OMG! The final of the USSR Championship in Bishkek (Frunze) against the future World Champion among professionals according to WBA Orzubek Nazarov. This content is protected
KT fanboy here so I got to go with my bias and say he cleans up. Teak tough with the will to match (don’t give me any Vince Phillips crap it doesn’t make that any less true) and as have others have mentioned really clean technique, timing, efficient style and great conditioning. And on top of all that a humble standup guy, what’s not to like
That's a rare find. Not easy making it onto the Soviet Union national team back in those days. You had to beat guys from Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Ukraine & several other countries just to get on the team for a big international tournament. One of my theories on Tszyu was that he was particularly good against southpaws b/c he faced so many good ones in Soviet domestic competitions & in sparring on the Soviet national team. Nazarov, who would turn pro in Japan & hold the WBA lightweight title for many years, was one of them. Artur Grigorian, future WBO lightweight champ & a finalist at lightweight in the 1991 World Amateur Championships, was another. Tszyu only lost one fight between 1989 (when he lost to Andreas Zulow at the 1989 World Amateur Championships & 2005 (when he lost in Ricky Hatton's backyard). That's one loss in 16 years while facing the best available opposition, amateur & pro. Often on the opposite side of the world to where he was based. Pretty good going I reckon.
He probably beats everyone at 140 with taylor being his hardest fight. Ramirez could give him problems with his pressure.
There's no one in the top ten I'd favour over Zoo today. And Zoo is one of the few modern era fighters who would have actually fought them all. I reckon he runs the gauntlet and unifies.
Yeah I wasn't even aware footage of it existed. IIRC, they fought each other at least twice. Yes the competition to make it onto the Soviet national team back them must've been fierce. And it's a good theory. I remember reading a feature in The Ring Magazine (or at least I think it was albeit it could've been KO Magazine or Boxing Monthly) about Nazarov and Yuri Arbachakov many moons ago, this is when they were both still based in Japan. Both of them were beasts. I remember Grigorian well too. Yeah that was a hell of a run by Kostya who was for many years my favourite fighter and is still one of them to this day.
I think KT would be too strong and beat him down, Michael Katsidis gave JMM a scare and KT would destroy Michael @ 140
I love watching early Kostya he was a monster. Amazing accuracy, power, timing, and underrated speed too. That right hand was like a homing missile.
Completely different fighter though... Kostya fought nothing like katsidis and Kostya was alot bigger naturally than jmm. I wouldn't even call it a scare tbh... Katsidis dropped him heavily and marquez got up and beat his ass the remainder of the round and the fight.... I'd favour tszyu over marquez probably if they fought though... Peak for peak.. Be very technical and brilliant affair for the purists I imagine
Taylor, Prograis, and Ramirez all have something for him. I would favor KT over all them, but I think Prograis and Ramirez could turn out to be very bad for him or at least give him a tough nights work. I love Taylor but stylistically, man I think he's hitting the deck hard against KT. I hope I'm wrong though and would love for someone to reply with serious analysis debunking me. going to work so i don't have time to put into this.
