Twenty years after their Hall-of-Fame father Kostya bowed out, the Tszyu name is ready to thunder again. Older brother Tim jets to Las Vegas on July 4 to finish camp for his July 20 rematch with Sebastian Fundora, the 6-ft-6 spoiler who scraped away his WBO super-welterweight title and unbeaten record last year. Tim insists the sequel at 154 lbs will be fought on his terms: “Momentum’s back, tunnel vision’s on, and 2025 is my vengeance year.”
Fundora’s elbows and dimensions opened a gruesome cut in their first meeting, but Tim believes familiarity breeds opportunity. “We went life-and-death,” he said after a sweat-drenched session at Tszyu Fight Club in Rockdale. “Now it’s who did the homework better - kill or be killed.” A statement win would place him squarely in the Canelo-sweepstakes at 154.
One month later, on August 20, younger brother Nikita returns after a 12-month exile imposed by a shattered hand and first-time fatherhood. The southpaw puncher—10-0 with eight stoppages - admits the injury forced reflection. “I’ve only sparred twice all year,” he shrugged, “but the hand feels good now. I’m trying to be an adult… we’ll see how long that lasts.”
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Talk is already swirling about a late-2025 clash with Aussie rival Michael Zerafa, a leap Nikita welcomes. “He’s experienced, I’d be the underdog, and that’s fine by me,” the 27-year-old grinned. “I’ve got to be screwed on tight and bring my best.”
Whether Tim rewrites his story in Vegas or Nikita drafts a brand-new chapter in Sydney, the Tszyu brothers carry the same family creed: beat the man in front of you, then reach higher. This summer, both intend to prove that Kostya’s legacy is still being authored - one violent page at a time.
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