Tim Tszyu considers himself to be cut from an old-school cloth.
The son of Hall of Fame fighter Kostya Tszyu has carte blanche to make such statements, especially since the highly active fighter’s actions back up his words in the ring.
Tszyu (24-0, 17 KOs) will look to make another statement when he takes on former unified welterweight champion Keith Thurman (30-1, 22 KOs) on March 30 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The fight headlines a PBC show on Amazon pay-per-view.
The 29-year-old Tszyu will be fighting for the fourth time in 12 months, while Thurman is coming off a two-year layoff and has fought just five times since 2015.
Tszyu is the WBO super welterweight champion, but his fight against Thurman will not be contested for a title in “One Time’s” first foray as a 154-pound fighter since 2012.
“A-side, B-side, I don’t care about that bulls***,” Tszyu said in an interview with BoxingScene.com and other media.
“There’s no more old-school fighters these days. They are all a bunch of p******. They fight once a year and then go on two-year vacations. I actually fight. Activity matters. I’m willing to fight anyone and I do damage in the ring … I don’t care about the critics. He’s the one that’s going to be in trouble, not me.
“[I have] activity, momentum … I don’t know what he’s been doing.”
The 35-year-old Thurman last fought in February 2022 and scored a workmanlike unanimous decision against Mario Barrios. It was just his first time gracing the squared circle since July 2019 when he suffered a split decision loss to Manny Pacquiao.
Tszyu, meanwhile, has been a tour-de-force after an announced fight with the former undisputed super welterweight champion Jermell Charlo fell through the cracks.
Tszyu toppled Tony Harrison last March for the 154-pound WBO interim title, knocked out Carlos Ocampo in one round in June, and comfortably beat Brian Mendoza in his first title defense in October shortly after being elevated to the full champion.
The trio of fights took place in Australia. The second-generation star is now looking to break out in his second fight in the United States.
“I know what Keith is and what he’s done, but I think the time is done for him. Now it’s a different era, and it’s the ‘Tim Tszyu Era.’ I’m not just planning to beat Keith Thurman, I’m planning to make this a spectacle,” said Tszyu.
“My goal is for the Tszyu name to be the greatest boxing family that ever lived. We’ve made it this far and we’ll see how far we can go.”
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer, and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com, or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.