Tim Tszyu has angrily dismissed taunts that he is a nervous wreck after the home-town favourite and flashy American Tony Harrison each comfortably made weight for his or her much-anticipated world-title battle in Sydney.
Striving to observe his legendary father Kostya as a world champion, Tszyu hit the scales at 69.68kg at Saturday’s weigh-in for Sunday’s super-welterweight showdown at Qudos Financial institution Area.
Simply six grams separated the pair, with the taller, leaner Harrison (69.62kg) additionally properly below the 69.9kg restrict and claiming Tszyu’s fasting has harm the Sydney slayer.
“I noticed him yesterday with lips all white and dried out. I noticed him at present and it appeared like he was struggling,” stated Harrison, including he felt “wonderful”.
“I made weight extraordinarily properly, extraordinarily calculated this time. This has all the time been my hardest half.
“However I did it pretty properly and he must be pretty scared of what is taking place tomorrow.
“He is aware of the burden of the world is on his shoulders proper now and I do not assume he understands how he’ll carry it.
“I am trying in his eyes, he was shaking. He is been shaking daily all the best way as much as at present so he is nervous.”
Coronary heart for the battle
The undefeated Tszyu (21-0, 15KO) countered: “That is bulls**t. He is fought within the greatest phases of the world however he hasn’t finished this earlier than.
“I am relaxed. It is best to really feel my heartbeat proper now. It is very low. Which means it is relaxed.”
Promising to monster Harrison (29-3-1, 21KO) and anticipating to knock out the previous world champion, Tszyu plans to pack on one other eight kilograms earlier than getting into the ring for his date with future.
“I will be a lot heavier than him for positive. Me and him are fully totally different physique varieties however I will be large enough tomorrow,” he stated.
“I am in unbelievable form. All the things’s gone 100 per cent easily so there’s just one factor left – that is to win this battle.
“That is the very best half now, man. As soon as all that is finished, then the enjoyable begins.
“The dangerous boy’s popping out, I am telling you. I am prepared for the terminator to come back out as a result of I am going for a giant win, man.”
However been-there, done-that Harrison reckons Tszyu ought to brace for a actuality test.
“I am a seasoned vet. I do know what I am doing, I understand how to do it, I do know when to do it,” the previous WBC world champion stated.
‘This second is made for me’
“It is simply expertise. Expertise was my greatest trainer and I am proudly owning this second. This second is made for me.”
The victor will e-book a winner-takes-all blockbuster later this 12 months within the US with undisputed divisional champion Jermell Charlo, whose solely defeat to this point got here in opposition to Harrison in 2018.
The supremely assured Tszyu was purported to battle Charlo in Las Vegas in January earlier than the champion broke two bones in his left hand in coaching.
The 28-year-old may have waited for Charlo to recuperate, however is risking all of it in opposition to Harrison, who’s promising to shatter Tszyu’s desires.
“That is a foul motherf****r proper there,” he stated when requested what the pundits might be saying on Sunday evening.
“They hold counting me out. I do not perceive why. Like, I am from Motor, I am from Detroit. How the f**okay do they hold counting us out?”
-AAP
