (Шотландия) по очкам, 21–0
1/8: Победил Даррена Маккаррика (Англия) RSC 1
1/4: Победил Аттилу Арслана (Турция) RSC 2
1/2: Победил Вукашина Добрашиновича (Югославия) по очкам, 26–6…
Russian Australian boxer (born 1969)
As an amateur, Tszyu represented the Soviet Union, winning a bronze medal in the lightweight division at the 1989 World Championships, and gold in the light welterweight division at the 1991 World Championships. He also won consecutive gold medals at the 1989 and 1991 European Championships. In 1995, Tszyu won his first of many professional world championships at light welterweight—the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title—by defeating Jake Rodríguez. Five successful defences were made until an upset loss to Vince Phillips in 1997, which was Tszyu's first professional defeat. He would spend the next eight years undefeated, winning the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) title in 1999 and the World Boxing Association (WBA) (Super version) title in 2001. Tszyu scored arguably his most famous win that year, when he knocked out Zab Judah to reclaim the IBF title, as well as the vacant Ring magazine and lineal titles, thus becoming the first undisputed light welterweight champion in over 30 years. In 2005, in what would be his final fight, Tszyu was stopped by Ricky Hatton. Tszyu is considered by many in Australia to be a national sports hero. In The Ring'''s March 2010 issue, Tszyu was ranked as the number one light welterweight of the 2000s decade. In December 2010, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame for the Class of 2011. From 2012 to 2013 he coached professional boxers Alexander Povetkin, Denis Lebedev and Khabib Allakhverdiev. In 2023, his son Tim Tszyu won the World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior middleweight title. Early life
Tszyu was born in Serov, a town near the Ural Mountains, in the former Soviet Union to a Korean (paternal)–Mongol (maternal) father and a Russian mother. Tszyu's father was a fitter in a metal factory, whereas his mother was a nurse. Amateur career
As a child, Kostya was hyperactive, so his father decided to take him to a boxing gym, where he would channel that energy by fighting older boys. He impressed the Soviet amateur team coaches and he was sent to the Soviet Union's amateur boxing travelling training camps, where he visited more than 30 countries while training and fighting in tournaments. He trained with that group 250 days a year, and won various tournaments, such as amateur boxing's world championships. At the Cuban world championship tournament in 1987, he came in second place, and at the 1988 Summer Olympics, he lost in the third round. Tszyu was a member of the Soviet Army, but since he was selected as an elite athlete, he was not required to serve the ordinary duty. He fought at the world championships once again, in Moscow in 1989, where he came in third place. In 1991, he went again to the amateur world championships, this time held in Sydney. This was a trip that would change his life forever. Not only was the third time his charm, but he felt enchanted with the sights of Sydney and its people, and decided he wanted to live in Australia. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, early the next year, Tszyu emigrated to Australia with his girlfriend, where they married in 1993 and became Australian citizens, settling in Sans Souci, Sydney. Before marrying her, though, Tszyu had already turned professional, beating Darrell Hiles by a knockout in one round on 1 March 1992, at Melbourne. Highlights
Schwerin Junior Open (57 kg), Schwerin, East Germany, April 1986:
Finals: Lost to Jörg Heidenreich (East Germany) by unanimous decision, 5–0
European Junior Championships (57 kg), Copenhagen, Denmark, September 1986:
1/8: Defeated Manuel Moreno (Spain) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/4: Defeated Santo Serio (Italy) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Daniel Dumitrescu (Romania) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Defeated Fared Cheklat (France) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Soviet International Junior Tournament (60 kg), Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, December 1986:
Finals: Defeated Nikolay Dzhachvadze (Georgian SSR) RSC 3
World Junior Championships (60 kg), Havana, Cuba, July 1987:
1/4: Defeated D. Boyev (Bulgaria) RSC 3
1/2: Defeated Eduardo Rivas (Panama) KO 2
Finals: Lost to Juan Hernández Sierra (Cuba) by majority decision, 1–4
Soviet International Tournament (60 kg), Leningrad, Soviet Union, December 1987:
Finals: Defeated Serik Nurkazov (Kazakh SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Soviet National Championships (60 kg), Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, January 1988:
1/16: Defeated Adylkan Bekbolotov (Kyrgyz SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/8: Defeated Vladimir Kravtsov (RSFSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/4: Defeated Serik Nurkazov (Kazakh SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Samson Khachatryan (Armenian SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Lost to Orzubek Nazarov (Kyrgyz SSR) by split decision, 2–3
USA–USSR Duals (60 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, March 1988:
Defeated Donald Stokes (United States) on points, 16–8
Pre Olympic Tournament (60 kg), Seoul, South Korea, March 1988:
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by majority decision, 4–1
Soviet International Tournament (60 kg), Leningrad, Soviet Union, June 1988:
1/2: Lost to Julio González (Cuba) on points
Summer Olympics (60 kg), Seoul, South Korea, September 1988:
1/32: Defeated Leopoldo Cantancio (Philippines) KO 1
1/16: Defeated Sean Knight (Barbados) RSCH 1
1/8: Lost to Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by split decision, 2–3
Soviet National Championships (60 kg), Frunze, Kyrgyz SSR, January 1989:
1/2: Defeated Yevgeny Burchak (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Orzubek Nazarov (Kyrgyz SSR) RSC 3
Golden Belt Tournament (60 kg), Bucharest, Romania, April 1989:
(no data available)
European Championships (60 kg), Athens, Greece, May–June 1989:
1/8: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by split decision, 3–2
1/4: Defeated George Cramne (Sweden) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Dave Anderson (Scotland) by walkover
Finals: Defeated Daniel Dumitrescu (Romania) by majority decision, 4–1
World Championships (60 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, September 1989:
1/8: Defeated Mark Ramsey (England) on points, 22–3
1/4: Defeated Bo Espensen (Denmark) RSCH 2
1/2: Lost to Andreas Zülow (East Germany) on points, 14–17
Bulgaria–Europe Duals (60 kg), Varna, Bulgaria, November 1989:
Defeated Emil Chuprenski (Bulgaria) RET 2
Mayor's Cup (63,5 kg), Manila, Philippines, November 1989:
1/4: Defeated Nelson Factoranan (Philippines) KO 1
1/2: Defeated Andreas Otto (East Germany) by decision
Finals: Defeated Shannan Taylor (Australia) by unanimous decision, 5–0
King's Cup (63,5 kg), Bangkok, Thailand, February 1990:
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) on points, 17–7
USA–USSR Duals (63,5 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, April 1990:
Defeated Terron Millett (United States) by unanimous decision, 3–0
Soviet National Championships (63,5 kg), Lutsk, Ukrainian SSR, April 1990:
1/2: Defeated Vasily Kirilov (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Aleksandr Banin (Belarus SSR) by decision
Goodwill Games (63,5 kg), Seattle, Washington, July 1990:
1/4: Defeated Vukašin Dobrašinović (Yugoslavia) by walkover
1/2: Defeated Terron Millett (United States) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Defeated Aleksandr Banin (Soviet Union) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Swedish International Tournament (67 kg), Göteborg, Sweden, December 1990:
Finals: Defeated Sergey Pogosov (Soviet Union) RSC 3
Soviet National Championships (63,5 kg), Kazan, Tatar SSR, February 1991:
1/2: Defeated Vasily Kirilov (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Oleg Nikolayev (RSFSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
USA–USSR Duals (63,5 kg), Spokane, Washington, March 1991:
Lost to Vernon Forrest (United States) by split decision, 2–3
European Championships (63,5 kg), Göteborg, Sweden, May 1991:
1/16: Defeated James Pender (Scotland) on points, 21–0
1/8: Defeated Darren McCarrick (England) RSC 1
1/4: Defeated Attila Arslan (Turkey) RSC 2
1/2: Defeated Vukašin Dobrašinović (Yugoslavia) on points, 26–6
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (Germany) on points, 33–11
World Championships (63,5 kg), Sydney, Australia, November 1991:
1/8: Defeated Albertano Caballero (Mexico) RSC 2
1/4: Defeated Aníbal Acevedo (Puerto Rico) on points, 29–10
1/2: Defeated Moses James (Nigeria) on points, 25–4
Finals: Defeated Vernon Forrest (United States) on points, 32–9
1992 Olympics
He was the only Soviet boxer to win a gold medal at the 1991 World Championships in Sydney. Immediately at the Championships he was approached by local boxing promoters, deciding to pass up the 1992 Summer Olympics in favor of a professional career. A week later he signed with Australian promoter Bill Mordey as his manager and Johnny Lewis as his trainer in Sydney. Tszyu finished his amateur career with 270 fights, 259 wins, 11 losses, no stoppages and no draws. His professional debut was scheduled to take place in January 1992. Mordey described Tszyu as the best boxer he had seen in the past decade. Professional career
Tszyu started raising his quality of opposition almost immediately. In his fourth professional bout, he met the former WBC Featherweight Champion Juan Laporte, decisioning him over ten rounds. In his sixth bout, he beat contender Sammy Fuentes by a knockout in the first. Fuentes would go on to win a world title years after being handily beaten by Tszyu in 1993, Steve Larrimore, Larry La Crousiere and Robert Rivera, went to Australia to fight Tszyu, and none lasted more than two rounds. The only man to last more than two rounds with Tszyu in 1993 was Livingstone Bramble, a former World Lightweight Champion, who lost by decision to Tszyu at Newcastle, New South Wales. In 1994, Héctor López, Angel Hernandez (who had just come off of a loss after challenging Julio César Chávez for the WBC belt), and Pedro Chinito Sanchez from the Dominican Republic tried to beat Tszyu, but Tszyu beat Lopez by a decision in ten, Hernandez by a knockout in seven, and Sanchez by a knockout in four. After the win against Sanchez, Tszyu was ranked number one in the light welterweight division. WBC light welterweight champion
In 1995, he received his first world title shot when he fought IBF Light Welterweight Champion Jake Rodríguez at Las Vegas, Nevada. Tszyu became world champion by knocking Rodriguez out in the sixth round. He then defended the world title, beating former Super Featherweight and Light Welterweight World Champion Roger Mayweather by a decision in 12, Hugo Pineda by a knockout in 11, Cory Johnson by a knockout in four and Jan Bergman by a knockout in six. After this string of defences, Tszyu became a highly touted world Champion by many boxing magazines, and many articles about him appeared on The Ring, KO Magazine and other American boxing publications. Title defences
Tsyzu began 1997 with a title defense against Leonardo Moro Mas. Tsyzu knocked Mas down three times in the first round. Including a blow shortly before the bell. In a controversial decision, referee Joe Cortez judged that it was an "unintentional illegal blow", believing it to be shortly after the bell. As Mas was either unable or unwilling to continue, Cortez called the bout a technical draw. The IBF and the Nevada Athletic Commission later declared it a no contest. In his next fight he would suffer his first loss, a 10th round knockout to Vince Phillips, who would claim the world title. After beating former world champions Calvin Grove (KO 1) and Rafael Ruelas (KO 9), Tszyu was given another world title try, when the WBC's belt became vacant in 1998 following Oscar De La Hoya's move to the welterweight division. Tszyu found himself twice on the canvas in round one of his fight for the interim belt against Diosbelys Hurtado, but recuperated to beat Hurtado by a knockout in five. He became world champion once again in 1999 by knocking out former world champion Miguel Ángel González in ten, and twice retained it in 2000, beating Arizona's fringe contender Ahmed Santos in eight, and a 38 year old Mexican legend Julio César Chávez, the former world champion, in six at Phoenix, Arizona. Kostya was interviewed by Ray Wheatley on YouTube in 2011 and stated he regards his win over Miguel Angel Gonzalez as his best ever performance. Undisputed light welterweight champion
Tszyu then began pursuing his wish to unify all the belts. In 2001, he began by facing WBA Champion Sharmba Mitchell, taking the belt by a TKO after seven rounds (Mitchell suffered a knee injury in training, and during the bout). His next fight was against the German Turk, Oktay Urkal. Tszyu finished 2001 by recovering his IBF belt in a unification bout with the current champion Zab Judah, by a knockout in the second round. A small melee inside the ring followed that fight when Judah attacked referee Jay Nady for what he felt was a premature stoppage, reacting by throwing his corner's seat at the referee and even trying to choke Nady with his glove at one point. However, replays clearly show Judah walking on wobbly legs. As a result, Tszyu became the first man in 30 years to unify the belts in the light welterweight division. Tszyu in 2002 had only one bout, beating the top ranked contender of all three of his belts, Ben Tackie of Ghana by a decision in twelve rounds. Tszyu lost only one round on only one of the judges scorecards in a masterful display of boxing. On 19 January 2003, Tszyu began the year by retaining his title against former world champion Jesse James Leija by a knockout in six. After the fight, held in Melbourne, Tszyu announced that fight could be his last in Australia, due to pressure from promoters to fight in the United States (The win against Leija came on the birthday of Tszyu's son.). Tszyu vs. Mitchell II
His first fight in 2004 was supposed to have been held on 7 February in a rematch against Sharmba Mitchell. It would have been Tszyu's first fight as a professional in Moscow, but Tszyu injured his shoulder during training. He had successful surgery to correct the problem, but the injury further extended his absence from the ring. The WBA stripped Tszyu of his title for choosing to fight Mitchell instead of their regular champion, Vivian Harris, while the WBC stripped Tszyu for refusing to fight their mandatory, Gianluca Branco. On 6 November, he and Mitchell finally had their rematch, with Tszyu knocking Mitchell out once again, this time in three rounds. Tszyu was voted comeback fighter of the year by Ring magazine. Dethroned by Hatton
He next fought on 5 June 2005, against British boxer Ricky Hatton, Tszyu lost this fight and his world title by RTD (Referee technical decision) after retiring on his stool at the end of the 11th round. He was also behind on all three cards (by 1, 3 and 5 points). Potential comeback
On 30 January 2007 rumours spread of a Tszyu comeback. However, there was no confirmation. In April 2010, rumours about a possible comeback of Tszyu spread again. He continued to train and stayed in shape since his 2005 loss to Ricky Hatton. On 19 April 2010, Tszyu appeared on Long Lunch Today, an Australian TV program. During the show, he denied his retirement and said he would return if a fight with Shane Mosley, Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr. could be made. Personal life
Tszyu married Natasha Anikina on 24 September 1993. He has three children; Anastasia, Nikita and Tim. Nikita and Tim are both boxers. Tszyu initially moved with his family to Moscow in 2008, but they returned to Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. In September 2012, Tszyu left his family in Australia while he moved full time to live in Russia. Tszyu is now married to Tatiana Averina, with whom he has two children, and runs a restaurant in Moscow. Tszyu is an animal lover who owns several pets including Viking, a rottweiler who has been Tszyu's companion since he arrived in Australia; Jake, his pet diamond python; canaries and fish. Tszyu appeared with the animals on the pet show Harry's Practice'' in 2002.
As an amateur, Tszyu represented the Soviet Union, winning a bronze medal in the lightweight division at the 1989 World Championships, and gold in the light welterweight division at the 1991 World Championships. He also won consecutive gold medals at the 1989 and 1991 European Championships. In 1995, Tszyu won his first of many professional world championships at light welterweight—the International Boxing Federation (IBF) title—by defeating Jake Rodríguez. Five successful defences were made until an upset loss to Vince Phillips in 1997, which was Tszyu's first professional defeat. He would spend the next eight years undefeated, winning the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) title in 1999 and the World Boxing Association (WBA) (Super version) title in 2001. Tszyu scored arguably his most famous win that year, when he knocked out Zab Judah to reclaim the IBF title, as well as the vacant Ring magazine and lineal titles, thus becoming the first undisputed light welterweight champion in over 30 years. In 2005, in what would be his final fight, Tszyu was stopped by Ricky Hatton. Tszyu is considered by many in Australia to be a national sports hero. In The Ring'''s March 2010 issue, Tszyu was ranked as the number one light welterweight of the 2000s decade. In December 2010, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame for the Class of 2011. From 2012 to 2013 he coached professional boxers Alexander Povetkin, Denis Lebedev and Khabib Allakhverdiev. In 2023, his son Tim Tszyu won the World Boxing Organization (WBO) junior middleweight title. Early life
Tszyu was born in Serov, a town near the Ural Mountains, in the former Soviet Union to a Korean (paternal)–Mongol (maternal) father and a Russian mother. Tszyu's father was a fitter in a metal factory, whereas his mother was a nurse. Amateur career
As a child, Kostya was hyperactive, so his father decided to take him to a boxing gym, where he would channel that energy by fighting older boys. He impressed the Soviet amateur team coaches and he was sent to the Soviet Union's amateur boxing travelling training camps, where he visited more than 30 countries while training and fighting in tournaments. He trained with that group 250 days a year, and won various tournaments, such as amateur boxing's world championships. At the Cuban world championship tournament in 1987, he came in second place, and at the 1988 Summer Olympics, he lost in the third round. Tszyu was a member of the Soviet Army, but since he was selected as an elite athlete, he was not required to serve the ordinary duty. He fought at the world championships once again, in Moscow in 1989, where he came in third place. In 1991, he went again to the amateur world championships, this time held in Sydney. This was a trip that would change his life forever. Not only was the third time his charm, but he felt enchanted with the sights of Sydney and its people, and decided he wanted to live in Australia. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, early the next year, Tszyu emigrated to Australia with his girlfriend, where they married in 1993 and became Australian citizens, settling in Sans Souci, Sydney. Before marrying her, though, Tszyu had already turned professional, beating Darrell Hiles by a knockout in one round on 1 March 1992, at Melbourne. Highlights
Schwerin Junior Open (57 kg), Schwerin, East Germany, April 1986:
Finals: Lost to Jörg Heidenreich (East Germany) by unanimous decision, 5–0
European Junior Championships (57 kg), Copenhagen, Denmark, September 1986:
1/8: Defeated Manuel Moreno (Spain) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/4: Defeated Santo Serio (Italy) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Daniel Dumitrescu (Romania) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Defeated Fared Cheklat (France) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Soviet International Junior Tournament (60 kg), Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, December 1986:
Finals: Defeated Nikolay Dzhachvadze (Georgian SSR) RSC 3
World Junior Championships (60 kg), Havana, Cuba, July 1987:
1/4: Defeated D. Boyev (Bulgaria) RSC 3
1/2: Defeated Eduardo Rivas (Panama) KO 2
Finals: Lost to Juan Hernández Sierra (Cuba) by majority decision, 1–4
Soviet International Tournament (60 kg), Leningrad, Soviet Union, December 1987:
Finals: Defeated Serik Nurkazov (Kazakh SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Soviet National Championships (60 kg), Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, January 1988:
1/16: Defeated Adylkan Bekbolotov (Kyrgyz SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/8: Defeated Vladimir Kravtsov (RSFSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/4: Defeated Serik Nurkazov (Kazakh SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Samson Khachatryan (Armenian SSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Lost to Orzubek Nazarov (Kyrgyz SSR) by split decision, 2–3
USA–USSR Duals (60 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, March 1988:
Defeated Donald Stokes (United States) on points, 16–8
Pre Olympic Tournament (60 kg), Seoul, South Korea, March 1988:
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by majority decision, 4–1
Soviet International Tournament (60 kg), Leningrad, Soviet Union, June 1988:
1/2: Lost to Julio González (Cuba) on points
Summer Olympics (60 kg), Seoul, South Korea, September 1988:
1/32: Defeated Leopoldo Cantancio (Philippines) KO 1
1/16: Defeated Sean Knight (Barbados) RSCH 1
1/8: Lost to Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by split decision, 2–3
Soviet National Championships (60 kg), Frunze, Kyrgyz SSR, January 1989:
1/2: Defeated Yevgeny Burchak (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Orzubek Nazarov (Kyrgyz SSR) RSC 3
Golden Belt Tournament (60 kg), Bucharest, Romania, April 1989:
(no data available)
European Championships (60 kg), Athens, Greece, May–June 1989:
1/8: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) by split decision, 3–2
1/4: Defeated George Cramne (Sweden) by unanimous decision, 5–0
1/2: Defeated Dave Anderson (Scotland) by walkover
Finals: Defeated Daniel Dumitrescu (Romania) by majority decision, 4–1
World Championships (60 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, September 1989:
1/8: Defeated Mark Ramsey (England) on points, 22–3
1/4: Defeated Bo Espensen (Denmark) RSCH 2
1/2: Lost to Andreas Zülow (East Germany) on points, 14–17
Bulgaria–Europe Duals (60 kg), Varna, Bulgaria, November 1989:
Defeated Emil Chuprenski (Bulgaria) RET 2
Mayor's Cup (63,5 kg), Manila, Philippines, November 1989:
1/4: Defeated Nelson Factoranan (Philippines) KO 1
1/2: Defeated Andreas Otto (East Germany) by decision
Finals: Defeated Shannan Taylor (Australia) by unanimous decision, 5–0
King's Cup (63,5 kg), Bangkok, Thailand, February 1990:
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (East Germany) on points, 17–7
USA–USSR Duals (63,5 kg), Moscow, Soviet Union, April 1990:
Defeated Terron Millett (United States) by unanimous decision, 3–0
Soviet National Championships (63,5 kg), Lutsk, Ukrainian SSR, April 1990:
1/2: Defeated Vasily Kirilov (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Aleksandr Banin (Belarus SSR) by decision
Goodwill Games (63,5 kg), Seattle, Washington, July 1990:
1/4: Defeated Vukašin Dobrašinović (Yugoslavia) by walkover
1/2: Defeated Terron Millett (United States) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Finals: Defeated Aleksandr Banin (Soviet Union) by unanimous decision, 5–0
Swedish International Tournament (67 kg), Göteborg, Sweden, December 1990:
Finals: Defeated Sergey Pogosov (Soviet Union) RSC 3
Soviet National Championships (63,5 kg), Kazan, Tatar SSR, February 1991:
1/2: Defeated Vasily Kirilov (RSFSR)
Finals: Defeated Oleg Nikolayev (RSFSR) by unanimous decision, 5–0
USA–USSR Duals (63,5 kg), Spokane, Washington, March 1991:
Lost to Vernon Forrest (United States) by split decision, 2–3
European Championships (63,5 kg), Göteborg, Sweden, May 1991:
1/16: Defeated James Pender (Scotland) on points, 21–0
1/8: Defeated Darren McCarrick (England) RSC 1
1/4: Defeated Attila Arslan (Turkey) RSC 2
1/2: Defeated Vukašin Dobrašinović (Yugoslavia) on points, 26–6
Finals: Defeated Andreas Zülow (Germany) on points, 33–11
World Championships (63,5 kg), Sydney, Australia, November 1991:
1/8: Defeated Albertano Caballero (Mexico) RSC 2
1/4: Defeated Aníbal Acevedo (Puerto Rico) on points, 29–10
1/2: Defeated Moses James (Nigeria) on points, 25–4
Finals: Defeated Vernon Forrest (United States) on points, 32–9
1992 Olympics
He was the only Soviet boxer to win a gold medal at the 1991 World Championships in Sydney. Immediately at the Championships he was approached by local boxing promoters, deciding to pass up the 1992 Summer Olympics in favor of a professional career. A week later he signed with Australian promoter Bill Mordey as his manager and Johnny Lewis as his trainer in Sydney. Tszyu finished his amateur career with 270 fights, 259 wins, 11 losses, no stoppages and no draws. His professional debut was scheduled to take place in January 1992. Mordey described Tszyu as the best boxer he had seen in the past decade. Professional career
Tszyu started raising his quality of opposition almost immediately. In his fourth professional bout, he met the former WBC Featherweight Champion Juan Laporte, decisioning him over ten rounds. In his sixth bout, he beat contender Sammy Fuentes by a knockout in the first. Fuentes would go on to win a world title years after being handily beaten by Tszyu in 1993, Steve Larrimore, Larry La Crousiere and Robert Rivera, went to Australia to fight Tszyu, and none lasted more than two rounds. The only man to last more than two rounds with Tszyu in 1993 was Livingstone Bramble, a former World Lightweight Champion, who lost by decision to Tszyu at Newcastle, New South Wales. In 1994, Héctor López, Angel Hernandez (who had just come off of a loss after challenging Julio César Chávez for the WBC belt), and Pedro Chinito Sanchez from the Dominican Republic tried to beat Tszyu, but Tszyu beat Lopez by a decision in ten, Hernandez by a knockout in seven, and Sanchez by a knockout in four. After the win against Sanchez, Tszyu was ranked number one in the light welterweight division. WBC light welterweight champion
In 1995, he received his first world title shot when he fought IBF Light Welterweight Champion Jake Rodríguez at Las Vegas, Nevada. Tszyu became world champion by knocking Rodriguez out in the sixth round. He then defended the world title, beating former Super Featherweight and Light Welterweight World Champion Roger Mayweather by a decision in 12, Hugo Pineda by a knockout in 11, Cory Johnson by a knockout in four and Jan Bergman by a knockout in six. After this string of defences, Tszyu became a highly touted world Champion by many boxing magazines, and many articles about him appeared on The Ring, KO Magazine and other American boxing publications. Title defences
Tsyzu began 1997 with a title defense against Leonardo Moro Mas. Tsyzu knocked Mas down three times in the first round. Including a blow shortly before the bell. In a controversial decision, referee Joe Cortez judged that it was an "unintentional illegal blow", believing it to be shortly after the bell. As Mas was either unable or unwilling to continue, Cortez called the bout a technical draw. The IBF and the Nevada Athletic Commission later declared it a no contest. In his next fight he would suffer his first loss, a 10th round knockout to Vince Phillips, who would claim the world title. After beating former world champions Calvin Grove (KO 1) and Rafael Ruelas (KO 9), Tszyu was given another world title try, when the WBC's belt became vacant in 1998 following Oscar De La Hoya's move to the welterweight division. Tszyu found himself twice on the canvas in round one of his fight for the interim belt against Diosbelys Hurtado, but recuperated to beat Hurtado by a knockout in five. He became world champion once again in 1999 by knocking out former world champion Miguel Ángel González in ten, and twice retained it in 2000, beating Arizona's fringe contender Ahmed Santos in eight, and a 38 year old Mexican legend Julio César Chávez, the former world champion, in six at Phoenix, Arizona. Kostya was interviewed by Ray Wheatley on YouTube in 2011 and stated he regards his win over Miguel Angel Gonzalez as his best ever performance. Undisputed light welterweight champion
Tszyu then began pursuing his wish to unify all the belts. In 2001, he began by facing WBA Champion Sharmba Mitchell, taking the belt by a TKO after seven rounds (Mitchell suffered a knee injury in training, and during the bout). His next fight was against the German Turk, Oktay Urkal. Tszyu finished 2001 by recovering his IBF belt in a unification bout with the current champion Zab Judah, by a knockout in the second round. A small melee inside the ring followed that fight when Judah attacked referee Jay Nady for what he felt was a premature stoppage, reacting by throwing his corner's seat at the referee and even trying to choke Nady with his glove at one point. However, replays clearly show Judah walking on wobbly legs. As a result, Tszyu became the first man in 30 years to unify the belts in the light welterweight division. Tszyu in 2002 had only one bout, beating the top ranked contender of all three of his belts, Ben Tackie of Ghana by a decision in twelve rounds. Tszyu lost only one round on only one of the judges scorecards in a masterful display of boxing. On 19 January 2003, Tszyu began the year by retaining his title against former world champion Jesse James Leija by a knockout in six. After the fight, held in Melbourne, Tszyu announced that fight could be his last in Australia, due to pressure from promoters to fight in the United States (The win against Leija came on the birthday of Tszyu's son.). Tszyu vs. Mitchell II
His first fight in 2004 was supposed to have been held on 7 February in a rematch against Sharmba Mitchell. It would have been Tszyu's first fight as a professional in Moscow, but Tszyu injured his shoulder during training. He had successful surgery to correct the problem, but the injury further extended his absence from the ring. The WBA stripped Tszyu of his title for choosing to fight Mitchell instead of their regular champion, Vivian Harris, while the WBC stripped Tszyu for refusing to fight their mandatory, Gianluca Branco. On 6 November, he and Mitchell finally had their rematch, with Tszyu knocking Mitchell out once again, this time in three rounds. Tszyu was voted comeback fighter of the year by Ring magazine. Dethroned by Hatton
He next fought on 5 June 2005, against British boxer Ricky Hatton, Tszyu lost this fight and his world title by RTD (Referee technical decision) after retiring on his stool at the end of the 11th round. He was also behind on all three cards (by 1, 3 and 5 points). Potential comeback
On 30 January 2007 rumours spread of a Tszyu comeback. However, there was no confirmation. In April 2010, rumours about a possible comeback of Tszyu spread again. He continued to train and stayed in shape since his 2005 loss to Ricky Hatton. On 19 April 2010, Tszyu appeared on Long Lunch Today, an Australian TV program. During the show, he denied his retirement and said he would return if a fight with Shane Mosley, Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr. could be made. Personal life
Tszyu married Natasha Anikina on 24 September 1993. He has three children; Anastasia, Nikita and Tim. Nikita and Tim are both boxers. Tszyu initially moved with his family to Moscow in 2008, but they returned to Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. In September 2012, Tszyu left his family in Australia while he moved full time to live in Russia. Tszyu is now married to Tatiana Averina, with whom he has two children, and runs a restaurant in Moscow. Tszyu is an animal lover who owns several pets including Viking, a rottweiler who has been Tszyu's companion since he arrived in Australia; Jake, his pet diamond python; canaries and fish. Tszyu appeared with the animals on the pet show Harry's Practice'' in 2002.
Юридические споры
Цзю неоднократно участвовал в судебных разбирательствах со своими менеджерами. Недавно его бывший менеджер Сьюзи Беннелл подала на него в суд, утверждая, что Цзю задолжал ей деньги. Цзю также был обязан выплатить 3,5 миллиона долларов своему бывшему менеджеру Биллу Морди по отдельному гражданскому делу. В биографии журналиста Пола Кента о давнем тренере Джонни Льюисе содержались обвинения в том, что Цзю недоплачивал Льюису за его услуги. Разногласия были урегулированы до суда.
Tszyu has been in several court battles with his managers. Most recently, his ex manager Susie Bennell took him to court, alleging Tszyu owed her money. Tszyu was also ordered to repay $3.5 million to his former manager Bill Mordey in an unrelated civil suit. In journalist Paul Kent's biography of long time trainer Johnny Lewis, allegations were made that Tszyu had underpaid Lewis for his services. The dispute was settled out of court.
Профессиональный боксерский рекорд
№ (Номер)РезультатРекордСоперникТипРаунд, времяДатаМестоПримечание34Поражение31–2 Рикки ХаттонRTD11 (12), 4 июня 200533Победа31–1 Шармба МитчеллTKO3 (12), 6 ноября 200432Победа30–1 Джесси Джеймс ЛейхаRTD6 (12), 19 января 200331Победа29–1 Бен ТаккиUD1218 мая 200230Победа28–1 Заб ДжудаTKO2 (12), 3 ноября 200129Победа27–1 Октай УркалUD1223 июня 200128Победа26–1 Шармба МитчеллRTD7 (12), 3 февраля 200127Победа25–1 Хулио Сезар ЧавесTKO6 (12), 29 июля 200026Победа24–1 Ахмед СантосTKO8 (12), 12 февраля 200025Победа23–1 Мигель Анхель ГонсалесTKO10 (12), 21 августа 199924Победа22–1 Диозбелис УртадоTKO5 (12), 28 ноября 199823Победа21–1 Рафаэль РуэласTKO9 (12), 15 августа 199822Победа20–1 Калвин ГроувKO1 (10), 5 апреля 199821Победа19–1 Исмаэль Армандо ЧавесTKO3 (12), 6 декабря 199720Поражение18–1 Винс ФиллипсTKO10 (12), 31 мая 199719NC (Нет результата)18–0 Леонардо МасTD (Техническая ничья)1 (12), 18 января 199718Победа18–0 Ян Пит БергманKO6 (12), 14 сентября 199617Победа17–0 Кори ДжонсонKO4 (12), 24 мая 199616Победа16–0 Уго ПинедаTKO11 (12), 20 января 199615Победа15–0 Роджер МейвезерUD1225 июня 199514Победа14–0 Джейк РодригесTKO6 (12), 28 января 199513Победа13–0 Педро СанчесTKO4 (10), 29 августа 199412Победа12–0 Анхель ЭрнандесRTD (Отказ от продолжения боя в углу)7 (10), 2 мая 199411Победа11–0 Эктор ЛопесUD1011 января 199410Победа10–0 Ливингстон БрамблUD1023 августа 19939Победа9–0 Роберт РивераKO1 (10), 18 июня 19938Победа8–0 Ларри ЛакурсьерTKO1 (10), 14 мая 19937Победа7–0 Стив ЛарриморTKO2 (10), 30 января 19936Победа6–0 Сэмми ФуэнтесTKO1 (10), 13 ноября 19925Победа5–0 Даниэль Рикардо КусатоTKO711 сентября 19924Победа4–0 Хуан ЛапортUD (Единогласное решение судей)1023 июля 19923Победа3–0 Тони ДжонсTKO2 (10), 7 мая 19922Победа2–0 Недрик СиммонсKO (Нокаут)1 (8), 2 апреля 19921Победа1–0 Даррелл ХайлсTKO (Технический нокаут)1 (8), 1 марта 1992
No. (Number)ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes34Loss31–2 Ricky HattonRTD11 (12), 4 Jun 200533Win31–1 Sharmba MitchellTKO3 (12), 6 Nov 200432Win30–1 Jesse James LeijaRTD6 (12), 19 Jan 200331Win29–1 Ben TackieUD1218 May 200230Win28–1 Zab JudahTKO2 (12), 3 Nov 200129Win27–1 Oktay UrkalUD1223 Jun 200128Win26–1 Sharmba MitchellRTD7 (12), 3 Feb 200127Win25–1 Julio César ChávezTKO6 (12), 29 Jul 200026Win24–1 Ahmed SantosTKO8 (12), 12 Feb 200025Win23–1 Miguel Angel GonzalezTKO10 (12), 21 Aug 199924Win22–1 Diosbelys HurtadoTKO5 (12), 28 Nov 199823Win21–1 Rafael RuelasTKO9 (12), 15 Aug 199822Win20–1 Calvin GroveKO1 (10), 5 Apr 199821Win19–1 Ismael Armando ChavesTKO3 (12), 6 Dec 199720Loss18–1 Vince PhillipsTKO10 (12), 31 May 199719NC (No contest)18–0 Leonardo MasTD (Technical draw)1 (12), 18 Jan 199718Win18–0Jan Piet BergmanKO6 (12), 14 Sep 199617Win17–0Corey JohnsonKO4 (12), 24 May 199616Win16–0Hugo PinedaTKO11 (12), 20 Jan 199615Win15–0Roger MayweatherUD1225 Jun 199514Win14–0Jake RodríguezTKO6 (12), 28 Jan 199513Win13–0Pedro SanchezTKO4 (10)29 Aug 199412Win12–0Angel HernandezRTD (Corner retirement)7 (10), 2 May 199411Win11–0Hector LopezUD1011 Jan 199410Win10–0Livingstone BrambleUD1023 Aug 19939Win9–0Robert RiveraKO1 (10), 18 Jun 19938Win8–0Larry LaCoursiereTKO1 (10)14 May 19937Win7–0Steve LarrimoreTKO2 (10), 30 Jan 19936Win6–0Sammy FuentesTKO1 (10), 13 Nov 19925Win5–0Daniel Ricardo CusatoTKO7 11 Sep 19924Win4–0Juan LaporteUD (Unanimous decision)1023 Jul 19923Win3–0Tony JonesTKO2 (10), 7 May 19922Win2–0Nedrick SimmonsKO (Knockout)1 (8), 2 Apr 19921Win1–0Darrell HilesTKO (Technical knockout)1 (8), 1 Mar 1992