Undefeated junior middleweight prospect Nikita ‘The Butcher’ Tszyu 8-0 (7) could be following his older brother and reigning WBO 154-pound champion Tim Tszyu 24-0 (17) to the USA for his next fight.
The plan is for Tim to make the maiden defence of the WBO title he won against Brian Mendoza 22-3 (16) in Las Vegas on March 2 with Nikita a chance to appear on the undercard to make it a Tszyu doubleheader.
Nikita impressed with his off-the-canvas win over Australian champion Dylan Biggs 10-1 (7) at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre in Newcastle, Australia on Wednesday night.
The 25-year-old Sydney southpaw found himself on the deck in the opening frame of a fight that quickly evolved into a tit-for-tat war. Tszyu’s granite chin and hard blows eventually prevailed, winning the national crown courtesy of a heavy duty body shot in the fifth.
“It’s a beautiful feeling, I’ve been envisioning this moment, picturing how it would play out,” Nikita said after the win.
“He was standing there like a wall I had to climb over. It feels good to be over to jump over that. I’m ready to start another chapter.
“When my jab started landing. I noticed he was getting gassed… trying to hit me with pot shots from a distance. I had to set traps for him and hit him as he attacked.”
Nikita didn’t hesitate when asked what his future looked like.
“Vegas, baby!” he grinned, while glancing at his brother Tim.
The 28-year-old Tim is a believer in Nikita’s talents. He thinks he should face former world champion Tony Harrison 29-4-1 (21) next, who Tim defeated by ninth-round knockout in March.
But before an opponent for Nikita can be locked in, a challenger for Tim has to be found.
George Rose, who promotes both of the Tszyu lads, has a few names in mind for Tim’s next fight. Unsurprisingly, former undisputed junior middleweight champion and reigning WBC and WBA titleholder Jermell Charlo 35-2-1 (19) tops the list.
But there are other names floating about too, including former world title challenger Erickson ‘The Hammer’ Lubin 26-2 (18).
“Charlo would obviously be the best and a fight we’d all love, but it isn’t something we will be holding our breath over,” the No Limit boss said to Fox Sports Australia.
“So of course if we can get belts too, we go for belts. But if not, we go for a fight that makes sense in America. And generally that’s against either an American or Mexican.
“Erickson Lubin is absolutely in the mix. And at the moment there aren’t many other people in the division that would make sense for a Las Vegas fight. But there are discussions with every option available.
“We want to lock it away within the next few weeks and before our December 15 card in Sydney. That way based on the outcomes of that December card, we can then push on with next year.”