From starving games to training ‘hell’: Doco offers new insight into making of ‘Lion King’ Tszyu

Tim Tszyu has offered fresh insight into what it’s taken to become a boxing champion, revealing he ultimately “hates” training and recalling the strange tactics employed by his father Kostya to build mental strength.

A Fox Sports documentary airing tonight, All Access: Tszyu v Zerafa, gives fans a behind-closed-doors look into the camps of Tim Tszyu and Michael Zerafa ahead of their blockbuster bout on July 7.

In the 30-minute film, Tszyu recalls how his champion father helped forge the mental resilisance he carries with him today.

“Dad was always a strong man mentally. They used to make him to do real crazy tricks back in the Soviet Union days in Russia,” Tsyzu said.

Watch Tim Tszyu v Michael Zerafa on Main Event available on Foxtel and Kayo, Wednesday 7 July at 7pm AEST. ORDER NOW >

ZERAFA THREATENS TO PULL PLUG AS TSZYU CAMP LASHES ‘EXCUSES’

Boxing: Michael Zerafa and Tim Tszyu had a tense panel discussion, that came to life when the former brought up an old fight involving legend Kosta Tszyu…

Boxing: Michael Zerafa and Tim Tszyu had a tense panel discussion, that came to life when the former brought up an old fight involving legend Kosta Tszyu

“Just mental training … doing things you don’t want to do.

“And he’s put it on us. We used to do things like not eating, little exercises like that.

“He’d always want to make you say ‘I don’t want to do something’ and you’ve got to try and break through it. There’s always a limit where you say ‘no more, no more’ but there’s always a barrier you can push through.”

Tszyu also admits he “hates” training but credits the brutal sessions with uncle and trainer Igor Goloubev for making him the athlete he is.

“He (Goloubev) puts me through hell and back and he gives me a reality check,” Tszyu said. “A few times he’s tried to break me. He puts me through hell but I know he puts me through hell for a reason.”

Tszyu’s mother Natalia also features in the documentary and recalled how her son’s favourite movie was, fittingly, The Lion King.

“The movie was a young lion looking to his father and the way he’s growing up,” she said. “I can see he definitely he (Tim) is a king and what he achieves belongs to him and he can do it.”

The documentary explores Zerafa’s Covid disrupted preparations and the screening will be followed by the full interview face-off that featured a now-infamous ‘Micky Hatton” sledge that got under Tszyu’s skin.

BROADCAST DETAILS

All Access: Tszyu v Zerafa

Tuesday, June 29

8.30pm AEST, FOX SPORTS 503 & Kayo (Simulcast on FOX SPORTS 505, 506 and 507)

‘All Access: Tszyu v Zerafa’ will be available to watch on FOXTEL, stream on Kayo and watch On Demand on FOXTEL Go, Now.

Followed by Tszyu v Zerafa interview faceoff at 9pm AEST

Originally published asFrom starving games to training ‘hell’: Doco offers new insight into making of ‘Lion King’ Tszyu

Source: Read Full Article