Fenech's extraordinary call on Kostya vs Tim

3 years ago 385

The communicative surrounding each large boxer's quest for greatness is astir ever linked to different fighter. But erstwhile that combatant is your father, the ngo becomes clouded by statement and indefinable comparisons.

Tim Tszyu takes his adjacent measurement to a satellite rubric changeable when helium takes connected Takeshi Inoue successful Sydney tonight but the lingering question astir the star's bequest and his spot successful the sport's past volition lone intensify arsenic helium moves onto the adjacent signifier of his career.

Tszyu joins a agelong a database of athletes looking to emulate the occurrence of their parents/family members successful their chosen sport.

Stephen Curry. Mick Schumacher. LeBron James Jr. The database goes on. In boxing, it's adjacent much telling with the likes of Floyd Mayweather, James "Buster" Douglas, Shane Mosley Jr, Evan Holyfield, Chris Eubank Jr, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr and much precocious Nico Ali Walsh to sanction a tiny sample, each donning the gloves successful the squared ellipse to proceed a household contented successful the ring.

It's a pugnacious gig though. While a celebrated past sanction is simply a promoter's imagination and successful galore instances holds the cardinal to a abdominous cheque, it besides brings successful a antithetic benignant of audience, drawn successful connected a tabloid level. With that comes much eyes, critics and unit and a antithetic benignant of personage extracurricular the sporting landscape.

While the examination to Kostya is unfair successful galore respects, with begetter and lad coming from wholly antithetic circumstances, the undying question remains - volition helium ever surpass his father's greatness?

"I'll marque a large statement, this kid could beryllium better," boxing large Jeff Fenech told Wide World of Sports.

"Kostya is possibly a bigger puncher. They bash things precise similar. But for maine successful immoderate things, Tim is each spot arsenic bully if not amended than his dad. He's getting amended and better."

Kostya Tszyu became a satellite champion by the property of 25 having won everything from bronze to golden astatine European and satellite title level arsenic an amateur, with a vocation grounds lasting astatine 259-11. Between 2001 and 2005, helium was the undisputed airy welterweight champion and was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame successful 2011.

Tim amassed an amateur boxing grounds of 33–1 earlier turning nonrecreational successful 2016 astatine the property of 22. His lone nonaccomplishment was to Olympian Daniel Lewis.

While Tim went done Australian opponents for his full career, Kostya came done the highly competitory European strategy earlier settling Down Under. Kostya won golden astatine the 1991 satellite championships successful Australia and was tipped to instrumentality retired golden astatine the Barcelona Olympics a twelvemonth later.

But helium decided to shun the 1992 Games successful favour of turning professional, rejecting offers from section Russian promoters to motion with Aussie Bill Mordey and trainer Johnny Lewis.

"Medals don't wage bills," Kostya told the ABC astatine the clip erstwhile asked wherefore helium wouldn't hold a twelvemonth to crook pro.

Rather than constituent retired wherever they differ, Fenech believes the paying nationalist volition lone person affirmative comparisons to gully upon erstwhile the large fights for Tszyu rotation around.

"He's got his father's poise. His patience. That's thing you can't teach. It's astir having that consciousness successful the ring. No uncertainty his begetter has helped signifier the combatant helium is but Tim is his ain fighter. Plus they look similar f---ing twins," Fenech said.

"He knows erstwhile he's successful information and knows what to bash get himself retired of trouble. Watching his begetter arsenic a lad would person helped."

Fenech admits determination was immoderate uncertainty among Australia's boxing fraternity erstwhile Tszyu turned pro successful 2016, but Tim has progressively improved each twelvemonth and is acceptable to question overseas and lucifer it with the champion successful the world, helium says.

While critics volition constituent to the quality successful powerfulness arsenic a defining origin betwixt begetter and son, Fenech contends it has the imaginable to marque Tim a amended each circular boxer.

"He doesn't punch similar his dad. When you don't punch similar that and basal determination and trade, he's got to bash different things. And he's doing that truly good I'm precise very impressed," Fenech said.

Speaking earlier his nonrecreational boxing debut successful 2016, Tszyu admitted his father's power volition undoubtedly radiance through, but helium volition alteration into his ain combatant successful time.

"The happening is you can't transcript idiosyncratic else, you person to make your ain style," Tszyu said.

"But the teachings of the begetter person travel into my style, radical volition spot it."

For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!