Hollywood Tim? Tszyu’s bid to finish Fenech feud… and play dad in his movie — Fighting Words

This is Fox Sports Australia’s combat sports column Fighting Words, where we give you all the latest news and views in MMA and boxing, from Australia and abroad.

He already bears an uncanny resemblance to the old man, and now Tim Tszyu is offering to play Hall of Fame father Kostya in an upcoming film about Australian boxing legend Jeff Fenech.

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Only a fortnight out from his Easter Sunday showdown against Denis Nurja, Tszyu has also opened up to this column about his desire to have Fenech end a self-imposed ban around his fights, declaring: “I want him there at my next fight”.

Long considered the nation’s boxing pay-per-view king, Tszyu has this week revealed his eagerness to now step up and onto the big screen for ‘Fenech’ – an upcoming biopic which, directed by Matt Norman, is set to chronicle the incredible life of an Australian sporting icon.

Already, popular Aussie actor Daniel Amalm has been cast into the lead role, with Gary Sweet to play trainer Johnny Lewis, Nicky Whelan portraying Suzee Fenech and Ian Stenlake cast as Kerry Packer.

As yet, nobody has been announced for the role of Kostya Tszyu however, who initially moved Down Under in 1992 to help prepare Fenech for a fight against Azumah Nelson, while also starting his own professional career.

But if someone were to ask his son?

“Would I do it? Oh, 100 percent,” Tszyu said this week from camp in Miami, Florida.

“If anyone is interested, I’m right here.

“I definitely know how to play my dad. And who knows? Maybe Hollywood is next …”

Asked the key to playing his old man, Tszyu joked: “Oh, just give me the rats tail.

“Then maybe a few gold chains, some swagger …. and of course a Bentley to drive around in.

“[Laughs] Then, I’ll just be super difficult to everyone. That’s Kostya Tszyu.”

TSZYU BID TO END FENECH FEUD

Still on Tim Tszyu, and the former world champ says he’s determined to have Fenech attend his April 5 fight inside Wollongong Entertainment Centre – despite the Australian legend having boycotted his most recent bout.

Back in December, Fenech refused to attend Tszyu’s win over undefeated American Anthony Velazquez.

The Australian boxing great said his absence was due to having zero input into the preparations, despite having initially been touted by Tszyu’s team as a consultant.

Elsewhere, Fenech also took aim at Tszyu’s new coach Pedro Diaz, describing footage coming out of the camp as “f***ing worse than anything I’ve seen”.

Asked this week if he had discussed the criticism with Fenech, Tszyu replied: “No, we haven’t discussed it, but I know Jeff only wants the best for me.

“He’s a great guy and somebody who says what he feels.

“Jeff and I, we really get along well.

“And he’s always been incredibly supportive of me.

“With some of the things that have happened in my life, there hasn’t been a lot of people I could bounce off.

“My dad though is one. And Jeff Fenech is another. They’ve always been the two.

“And because of that friendship I’d like him there Easter Sunday.

“We haven’t discussed it yet but, yeah, I want him there at my next fight.”

BIG NASTY’S ‘TRAUMA’ SLEDGE

Nelson Asofa-Solomona is promising to inflict “trauma” on retired Queensland Origin star Jarrod Wallace, and suggests the gloves used in their Easter Sunday rematch will play a massive factor.

While he may be fighting on the undercard of Tim Tszyu’s April headliner, Asofa-Solomona has vowed to steal the show against Wallace – who he’s already fought once, and stopped, in a 2023 exhibition bout.

In fact, Australia’s newest crossover star has admitted surprise at the Queenslander wanting to go around again, and especially after ‘Big Nasty’ needed less than a round to stop Jeremy Latimore in his recent professional debut.

“When Jarrod’s name came up for this fight I was shocked,” NAS admitted this week.

“I’ve already fought him once, and won by KO.

“And for that fight, we were wearing 18 ounce gloves.

“This time around though, we’re fighting in 10 ounce gloves.

“And against Jeremy Latimore, I couldn’t believe the difference that made.

“With my type of power, it becomes a whole different ball game … and it’ll be a whole different world Jarrod walks into.”

So as for a prediction?

“Once a jab lands, it’s going to bring back some trauma for him,” Asofa-Solomona warned. “And this time around, I think [the finish] will be more devastating.

“Which isn’t anything personal.

“Because when nobody wanted to fight me, Jarrod was the first one to raise his hand.

“That’s the type of guy he is. Always up for a challenge.

“And now in this situation he’s looking to get some revenge.

“But I’m also not going to stray away from what I said when I came into this, and that is me looking for those highlight reel finishes.

“I’m looking for knockouts.

“That’s what sells and that’s what people are coming to see. So that’s what I’m going to put on.”

OPETAIA’S RIVAL’S PHONE DIDN’T RECOGNISE HIM

American cruiserweight Brandon Glanton has revealed the brutal toll of his recent showdown with Jai Opetaia, admitting his own phone didn’t recognise him in the days after the fight.

Glanton showed plenty of heart against the unbeaten Aussie champion in his Zuffa Boxing debut, eventually dropping a unanimous decision after a punishing contest.

But it was the bizarre aftermath that truly drove home the damage he absorbed.

Posting to social media this week, Glanton said the swelling to his face was so severe that his phone’s Face ID feature failed to unlock for several days.

“My phone’s Face ID hasn’t recognised me in three days, but honestly? I could have gone 20 rounds,” he wrote on Instagram.

“The heart doesn’t quit just because the eyes decide to take a vacation.

“It takes a different kind of crazy to step in there, and I love every brutal second of it.

“But for everyone sitting on the couch commenting about how they want to get in the ring… you ya’ll still wanna box?

“Because let me be real with you… no matter how slick you think your head movement is, eventually you will get this look. It comes with the territory.”

OPETAIA SUPERFIGHT GONE

Elsewhere with Opetaia, it appears the big punching southpaw’s hopes of landing a David Benavidez superfight have taken a hit, with the American now declaring he will return to light heavyweight after challenging Gilberto Ramirez for the WBA and WBO cruiserweight straps in May.

Speaking with Fox Sports Australia recently, new Zuffa Boxing boss Dana White insisted he would be making a showdown between Opetaia, his new client, and Benavidez, telling us: “Abso-f***ing-lutely … that fight will happen”.

However, during an appearance on Inside The Ring this week, Benavidez outlined his plans to unify the light heavyweight division against Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev – even if he becomes a cruiserweight champion next up.

“I’ve been telling you guys I wanna get Bivol and then Beterbiev,” Benavidez said. “Those are the two fights I want for myself and I know all the world of boxing wants to see.

“So now that I can make 175 comfortably, I feel like we gotta make that happen first. We got this fight, we’re gonna get these belts first and then we’re gonna go back down, then gonna come back up.

“Because like I said, I already had cards I wanted to play. I wanna take care of that first.”

BOBBY KNUCKLES CONFIRMS JULY COMEBACK

Aussie MMA star Robert Whittaker has locked in a July return, confirming he’s got a fight lined up for his big move to light heavyweight – but that’s all we know for now.

Australia’s first UFC champion made the decision earlier this year to leave the middleweight division and reinvent himself at 205 pounds.

Whittaker has been putting in the work across the ditch at City Kickboxing, training alongside a stacked group that includes old rival Israel Adesanya.

During an interview with Combat TV on Thursday, Bobby Knuckles revealed he would be back in the Octagon in July, but didn’t give any more details.

When pressed recently by Fox Sports Australia on who he’d like to fight first, Whittaker said there’s a few big names he’s been eyeing off.

“You know me, I’ll fight anyone,” said Whittaker.

“But I like the idea of Dominick Reyes and Jan Blachowicz. I even like Magomed Ankalaev. I want to fight all of these guys!”

The only fighter he said he wasn’t “pumped” about matching up with was Czech enigma Jiri Procházka – but nobody can really blame him for that.

DRAGONS GREAT WANTS CROSSOVER FIGHT

St George Illawarra great Matt Cooper has laughed off suggestions he only wants to fight Nelson Asofa-Solomona for cash, while also suggesting Australia’s newest crossover star doesn’t have the IQ or speed to beat him.

Despite being aged 46, Cooper is a longtime trainer of both boxing and Mixed Martial Arts, and told The Punch Podcast this week he’s too fast for the 130kg heavyweight.

The Dragons premiership hero also stressed NAS was “scared” to face him — despite being 16 years younger and several kilos heavier — while also rejecting claims he is only fighting to make some coin off the former Melbourne Storm enforcer.

“Oh man, it’s not about cash,” Cooper cackled. “I don’t need cash. I just want to fight. I’d be a good opponent and … I’ve got too much speed for the big fella. He’s got power, but I don’t know if he’s got the IQ or the speed.”

So as for NAS fighting Jarrod Wallace next?

“Ah, look, Wallace is a brawler,” Cooper continued. “But Nelson has already knocked him out. And knocked him out with 18 ounce gloves on. So I don’t know how he will go. Nelson is fighting guys he knows he’s going to beat to get his wins up. They’re scared to fight me because they know I might beat him.”

JDM KO THREAT

Australia’s Jack Della Maddalena returns to the Octagon in May for the first time since losing his UFC welterweight crown – and with his latest Brazilian rival vowing to knock him cold.

Speaking on Ariel Helwani’s show this week, Carlos Prates insisted a big win over ‘Della’ in Perth will put him in pole position for his own title shot.

“I will knock JDM out,” he said. “A lot of people like me, and I have a lot of fans. There’s talk about whether I deserve it or not, but I think I do. Of course, I will knock JDM out, and then I will have knocked out two former champions. So who deserves it more than me?”

VOLK’S ‘REAL MAN’ CLAIM

Alexander Volkanovski has received praise for trying to pitch Movsar Evloev into a UFC title fight, with the Russian declaring this week: “That’s how real champions talk”.

Currently on an unbeaten run stretching 12 years and 19 fights – including all nine inside the Octagon – Evloev faces Englishman Lerone Murphy, also undefeated, in Sunday’s UFC London headliner.

For several months now, Volk has suggested whoever wins the London scrap should become next contender for his crown.

Speaking with MMA Fighting this week however, Evloev said that while both he and Murphy are yet to taste defeat, neither has been promised anything by the UFC in victory.

“No, nothing like that,” Evloev said when asked if a title shot was guaranteed should he win. “It looks like it’s a contender fight [though]. If I win or Murphy wins, I don’t see no excuse to not give a title shot to the winner of this fight.”

Asked about Volk’s push for the winner to face him, he added: “Look, that’s how real champions talk. I was waiting for him, nothing [disrespectful] but this guy is a real man. He’s fighting with the best and that’s why he became the best featherweight of all time.”