BoxRec

Tszyu will burn the candle at both ends
January 11, 2005

Australian boxer Kostya Tszyu will take on the sleeping patterns of a rock star in his bid to beat undefeated Englishman Ricky "Hitman" Hatton in Manchester on June 5.

The undisputed junior-welterweight world champion confirmed yesterday he would make a mandatory defence of his IBF title against the explosive body-punching Mancunian.

It is understood that Tszyu, 35, will earn about $5 million for the stoush, his biggest payday and believed to be the largest in the history of the weight division. The fight has been scheduled for 4am in England (1pm Sydney time), and Tszyu said his entire training regime would be adjusted when he heads back into full-time training in March.

The Russian-born Sydneysider will become a night owl during two weeks of pre-fight training in England as he works at night and sleeps during the day.

"I am going to train at 1pm here and when I go there I will train at four o'clock in the morning, which means my time clock won't change," Tszyu told reporters at his gym in Sydney's southern suburbs yesterday. "It is going to be difficult for all the reporters because I am going to sleep during the daytime and I don't care what the media are going to say.

"It is a four o'clock fight, I am going to agree with this and train at 4am and that will be my schedule and I will not change this."

Tszyu's management will have to find him a base that allows him to eat main meals just before midnight and where his sleep will not be disrupted during the day.

His comments prove how seriously he is taking the challenge of Hatton, especially as the Australian fighter considered retiring after stopping American Sharmba Mitchell in November in Arizona.

The 20,000-seat MEN Arena in Manchester has been provisionally secured for staging the fight but promoters may opt for an open-air venue.

Hatton, 26, has built up a formidable reputation by winning all his 38 fights, including 28 knockouts, during an eight-year professional career. He has not fought outside England since 2000.

The mild-mannered Tszyu has a lot of respect for Hatton's deeds and will soon begin picking apart his technique through videos of past fights.

"I will be hungry to train and hungry to fight and prove to all the Pommies I respect the guy a lot, but he is still a contender," Tszyu said.

He will begin with a gruelling fortnight of preparation at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra before focusing more on work in the ring.

Tszyu said he still had a few fights left in him and that he was not ready to settle down and focus on his business interests.

"The reason people who have got success start losing [is because of a drop in their] focus on training," he said. "I have people behind me like my father, who will kick my arse all the time to make sure I will train very hard all the time, and I am happy with this, I expect this.

"I know in myself I am not going to be having any excuses for me. When I start training there will be no excuses. The last chapter in my book has not been written and I don't know what kind of chapter it is going to be, but I am excited."

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

Good article but i think it goes without saying that a professional like Tszyu will make sure everything is meticulously planned out beforehand.

I've seen Tszyu's workouts, nothing short of incredible, he does an hour of gymnastic training every day, in addition to more than that in strength and conditioning and then his proper boxing training.

The more I think about it, the less chance I'm giving Hatton.
I just can't see how he wins this really.....I think a certain promoter might be thinking the same thing.

MightyWarrior wrote:The more I think about it, the less chance I'm giving Hatton.
I just can't see how he wins this really.....I think a certain promoter might be thinking the same thing.

i dont give hatton a chance.. although James Mc is doing his best to try and unintentionally sway my opinion.....

first right hand that lands from Kosta will end it, Kostas body is so tough the body shots wont be a factor... and i dont think Hatton will get through with many anyway...

knockout wrote:

MightyWarrior wrote:The more I think about it, the less chance I'm giving Hatton.
I just can't see how he wins this really.....I think a certain promoter might be thinking the same thing.

i dont give hatton a chance.. although James Mc is doing his best to try and unintentionally sway my opinion.....

first right hand that lands from Kosta will end it, Kostas body is so tough the body shots wont be a factor... and i dont think Hatton will get through with many anyway...

Yeah I tend to agree knockout....I dug out a copy of his fight with Hurtado this weekend - as I remembered he was down twice in the first. But looking at it again, there's no real sign of weakness there at all.

He's just caught coming in a couple of times - he gets up and his legs are right as rain. Only thing the Hatton camp might take heart from: his right eye almost closes after two minutes.
Might have been a thumb though...

knockout wrote:

MightyWarrior wrote:The more I think about it, the less chance I'm giving Hatton.
I just can't see how he wins this really.....I think a certain promoter might be thinking the same thing.

i dont give hatton a chance.. although James Mc is doing his best to try and unintentionally sway my opinion.....

first right hand that lands from Kosta will end it, Kostas body is so tough the body shots wont be a factor... and i dont think Hatton will get through with many anyway...

Have to agree, Hatton's a top boxer and very exciting, but there's levels and there's levels. Tszyu's is way above Ricky's.

Hurtado can hit like a mule though.. i think Kosta is smarter than he was at that stage of his career..... back then he thought he could walk through everyone (which was almost true) and got dropped a few times in the process....

Zoo took the Hurtado fight on short notice caused gonzalez pulled out. both knock downs were on the inside as zoo was rushing in for the kill.

Like I was saying to knockout last night, can anyone really envisage Kostya backing off and grimacing when Hatton lands his trademark left to the body? My bet is we see little or no reaction at all other than a big right hand in return.

Kilburn wrote:Like I was saying to knockout last night, can anyone really envisage Kostya backing off and grimacing when Hatton lands his trademark left to the body? My bet is we see little or no reaction at all other than a big right hand in return.

True. This seems obvious to me. hatton won't hurt Tszyu to the body without taking a big right hander on the way in or in return.

That's why I have serious doubts about whether this fight happens. I just can't see Hatton and Warrem going through with it.

Kilburn wrote:Like I was saying to knockout last night, can anyone really envisage Kostya backing off and grimacing when Hatton lands his trademark left to the body? My bet is we see little or no reaction at all other than a big right hand in return.

Hatton won't be going to the body any more than he goes to the head. Look at the tapes of his last few fights - he is much more selective about his body punching and hardly ever uses the left to body left to the head combination any more. Think about that corkscrew jab/straight. He has also changed the angle of his body punching slightly to put himself more out of the reach of the right hand while landing the left - which now goes slightly more in the direction of the kidneys than the solar plexus. He is more likely to get caught by a right on the way in than when throwing the left to the body as Magee caught him.

Hatton is going to have to get the balance right between getting in quickly and low and not getting in too close and smothering his work. Zoo has an ideal punching range and Mitchell just stood in that circle and was splattered. Movement and physicality are two areas that Hatton needs to target. This is going to be a rough fight I predict.

Good call Matt as soon as Tszyu lands the right hand its over.

If and its a big if the fight comes off. The signs are already there of a pullout.
2 weeks ago Kosta was saying why should we fight there at 4 in the morning now he's agreed, Fwanks saying he ain't being dictated too on the time, Kosta has said he agreed to there time of 4 and he ain't changing his mind.

Personally I think Fwanks looking for a way out and hook or by crook he'll find it.

Now if on the slightest chance it does go on , I'm willing to bet that

1-- Hatton tries to stay awat from the right hand( don't have to be a genius to work that one out.

2-- Hatton gets dropped with a left hook , probably to the body , I will put money on this , so lets wait and see has it gets closer . would;nt even suprise me if he gets dropped with a straight left.

3 Kosta has power in both hands.

Call me skeptical, but I'll believe this fight when I see it.

Hatton's chin is ok, he won't fold like that, and indeed lately, he is much more cautious against decent opposition about the body attack. Against Tackie he threw more head than body shots, Hatton isn't as one dimensional as people make out, and his lead hooks are pretty impressive too. He's got good handspeed and when he needs to good footwork.