By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing
IBF #15, WBA #15 light middleweight Tim Tszyu (12-0, 10 KOs) will clash with Australian 154-pound champion Joel Camaleri (17-5-1, 8 KOs) next Wednesday at the Star City Casino Sydney, NSW, Australia, on a nationally televised Foxtel Main Event pay-per-view promotion.
Tszyu talked about being recently world rated by the WBA and IBF. ”I thought it was pretty cool,” said Tszyu. “Top 15 means that at any point in time someone can call you up and say you could fight for a world title, so I’ve got to be ready 100 percent, no matter what.
“That’s the funniest part about it, is that once you’re in the top-15 you can get a chance at any given moment. A world title could even be two months away if that happens.”
On his fight with Camaleri, Tszyu stated, “I really don’t like to watch my opponents because I like to focus on myself. I know what he’s like and it doesn’t faze me at all. I’m ready for everything. He doesn’t have much boxing skill, so I think he’ll come out with one option, to come out swinging and come forward.
”I haven’t had an opponent that does that, so it will be nice to have someone that brings out a different style in me.”
Tim also commented about how his legendary father Kostya taught him to be disciplined.
“To eliminate all other distractions from my life … he’s taught me how to be very disciplined,” Tszyu said.
Tszyu senior was so focused on his boxing he left his family at home and Tim never got to travel to any of his overseas fights, attending only his Melbourne bout with Jesse James Leija in 2003.
“My dad didn’t take us to America to watch the fights, he was strictly business,” Tszyu concluded.