Did Kostya Tszyu defect from the Soviet Union or did he become a pro and move to Australia after the fall of the Soviet Union?
Wiki, Wiki, Wow. In 1991, he went again to the amateur world championships, this time held in Sydney. This was a trip that would change his life forever. Not only was the third time his charm, but he felt enchanted with the sights of Sydney and its people, and decided he wanted to live in Australia. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, in 1992, Tszyu escaped from the Russian army and fled to Australia with his girlfriend, where they married in 1993 and became Australian citizens. Before marrying her, though, Tszyu had already turned professional, beating Darrell Hiles by a knockout in one round on March 1, 1992, at Melbourne.
NO...After he won the worlds in Sydney, Jeff Fenech, Johny Lewis and promoter Bill Mordey scouted Tszyu seeing the potential, he was offered money up front and a contract to move and train/fight in Aus, which he obviously did. Once he and wife Natsha were settled and began earning more money he then bought the rest of his family over to live.
Kostya smashed Russia for being too cold then left becuase he wanted to ....KT is the only person in the world that both the KGB and Chuck Norris are affraid of....very affraid...just ask Russia.