“I Left the Ring With a Red Face, Contemplating My Life”: Tim Tszyu Sheds Light on Sparring Ban With His Brother

Tim Tszyu isn’t the only fighting man in the family! His younger brother, Nikita Tszyu, is also an undefeated boxer who is coming off a fifth-round stoppage victory over Dylan Biggs. But the brothers are banned from sparring with each other! In a recent pinch, elder brother Tszyu shed light on the matter. 

The WBO super welterweight champion will go toe-to-toe with Keith Thurman on March 30 at T-mobile Arena, Las Vegas. However, before the fight, he appeared in an interview with Fox Sports Australia today, where he spilled the tea on the ban situation! Nevertheless, the question is – why were they banned in the first place?

Not the first time Tim Tszyu and Nikita faced the ban

Back in October 2022, before Nikita’s fight against Darkon Dryden, the Australian undefeated brothers fought each other in a sparring match. The elder Tszyu landed a brutal punch on Nikita’s nose, and he needed to get surgery. It prompted their grandfather to ban them from sparring. 

So, when Tim Tszyu revealed he had been sparring with his brother in preparation for his upcoming fight during the interview with Fox Sports – the reporter immediately asked whether the ban had been lifted. “It was. For a week. Then grandpa banned us again,” said Tszyu. When asked about why they were banned again, Tszyu recollected the incident!

“It was during one of my first spars for this latest preparation. I went six rounds with somebody, and then in [came] Nikita for the last four. I’m tired and sore. My brother comes in all fresh, ready to go, and belts the f*** out of me. Body, head, body, head…(laughs) I left the ring with a red face, contemplating my life,” said Tszyu. However, this wasn’t the reason they were banned again!

Also Read: Tim Tszyu Remains Unfazed by “Little Yapper” Keith Thurman

According to Tszyu, the ban came the following Thursday when the brothers engaged in a sparring session one more time. “I made them put Nikita in first…And I gave it to him. A little bit. Afterward, my grandpa comes up and [said], ‘This is no good, no more,’” said Tszyu. While the brothers are banned from sparring each other, it might not last for long like the last time. 

According to a report from The Sydney Morning Herald from August 2023, Nikita said after the initial ban, “He [Tim] possesses the kind of skill that you can’t get from other sparring partners.” So, who knows? The brothers may start sparring again if the need presents itself.  

With just more than a month left in his fight against Keith Thurman, Tim Tszyu has revealed details about the ban on him sparring with his brother. Given brotherly rivalry, Nikita could have been quite a formidable sparring partner. What do you think about the ban? Do you think it’s high time their grandfather puts an end to it? 

Also Read: Tim Tszyu Eyes Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford if He Wins Next Fight