TIM KEEPS FOCUS ON MAIN GAME
TIM Tszyu first stepped into a ring with the goal of becoming a world champion.
The groundwork for that journey has been laid, but he knows his bout with Jeff Horn could be what catapults him within an inch of that milestone.
No talk has fazed the 25-year-old, no banter too fierce to get under his skin.
His vision, he said, has been solely focused on boxing.
“I’ve gone clearly into this tunnel vision where nothing exists. It was good to get to the Gold Coast where it was just me and my team and nothing else,” Tszyu said.
“There’s no distractions, there’s nothing around besides that goal. For me I’ve always been very focused on what I do, but this extra bit has made me even more focused.
“It’s business as usual, nothing bothers me. It’s a weird feeling, it’s a weird tunnel vision feeling where nothing comes in my way.”
Horn has put himself in imposing shape ahead of the conflict by putting on 4kg of muscle.
Irrelevant, according to Tszyu. A frequent mode of attack by the rising sensation’s naysayers in ‘The Hornet’s’ camp has been that without his father Kostya’s name he would not be in the position he finds himself in.
Nonsense, according to Tszyu.
While the former boxing superstar has had an obvious influence on his life, everything Tszyu has done in the ring has been forged by his own desire and will.
That determination to establish his own legacy will act as a powerful tool come August 26.
“My dad lives far, far away. We talk of course, he’s a big part of my life and who I am today, but I’ve done this all on my own,” Tszyu said.
“I’ve got my own team behind me, my dad doesn’t play a big part in my career.
“Once we get in the ring it’s a dogfight in there, I know I’m going to get hit and he knows he’s going to get hit.”