Tszyu eyeing quick win

WITH less than eight minutes of ring time in his young professional boxing career, Nikita Tszyu is supposed to get in some valuable rounds against the more experienced Ben Horn on Wednesday night.

But that no longer appeals to the hungry 24-year-old.

“I couldn’t care less about getting the rounds anymore, I’d rather it finish early, I get to go home and eat burgers,” Tszyu said.

That only set off Horn, who is seeking family revenge after Tim Tszyu finished the career of his older brother Jeff two years ago. “There’s no way he’s getting me out of there early, if he thinks that, he’s going to come in and eat one of my big shots,” Horn said.

“That’ll be good he thinks that. Then he can go eat a burger with a sore chin, or try to eat a burger.

“This is a good opportunity to beat the Tszyu name.

“They think I am going to be an easy fight, I know that’s not going to be the case. They can come in cocky and I’ll chin him.

“It’s a fight, it’s his two fists against my two fists, that’s all there is to it.”

Jeff Horn will be ringside at the sold-out Hordern Pavilion in Sydney when Ben confronts the hammer-fisted younger Tszyu, who in two fights has fought a total of seven minutes 59 seconds for two devastating knockout wins.

The former world champion who defeated Manny Pacquiao, Horn hopes his brother Ben can avenge the eighthround defeat he suffered to Tim Tszyu in Townsville in August 2020, his final bout.

“It would be massive, absolutely massive for us to get one back,” Jeff said.

“We know how big this task is, with the amount of time Ben’s had to get ready for it, but we think it’s possible.

“Be smart, box and avoid those big punches that come from Nikita. He might have to weather an early storm, but it’s such an unknown, which is why it’s so stressful for us, for me as his brother as well.

“If Ben can avoid him and outbox him in those first few rounds he’s going for his head, Ben wins on points.”

But the machine-like Nikita Tszyu relishes the thought of inflicting punishment on his super-welterweight rival, who has four wins and four losses.

“I can tell that he’s going to be tough,” Tszyu said. “But at the same time, I look in his eyes and I can see a bit of weakness in him. I can see there is something inside of him that will crack eventually.

“I hope he brings his best self, because that’s going to make the win that much more satisfying.”

Meanwhile, 34-year-old Jeff Horn confirmed he has no intention of making a boxing return despite numerous offers.

“I’ve had offers from overseas, offers here in Australia, but honestly I don’t know if I’ve got what it takes to get ready,” he said.