Kostya Tszyu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kostya Tszyu Костя Цзю
Tszyu in 2008
Statistics
Real name	Konstantin Borisovich Tszyu
Nickname(s)	Thunder from Down Under
Rated at	Light-welterweight
Height	5 ft 7 in
Reach	67 in
Nationality	Australian (since 1993) Soviet (until 1991)
Born	(1969-09-19) 19 September 1969 (age 55) Serov, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	34
Wins	31
Wins by KO	25
Losses	2
No contests	1
Medal record Men's amateur boxing Representing  Soviet Union Goodwill Games Gold 1990 Seattle Light-welterweight World Championships Bronze 1989 Moscow Lightweight Gold 1991 Sydney Light-welterweight Junior World Championships Silver 1987 Havana Lightweight European Championships Gold 1989 Athens Lightweight Gold 1991 Gothenburg Light-welterweight

Konstantin Borisovich "Kostya" Tszyu (born September 19, 1969) is a famous Russian-Australian former professional boxer. He competed from 1992 to 2005. Kostya held many world championships in the light-welterweight division. He was the undisputed champion from 2001 to 2005. Tszyu was known for his amazing accuracy, perfect timing, and powerful punches. Many people think he was one of the best light-welterweight boxers ever.

As an amateur boxer, Tszyu represented the Soviet Union. He won a bronze medal at the 1989 World Championships. He also won a gold medal at the 1991 World Championships. He earned gold medals at the 1989 and 1991 European Championships too.

In 1995, Tszyu won his first professional world title. He defeated Jake Rodríguez to become the International Boxing Federation (IBF) champion. He defended his title five times before losing in 1997. After that, he was undefeated for eight years! He won the World Boxing Council (WBC) title in 1999. In 2001, he won the World Boxing Association (WBA) title. That same year, he knocked out Zab Judah to get the IBF title back. This made him the first undisputed light-welterweight champion in over 30 years. His final fight was in 2005, when he lost to Ricky Hatton.

Many people in Australia see Tszyu as a national sports hero. In 2010, he was named the best light-welterweight of the 2000s by The Ring magazine. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011. From 2012 to 2013, he coached other professional boxers. His son, Tim Tszyu, won a world title in 2023.

Early Life and Boxing Start

Tszyu was born in Serov, a town near the Ural Mountains in the former Soviet Union. His father was of Korean and Mongol background, and his mother was Russian. His dad worked in a metal factory, and his mom was a nurse.

When Kostya was a child, he had a lot of energy. His father took him to a boxing gym to help him use that energy. Kostya quickly impressed the Soviet amateur team coaches. He traveled to over 30 countries for training and tournaments. He trained with the team for 250 days a year. He won many amateur boxing championships. At the 1987 World Junior Championships in Cuba, he finished second. In the 1988 Summer Olympics, he lost in the third round.

Tszyu was part of the Soviet Army, but because he was an "elite athlete," he did not have to serve regular duty. He competed in the World Championships again in Moscow in 1989, where he won a bronze medal.

In 1991, he went to the amateur World Championships in Sydney, Australia. This trip changed his life. He won a gold medal there. He also loved Sydney and its people. He decided he wanted to live in Australia. After the Soviet Union broke apart in 1991, Tszyu moved to Australia in early 1992 with his girlfriend. They got married in 1993 and became Australian citizens. They settled in Sydney. Before getting married, Tszyu had already started his professional boxing career. He won his first professional fight in Melbourne on March 1, 1992.

Professional Boxing Career

Kostya Tszyu quickly started fighting tough opponents. In only his fourth professional fight, he faced former WBC Featherweight Champion Juan Laporte. Tszyu won by decision after ten rounds. In his sixth fight, he knocked out Sammy Fuentes in the first round.

In 1994, Tszyu continued to win against strong boxers. He beat Héctor López by decision and Angel Hernandez by knockout. After these wins, Tszyu was ranked number one in the light-welterweight division.

Becoming a World Champion

In 1995, Tszyu got his first chance to fight for a world title. He fought Jake Rodríguez for the IBF Light Welterweight Championship in Las Vegas. Tszyu became a world champion by knocking out Rodríguez in the sixth round.

He then defended his world title several times. He beat former world champion Roger Mayweather by decision. He also knocked out Hugo Pineda, Cory Johnson, and Jan Bergman. After these successful defenses, many boxing magazines praised Tszyu as a top world champion.

Title Defenses and Challenges

Tszyu started 1997 with a fight against Leonardo Moro Mas. The fight ended in a technical draw after the first round due to a controversial foul. The IBF later changed it to a "no-contest." In his next fight, Tszyu suffered his first professional loss. He was knocked out by Vince Phillips in the 10th round, losing his world title.

After this loss, Tszyu worked his way back up. He beat former world champions Calvin Grove and Rafael Ruelas. In 1998, the WBC light-welterweight title became vacant. Tszyu fought Diosbelys Hurtado for the interim title. He was knocked down twice in the first round but recovered to win by knockout in the fifth. He became a world champion again in 1999 by knocking out former world champion Miguel Ángel González. He defended his WBC title twice in 2000. He beat Ahmed Santos and then the legendary Mexican boxer Julio César Chávez. Tszyu later said his win over Miguel Angel Gonzalez was his best performance.

Undisputed Champion Status

Tszyu then wanted to hold all the major boxing belts at once. In 2001, he fought WBA Champion Sharmba Mitchell. Tszyu won the belt after seven rounds when Mitchell had to stop due to a knee injury. His next fight was against Oktay Urkal, which he won by decision.

Tszyu finished 2001 by getting his IBF belt back in a big fight against the champion Zab Judah. Tszyu knocked Judah out in the second round. After the fight, there was a small argument in the ring because Judah felt the fight was stopped too early. However, replays showed Judah was unsteady on his feet. With this win, Tszyu became the first boxer in 30 years to hold all the major light-welterweight titles at the same time.

In 2002, Tszyu had one fight, beating Ben Tackie of Ghana by decision. Tszyu showed amazing boxing skills, losing only one round on one judge's scorecard.

On January 19, 2003, Tszyu defended his titles against former world champion Jesse James Leija. Tszyu won by knockout in the sixth round. This fight was in Melbourne, Australia. After the fight, Tszyu said it might be his last in Australia because promoters wanted him to fight in the United States.

Later Career and Retirement

Tszyu was supposed to have a rematch with Sharmba Mitchell in Moscow on February 7, 2004. But Tszyu injured his shoulder during training. He had surgery, which kept him out of the ring longer. Because of this, the WBA and WBC took away his titles.

On November 6, 2004, Tszyu and Mitchell finally had their rematch. Tszyu knocked Mitchell out again, this time in three rounds. Tszyu was named "comeback fighter of the year" by Ring magazine.

His next fight was on June 5, 2005, against British boxer Ricky Hatton. Tszyu lost this fight and his world title. He stopped fighting at the end of the 11th round. He was behind on all the judges' scorecards.

After this loss, there were rumors in 2007 and 2010 that Tszyu might return to boxing. He continued to train and stay in shape. He said he would only come back if he could fight big names like Shane Mosley, Manny Pacquiao, or Floyd Mayweather Jr.. However, he did not have another professional fight.

Personal Life

Kostya and Natasha Tszyu, 2007

Tszyu married Natasha Anikina on September 24, 1993. They have three children: Anastasia, Nikita, and Tim. Both Nikita and Tim are boxers, following in their father's footsteps. Tszyu and his family first moved to Moscow in 2008 but later returned to Sydney, Australia. In September 2012, Tszyu moved to Russia full-time. He is now married to Tatiana Averina and they have two children. He also runs a restaurant in Moscow.

Kostya Tszyu loves animals. He has several pets, including a rottweiler named Viking, a diamond python named Jake, canaries, and fish. He even appeared with his animals on a TV show called Harry's Practice in 2002.

Professional Boxing Record

Boxing Titles Won

Major World Titles

• WBA (Super) light welterweight champion (140 lbs)
• WBC light welterweight champion (140 lbs)
• IBF light welterweight champion (140 lbs) (won twice)

The Ring Magazine Titles

• The Ring light welterweight champion (140 lbs)

Interim World Titles

• WBC interim light welterweight champion (140 lbs)

Undisputed Titles

• Undisputed light welterweight champion

Honorary Titles

• WBC Emeritus Champion

Video Albums

See also

In Spanish: Kostia Tsziu para niños