‘Dreams come true’: Tszyu’s mum opens up on son’s boxing journey

If Tim Tszyu defeats Sebastian Fundora this weekend, he and father Kostya will be just the second father-son combination in boxing history to be unified world champions.

But mother Natalia Tszyu believes there is another generation of fighting champions to come.

“I’m telling you, I won’t be surprised if one day you are talking to me and I’m going to be a grandmother and my grandsons are going to be fighting,” Natalia told Code Sport in Las Vegas.

“Honestly, I feel it.

“Maybe not Tim’s one, maybe not Nikita’s one, maybe my daughter’s [Anastasia] one. I’m not going to be surprised.”

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Tim is already a bonafide world champion, holding the WBO super-welterweight belt, which he will defend while also trying to claim the vacant WBC belt in the unification title fight against Fundora at T-Mobile Arena this Sunday (AEDT).

Kostya unified the light-welterweight division by defeating Zab Judah in Vegas in 2001.

Son Nikita is another rising star in the super-welterweight division, undefeated in eight pro bouts. Natalia, Nikita and Anastasia are in Vegas to support Tim’s history-making attempt.

Leon and Corey Spinks are the only father and son to be unified champions. Leon defeated Muhammad Ali in 1978 to claim the WBA, WBC and The Ring heavyweight titles, while Corey unified the light-weltwerweight division in 2003 by defeating Ricardo Mayorga and ironically, Judah, before losing to Judah in a 2005 rematch.

The Tszyus are creating their own boxing dynasty, but it was one Natalia never envisioned for her sons when Kostya left the family to start a new life in Russia.

“When Tim was a young boy, and I separated from Kostya, I said, ‘Boys, we’re finished with boxing, we’re starting a new life, forget about the boxing’.

“I didn’t want my boys to box. They were in a private school, we changed their house, their cars, everything was changed to live in a normal Australian way.

“Then one day, 12 years ago, Tim said to me, ‘Mum, I want to box. I see myself fighting in Las Vegas. And one day when my dad comes to Australia, I’m going to pick him up in a beautiful car and drive around Sydney’.

“I stand here today, and I remember that conversation. And the dream comes true.

“When we separated, we sat at the table and I told them to sit here, here and here, and I said, ‘I know you are my kids, my boys, but I’m your mother and you have to listen to me’. But at the same time I never controlled my boys.

“I let them experience things outside the family, ‘Go to the schools, have experience with other boys as well’. It wasn’t easy, there were a lot of hiccups, but we talked and helped each other.

“At some times we weren’t even talking to each other, Tim and Nikita, girlfriends were a problem, just normal family things, life can’t always be sweet, it is sour as well, but we managed well and now we’re standing here, I said to my daughter, ‘Anastasia, we’re here’.

“It doesn’t matter which part of the world, we’re always going to come and support the boys at their fights.

“I’m so proud of my boys, and I think the number one blessing has been Australia, all the opportunities the country gave me, to have kids in Australia, raised in a beautiful environment, and for me boxing is a discipline but it’s more than that, now I can see that we are representing Australia.”

But Natalia will be nervous as always watching from ringside.

“I’m always scared, I pray before every fight,” she said.

“With Kostya it was different, I was younger. Now there are more emotions.

“But now Tim is in his prime, in age and in his mind as well.

“I would say he has another seven years to go, there are a lot of injuries in boxing, but Tim is in good health so I’m confident.

“We grew up in a boxing family, boxing was breakfast, lunch and dinner.

“So they know everything that needs to be done, before and after the fight, in recovery, the boys are educated in the way of being professional boxers.”

Natalia was surprised to learn that Kostya, who was supposed to have attended this weekend’s fight, decided to remain home because of fears he may be targeted by US border officials due to Russia’s ongoing war with Ukraine.

“Maybe he doesn’t want to disturb, he has only been to one of his fights,” Natalia said.

“The opinions of other people, I don’t care. He’s always going to be their father, and boxing comes because of him.”