From Serov to Canastota: Kostya Tszyu’s Boxing Journey.

The world amateur welterweight champion, for 1991, from the Soviet Union: K Tsziu. K Tsziu??? Just another footnote in amateur boxing right? Another thirty-something, steroid abusing, insignificant nobody from the mighty amateur program of the dreaded Red Empire? Well no,

K Tsziu would become Kostya Tszyu, the superb junior welterweight champion of the world. Two factors started this journey that turned Tszyu into the fighter he is today, the imminent crumbling of the Red Empire, and that promoter Bill Mordey was willing to fund Kostya Tszyu’s defection to Australia on the strength of his performance in the 1991 world amateur championships that were held in Australia.

So in March 1992, Kostya Tszyu had uprooted from Siberia, moved to Australia, and despite being unable to speak hardly a word of English, was making his pro debut. As instructions were given, Tszyu was told though his translator that it was very important that he KO’d his tough-ish opponent in the first round; Tszyu duly obliged! But after the bout Tszyu enquired, why it was so important he won in a round? It turned out the translator had messed up, his trainer actually said it was important he made a fast/good start in the first round, not necessarily win!

Anyway, Tszyu soon fell in love with his adopted country and his career positively bloomed. Within four months and three fights, Tszyu beat tough perennial contender Juan LaPorte and four months later even more impressively, veteran tough guy Sammy Fuentes was easily beaten. Within a year Tszyu made an impressive U.S. debut flattening fringe contender Steve Larrimore in two, followed by a decision over Hector Lopez, while back in Australia he decisioned cute former 135-pound champion Livingston Bramble, and stopped 40-1-2 Angel Hernandez in seven. This lead to, in January 1995, less than two years after turning pro, the opportunity to claim his first world title. And in the MGM Grand, Tszyu delivered; dominating Jake ‘The Snake’ Rodriguez for five rounds, before gaining the TKO win in the sixth.

Tszyu was 14-0 and held the IBF portion of the 140-pound division. His first defense in June 1995, saw him almost shut out veteran Roger Mayweather in his adopted home of Australia. Three more impressive stoppage wins occurred in Australia before Tszyu came back to America to fight Leonardo Mas. A first round blow out was on the cards as Tszyu decked the outclassed Mas twice before a final knockdown occurred as the ref called for the fighters to break. Mas claimed he was unable to continue, and thus Tszyu had one of those ugly technical draws on his record.

But Tszyu would come back to the U.S. in May 1997 to fight faded contender Vince Phillips, and was all set to redeem himself for the slight inconvenience that was the Mas fight. Phillips was deemed shot after being blown away by Ike Quartey, but Phillips rose to the occasion, staying competitive throughout fight and in the end, he overawed Tszyu, stopping the unbeaten Aussie in ten rounds; a huge upset. Tszyu came back with a couple of low-key fights in Australia, the second being an easy three round win over veteran campaigner Calvin Grove. This set up a return to the States in August 1998, to fight former world 135-pound title claimant Rafael Ruelas. Tszyu won in nine to set up a fighter with the Cuban exile Diosbelys Hurtado in November 1998. Hurtado came out strong, decking Tszyu twice in the first, but eventually Tszyu got on top of his opponent, subduing and stopping Hurtado in the fifth.

Tszyu was now set to challenge former 135-pound titlist Miguel Angel Gonzales for a portion of the junior welterweight world crown. Gonzales was tough, his only defeat in forty-five fights being a dropped decision to Oscar De La Hoya. But on the August 1999 evening, Tszyu put together perhaps his finest performance yet, persuading Gonzales’ corner-man to stop the fight in the tenth, with the brave Mexican taking a battering. A biding time defense followed, before Tszyu performed the last rites on the world-class career of Julio Cesar Chavez, in July 2000, stopping the Mexican legend in six. This lead to the February 2001 clash with future foe Sharmba Mitchell. Tszyu eventually figured out the speedster Mitchell’s style, which led to the American retiring after seven rounds, claiming a legitimate knee injury. With this victory, Tszyu added the WBA 140-pound trinket to his WBC version.

In June 2001, Tszyu out-pointed Germany based Turk Oktay Urkal, not without difficulty though. Tszyu never seemed that comfortable but his class told in the end gaining a unanimous decision from the judges. Tszyu was now ready to fight the undefeated young pretender to the crown Zab Judah, to find out who was the best junior welterweight in the world. Judah brought a perfect 27-0 record to the table, but he had not had the grounding to his career that Tszyu had. The boxing world was split, would Judah’s speed and youth overcome the rugged, grizzled more experienced Tszyu?

The first round of their November 2001 clash belonged to Judah, but approaching the end of the second, Tszyu landed two cracking right hands causing Judah to fall heavily to the canvas. Judah tried to rise but pitched forward, falling to the canvas once more. Referee Jay Nady stopped the fight and Kostya Tszyu was THE junior welterweight champion of the world. But sadly, his great night was tarnished by Judah’s cowardly attack on referee Nady after the fight.

Tszyu made the first defense of his newly won universal world crown in May 2002, shutting out rugged African Ben Tackie over twelve rounds. In January 2003, in his last ring appearance Tszyu came back home, fighting in Australia for the first time in nearly five years to out-class respected journeyman Jesse James Leija, when Leija was unable to continue after six rounds with a suspected perforated eardrum. So as we approach Saturday evening, the one thing that I believe is a given is that one day Kostya Tszyu’s boxing journey will end with a trip to Canastota.