As published in the Manly Daily: 11 October 07
AUSTRALIAN boxing legend Kostya Tsyzu has become the latest boxing identity to tell former rugby league bad boy John Hopoate to start taking the sport seriously.
The highly-respected former world champion took aim at Hopoate's lack of respect, slamming the former Manly winger's motives behind the career change.
"For him it's just fun,'' Tszyu told The Manly Daily.
"He gets bored in life and he decides that he can do boxing. He just likes a new exciting thing to do in his life, so he chooses boxing. I don't think he's serious about boxing. You have to give 100 per cent commitment to the sport. You have to respect the sport otherwise it will punish you. I don't think he respects it.''
While there is no doubt about Hopoate's physical potential in the sport, Tszyu is concerned that the giant Tongan has taken the wrong attitude towards the mentally-draining sport.
"Hoppa is very big, he's a big strong fella,'' he said.
"But he needs to learn a lot about boxing. At least you're going to need to realise it's not as easy as he thinks. It's not only hit somebody and knock him out, you have to learn to defend as well.''
Hopoate's trainer, Dino Billinghurst, accepted that his fighter has things to learn, but he didn't agree that he wasn't treating the sport seriously.
"It's a bit bizarre to say that, Hoppa's always given 100 percent,'' Billinghurst said.
"He definitely hasn't trained any less than any of my other fighters. I respect Kostya, like everyone, and I think he is right when he says that John wasn't mentally there (when he lost to Ben Edwards). But you learn to develop the mental side of boxing. Kostya developed that because he started boxing at 11 years of age, Hoppa's only been fighting for 18 months.''
Hopoate has been forced to postpone his State Title bout against Pat Kennedy, originally planned to take place at Penrith tomorrow night, till January 25 due to his injured hand. The father of eight has not fought since May.