Dylan Biggs has promised to wait as long as it takes to ensure he walks out last, as is his right as Australian champion, against undefeated rising star Nikita Tszyu saying: “The Tszyu name shouldn’t alter the basic rules of boxing”.
Speaking with Fox Sports Australia, the undefeated fighter dubbed ‘The Beaudesert Storm’ has also vowed to knock the younger Tszyu sibling — or Baby Tszyu, as he dubs him — cold for the first time in his professional career, stressing he will not only be last man into the ring for the national title blockbuster, but “the last one to leave”.
Biggs also seems to have little regard for ‘The Butcher’ persona being built up by his rival, describing a recent Tszyu promotional video to hype the event as cringey.
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Less than a week out from their Main Event showdown at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre, a drama has erupted over which of the undefeated super welterweights should be allowed the honour of walking last to the ring.
While boxing protocol suggests Briggs, as reigning champion, should be afforded the gig, Team Tszyu have already suggested it will be the son of Kostya Tszyu who goes last given the No Limit card has effectively been built around him.
Asked about the issue on Thursday however, Briggs insisted he would be walking last before then stressing he had no issue with playing ‘chicken’ on fight night – adamant he could sit inside his dressing room for as long as was required for fight protocol to be met.
“So they (Team Tszyu) can think they should walk last all they want,” he said.
“History says the champion walks second and I have the belt.
“And that belt, it should mean more than anybody’s surname.
“The Tszyu name shouldn’t alter the basic rules of boxing.
“So, yes, I understand he’s the cash cow.
“The Pay-Per-View seller.
“But since boxing started the champion has always walked out second and that shouldn’t change because of somebody’s last name.”
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Asked why he thought Team Tszyu were pushing the issue, Briggs continued: “They’re just looking for advantages. And I understand that.
“They’re trying to get some little wins, either physical or mental. Trying to get an edge so they can say that they’ve won.
“But I’m as mentally strong as they come.”
So if the issue has not been decided by fight night?
“And I’m happy to sit and wait,” he said. “And I don’t fluster.
“We’re talking about the rules of boxing and I don’t see why that should change for somebody’s last name.”
Elsewhere, the Queenslander who is undefeated in all 10 professional appearances – including seven wins by knockout – insisted Tszyu would be getting stopped for the first time in his career.
Ironically, back when starting out as a professional, Tszyu was famously dropped in a sparring session with Biggs, which has since become one of the major talking points in the build up to this latest Aussie title showdown.
“And Nikita is going lights out on November 22,” the champ said. “I don’t like to predict too much but I can definitely say the fight will be won by knockout.
“And I will be leaving the ring last, too.”
But as for Biggs expecting more games like this one in fight week?
“Definitely,” he replied.
“I think their game plan is to try and get me flustered.
“But it’s just not going to happen.
“I’m not affected by cameras and stuff like that, it doesn’t faze me.
“So he can talk as much as he likes. The fight is ready, it’s about to happen.
“I’m not sure what you would keep talking for.”
Also speaking about the issue at a Brisbane press conference on Thursday, Biggs said the ability to walk last should be “earned not given”.
“And I don’t think Nikita Tszyu should have the opportunity just because of his name to take that right away from me,” he said.
Elsewhere, Biggs also suggested he was ready to “knock baby Tszyu out”, while also suggesting his rival’s team had tried to “twist my words” regarding the old sparring session where he famously dropped the younger brother of now WBO world champion Tim Tszyu.
“I never disrespected the sparring session,” he said.
“I didn’t even bring it up, and wouldn’t have.
“He came out and put it forward so I thought it was free reign to talk about it.”
And as for the Nikita promo video, which shows the hooded young star at a table, dog Lucifer by his side, while eating meat and drinking milk before hurling a knife at a poster with his face?
“Made me cringe,” he deadpanned. “I didn’t see the point of it.
“Or what they gained from it.
“Thought it was a bit stupid to be honest.”
Speaking with Fox Sports Australia earlier this week, Biggs’ manager Brendon Smith branded the Tszyu camp “disgusting and disrespectful” for trying to break with tradition and have their young charge walk to the ring last.
Tszyu’s agent Glen Jennings said, however, that while his fighter respected Biggs and what he has already achieved, it was ‘The Butcher’ who remained the undeniable A side – and the man fans were coming to see.
Jennings also revealed it would not be the first time a Tszyu, as challenger, had walked out last – with Tim Tszyu receiving the honour, he said, when fighting Joel Camilleri for the same Australian super welterweight title in 2019.
“Put simply, boxing is entertainment and Nikita Tszyu is the undeniable A-side,” Jennings said.
“He’s the primary driver of this event, the reason everyone is coming to this fight.
“So it’s not about disrespecting Dylan Biggs, disrespecting the national title or anything like that.
“This is a Pay-Per-View event and Nikita is the Pay-Per-View star.”
Later, he continued: “This isn’t anything new.
“When Tim fought Joel Camilleri for his Australian title, he also came out last.
“So we’ve already done it.
“This is just business for us.
“When you’re the A side and selling all the tickets that’s how it is.
“And we’d really love to see Dylan Biggs selling his own Pay-Per-Views one day himself if he’s successful enough.
“But that’s up to them, not us.”
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