Tim Tszyu’s hyped build towards Errol Spence Jnr has taken a surprise twist, with the former world champ moving away from the Rockdale gym his family has called home for some 30 years.
On the eve of his Easter Sunday showdown against undefeated Albanian Denis Nurja, Fox Sports Australia can reveal Tszyu will not spend the final days of camp working out of the two-storey, red brick gym that has always so famously been home, initially, to Hall of Fame father Kostya – and more recently himself and undefeated younger brother Nikita.
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The decision comes as Tszyu has also spoken for the first time about his ongoing legal battle with former manager Glen Jennings, which could be headed for the NSW Supreme Court.
Speaking this week from his current training base in Miami, Florida, Tszyu stressed that while his own legal team has now become involved in the Jennings situation, his sole focus remains on continuing his world title resurrection against Nurja on April 5 in Wollongong.
Elsewhere, the fighter dubbed ‘Phoenix’ has also opened up on the incredible changes taking place – both to his fight style and body – under new Cuban coach Pedro Diaz.
Tszyu says an overhaul of his sparring program under Diaz, who boasts a Ph.D in Pedagogical Sciences, has freed his body from a run of troublesome neck, shoulder and hip issues that have been carried through a rollercoaster couple of years that includes three world title losses against Sebastian Fundora and Bakhram Murtazaliev.
Tszyu added the changes have been so impressive, prior to their first fight together in December against unbeaten American Anthony Velazquez, he recalls thinking: ‘What the hell? My hips aren’t clicking anymore …’
Apart from changing up the intense training routine that previously left his body “smashed”, Diaz also has Tszyu already sparring southpaws in preparation for American megastar Spence Jnr, with a multimillion showdown touted for June.
While it has now been six months since Tszyu shocked the fight world by announcing his split from both Jennings and longtime trainer Igor Goloubev, the fallout for the once tight-knit Team Tszyu remains.
In early February, Code Sports revealed Jennings had hired a lawyer over an alleged breach-of-contract dispute.
The manager spoke of heading to court if the parties could not find common ground, with Jennings’ lawyer Chris White also suggesting Supreme Court action was a genuine option.
The situation is further clouded by the fact both Jennings and Goloubev still work with Nikita Tszyu – with the fighting brothers, until now, having also trained out of the same family gym when in Sydney.
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Speaking on the legal battle this week, Tszyu stressed his sole focus right now remains the undefeated Nurja, who stands between him and a massive showdown with Spence.
However, the fighter did confirm his own legal team is now involved.
“The lawyers are handling it,” Tszyu said simply. “And I’m locked in for this next fight. I’ve got nothing more to say than that …”
Soon after, however, the fighter confirmed that when he does jet back into Sydney this Sunday to finalise preparations, he won’t be training out of the Tszyu Fight Club — a gym his father Kostya famously established during his own storied professional career.
More recently, both Tim and Nikita have remodelled the premises around their own growing list of boxing achievements, with the old man’s yellowing fight posters largely replaced by their own.
However, Tszyu revealed this week that, for the first time, he will be shifting his final days of camp to a private Caringbah gym owned by close mate Pete Mitrevski Jr.
While obviously avoiding any unnecessary contact with his old team, who still work out of the gym, Tszyu stressed the change was simply to be “closer to home”, and gave no suggestion the move was in any way permanent.
While his focus remains firmly on Nurja, Tszyu also revealed Coach Diaz has already begun using some of their time together to begin game planning for Spence, a southpaw.
The fighter added that his new team – which includes manager Darcy Ellis and matchmaker Mike Altamura – had even considered using a left-handed opponent for his impending Wollongong showcase, which has been touted as a warm up for Spence.
“But who?” Tszyu shrugged when asked why he didn’t go with a leftie. “Who do we get? Nikita is the only real southpaw I know …”
Told there was a fair chance that fight would sell too, Tszyu agreed with a laugh – “I’m sure it would” – before stressing Nurja was chosen because, with a win, the Aussie also then becomes No.1 contender for Xander Zayas, who holds both the WBO and WBA straps.
Elsewhere, the fighter was also happy to detail the continuing changes to his style – and body – under Diaz, a coach famed for working with over 20 world champions and as many Olympic medallists.
Specifically, Tszyu pointed to the changes made in sparring in his past two camps.
“Which has been completely different,” he says.
“For the Velazquez fight, it was my first time training that way – reducing my sparring rounds and [instead] doing all this technical work.
“Previously, I hadn’t done any technical work.
“So I’ve had to learn to trust the process.
“And that’s been hard at times.
“There were occasions in that first camp where I was thinking ‘man, am I ready for this? Have I done enough rounds?’
“Previously, I’d spar 150 rounds, 200 rounds.
“But for [Velazquez] I only got out to 10 rounds twice. So I was thinking ‘is it enough?’
“These were the little things inside my head.”
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But as for the result?
“I went into the fight feeling great,” Tszyu stresses. “Usually, I’ve had all these different problems – shoulders, neck, whatever.
“I was [going into fights] smashed.
“Like after the Fundora fight. Yeah, my head was battered.
“But my biggest concern was that I couldn’t walk. My hips were finished. I just couldn’t put any weight on my hips and that was from the overload of work.
“Yet going into my last fight I was like ‘what the hell? My hips aren’t clicking’.
“That’s the difference.
“Everything is so much more strategic now.”
Elsewhere, Tszyu confirmed Diaz already has him sparring southpaws in preparation for the challenge, with a win on Easter Sunday, that will be Spence.
“Yeah, we are,” he said. “Right now though, it’s still about 80 per cent sparring with orthodox fighters, and 20 per cent southpaws.”
And as for how, overall, his second camp under Diaz has gone?
“Completely different again,” the Sydneysider said. “I’ve learned so many new things. Adapted to a different style, too.
“So you’ll see a lot of differences in this fight.”
Pushed on the changes, Tszyu continued: “I’m using my brain now, rather than just my physical abilities.
“Because physical ability, it only gets you so far in this sport.
“And I’ve always had the brain.
“I’ve just switched it back on now.
“Working on game plans and different technical work, rather than just trying to be super, super fit … then trying to blow your opponent away with relentlessness.
“Pedro really understands how to get the balance right.”