Already a pay-per-view star in Australia in just his 10th professional fight, Tszyu faces the toughest test of his career to date against Koen Mazoudier at the ICC Theatre on Wednesday night. A win will see the 26-year-old catapulted into the IBF and WBO super-welterweight world rankings, and this masthead can reveal there are plans for ‘The Butcher’ to break into the American market by 2026. BOXING: NIKITA TSZYU V MAZOUDIER | WED 28 AUG 7PM AEST | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.
And it’s a simple piece of advice from Kostya that could make all the difference as Nikita attempts to follow his father and older brother to America. “One of the biggest changes was my dad saying, ‘Not every punch has to be a knockout’,” Tszyu told this masthead. “As soon as he said it, it just clicked in my head.
“Like, how did I not think about that at all? “When I look back at all my other fights, I feel like such an amateur for always going for that big shot.” It will instead be a more patient and calculated fighter who meets Mazoudier (12-3-1) in centre ring on Wednesday night. Which is ironic considering the breakneck speed of his career to date.
“In 2025 we’ll have Nikita in some really good competition, and that will take him through to about 13 or 14 fights,” Tszyu’s manager, Glen Jennings tells this masthead. “In 2026, that’ll be the perfect time to launch Nikita overseas. This is the next stage of his career.
” It’s an extraordinarily quick r.