Tim Tszyu ready to make U.S. debut that has been years in the making: 'We are here to make noise'

The junior middleweight debuts on Showtime in the main event on Saturday night against Terrell Gausha

As the son of a Hall of Fame boxer, unbeaten Tim Tsyzu is used to feeling as if there's a target on his back each time he enters the ring. And as he prepares for his long-awaited U.S. debut on Saturday in a Showtime main event opposite Terrell Gausha, that target has only gotten bigger.  

Luckily for Tszyu (20-0, 15 KOs), the son of former undisputed junior welterweight champion Kostya, he wouldn't have it any other way. In fact, the 27-year-old native of Australia appears to welcome the pressure ahead of this weekend's clash at The Armory in Minneapolis (Showtime, 9 p.m. ET).  

"It has been a few years in the making. I have been waiting for this moment for quite a long time," Tszyu told "Morning Kombat" last week. "We had plenty of COVID situations that we couldn't get through but we are finally here. We are here to make noise, that's for sure." 

Tszyu presents an intriguing threat to an already loaded 154-pound division. And although he has already passed the test of headlining domestic superfights by stopping the likes of Jeff Horn and Dennis Hogan, coming to America and proving yourself on the biggest stage requires a different set of intangibles, of which Tszyu believes he has in spades.  

"I would say there would be a bit of experience there growing up and watching dad but at the end of the day, I have had nine pay-per-view fights in Australia and that means it's a pretty big deal fighting in stadiums," Tszyu said. "Nothing fazes me, man. I'm just chill and all I like to do is punch on. It's simple." 

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While Tszyu makes it look as simple as he says, what he's attempting to do is far from easy. Although he still holds a cordial and supportive relationship with his famous father, Tszyu is very much carving out his own path on his own terms.  

Tsyzu's father left behind his wife and three children in Australia shortly after his 2005 retirement to start a new family in his native Russia. The task of grooming both Tim and his 24-year-old brother Nikita (who made his pro debut earlier this month) as professional fighters was left to their uncle and head trainer Igor Goloubev.  

Yet despite that reality, Tszyu still regularly fields questions about his famous father's influence on his boxing career and what lessons he learned from his youth.  

"That's easy. It's simple: discipline," Tszyu said. "He taught me to always be at a training session, no matter if you're still retired or not. You have to work hard for all you have got. That's what I do." 

Although Tszyu was a bit cryptic regarding his 2022 goals by simply saying, "just keep punching heads in and that's it," he's in the right place under both the Showtime and Premier Boxing Champions banners as it relates to future opportunities within the division. Just about all of the elite fighters at 154 pounds compete with PBC and Tszyu, with a win over Gausha, could very well find himself fighting the winner of the May 14 Showtime rematch for the undisputed championship between Jermell Charlo and Brian Castaño.  

It also doesn't hurt that Tszyu is set to make his debut on the same network his father enjoyed huge success on over the second half of his career.  

"We have a good relationship working with PBC and Showtime," Tszyu said. "There is definitely a future here. At the moment, I'm just buzzing here in America. It's pretty cool for me and it's like a new chapter and new beginning. I'm sure there is going to be plenty of years ahead. 

"I was already ready to fight Charlo on three weeks' notice when Castaño [initially] pulled out. I couldn't care less. I'll fight anyone, honestly."

Asked for his prediction of Charlo-Castano II after the two champions fought to a disputed draw in 2021, Tszyu favors Castaño because of his work rate and Charlo's tendency to wait around too much. But Tszyu knows any formal talk of fighting the winner is just that until he gets past Gausha (22-2-1, 11 KOs), a former title challenger fresh off an eye-opening knockout of Jamontay Clark last year.  

"[Gausha] is a tough challenger but I intend to just take it away from him. That's it," Tszyu said. "He has got quick hands, a good work rate, a good jab and his experience but I have to be better at every single aspect to beat him. I believe I have all the tools to do that." 

Tszyu also knows there will be many tuning into his U.S. debut on Saturday in hopes of finding out their assumption to be true that he's more hype than substance. He's ready to prove them wrong, too.  

"I know for a fact how I am as a fighter and now I just have to prove it to everyone," Tszyu said. "I know I have the skill and I know I have the heart. You have to be the ultimate package and I feel that I have that ultimate package and am ready to show everyone. 

"I just want to be the bad man that takes everyone out."