Tim Tszyu’s video team have captured the exact moment his handshake was coldly brushed by American superstar Errol Spence Jnr, prompting the Australian to brand his rival a “disrespectful f***” during a fiery Las Vegas press conference on Sunday.
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Footage captured by Tszyu’s promoters No Limit show ‘The Phoenix’ walking down a narrow corridor prior to the MGM Grand press event when he confronts Spence’s entourage, including the former welterweight king and trainer Ronnie Shields, coming the other way.
First up, Spence shakes hands and embraces a PBC content team member walking ahead of Tszyu.
As a result, and holding a white Starbucks container in his left hand, Tszyu naturally then extends his own right hand to greet the man he is set to face Down Under on July 26.
Spence refuses however, and keeps walking, saying something that sounds like: “I see no man dapping up, bro … you can kill that s***”.
“Oh, for God’s sake,” a US public relations chief can be heard saying out of shot.
Initially, Tszyu laughs at Spence’s behaviour.
Smiling, the Aussie star then turns as Spence continues on down the corridor, grinning “I see how it is … I see how it is”.
Spence then goes again.
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“You can kill that s***,” he repeats. “You know how it is.”
Someone off camera can then be heard saying: “C’mon, don’t start …”
But start, they undeniably have.
During the ensuing press event, both fighters again went at each other after Tszyu likened the Spence opportunity to his father Kostya’s world title win, in 2000, against Mexican legend Julio Cesar Chavez.
“You know back in the day my dad fought Julio Cesar Chavez,” the Sydneysider started.
“And growing up he used to think of Chavez as the number one guy.
“[Then] he got to fight him. And beat him.
“So this is the type of moment where I get to reflect because I grew up watching Errol Spence, and being at that top calibre.
‘Disrespectful f***’: Tszyu lashes out | 05:43
“And now I get to fight him.
“This is my Julio Cesar Chavez moment.”
Asked for a reply, Spence shrugged: “I think that’s cute. But it ain’t what this is.
“This is Errol Spence versus Tim Tszyu.
“He’s not the calibre of his daddy. He can’t compare himself to his pops.
“He’s fighting me. He is trying to get out of his daddy’s shadow. We’ll see July 26 if he can get out of that shadow”.
When then asked for a response to all that, Tszyu didn’t miss.
“I’m a very respectful guy,” he started. “I came up to him before and tried to shake his hand – he just walked past me like a disrespectful f***.
“That just shows the type of person he is.
“And that’s alright. He’s talking about the comparisons between me and my dad, I’ve heard it all.
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“Every fighter I’ve ever fought has said the same thing. It’s alright …”
At which point Spence interjected from across the stage: “Bro, I don’t play games.
“When people talk s***, and then when you see me it’s ‘hey, what’s up’, all buddy buddy. I’m not one of those dudes bro. I’m not one of those guys.
“When you talk s*** on social media and then when you see me you want to shake my hand …”
At which point, Tszyu then cut in: “I’m very respectful, what are you talking about? I’ve been calling you one of the best fighters of this decade.”
Spence then said something like “give me a hug after the fight”.
But still Tszyu wasn’t done.
Asked for his final thoughts, he grinned: “Victory, victory. I was only going to give him a shake [of the hand] and a hug because it’s his last fight …”
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