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Why Kostya Tszyu won't be ringside for Tim Tszyu-Dennis Hogan fight

Kostya Tszyu and Tatiana Averina, pictured here in Russia.
Kostya Tszyu is now married to Tatiana Averina after leaving Tim and his mother. Image: Facebook/AAP

One man who won't be ringside for Tim Tszyu's fight with Dennis Hogan on Wednesday night is his legendary father Kostya.

And it's the reason Tim bristles when opponents claim he's only made it as far as he has because of his famous surname.

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That's because Kostya has never been a big part of Tim's life.

Kostya Tszyu, one of Australia's best-ever boxers, left his wife and children in 2012 to return to his native Russia.

“If my husband wants to stay in Russia, let him stay there,” ex-wife Natasha said in 2012.

“It is an important life for him. He is an important man there and he is where he belongs. Men should be men.

“If he met someone else I can’t do anything about it. If she could look after him in Russia, why not.”

Kostya did meet someone else - Tatiana Averina - and the pair are now married.

Kostya initially employed the model to work in his public relations team, but said in 2017: “You cannot work and love at the same time, so I sacked her.

The pair now have two children of their own and run a restaurant in Moscow.

“I was so busy in my career as an athlete when the first ones were born, I can’t remember,” Kostya said.

“Right now I am enjoying everything. I don’t want to miss anything.

“I am still busy. But I want to be home by 6, 7 o’clock every night. I want to be with the kids.’’

Tim Tszyu doesn't want 'chaotic' father at his fight

Even if Kostya was to make a surprise appearance at one of Tim's fights, the younger boxer wouldn't want him anywhere near the ring.

“My dad is a hard man, especially when he comes to watch my fights,” Tim told news.com.au.

“He’s only watched one of my fights and let me say it was … chaotic.

“My first pro fight. It was chaotic. It was hard to deal with. It was just out of control.

"Because he’s a control freak, it’s hard for him to watch someone he loves fight in the ring. Especially for him.”

However Kostya believes he and Tim are still close despite the fact he started a new life back in Russia.

“Me going to Russia has never broken any bond or any relationship with Tim,” Kostya said last year.

“I can’t say we chat every single day, but we are father and son.

"We are on the phone and we communicate on WhatsApp. I love him. I am such a proud father and I will always be proud of Tim.”

Kostya and Tim Tszyu, pictured here in Sydney in 2019.
Kostya and Tim Tszyu in Sydney in 2019. (Photo by Jenny Evans/Getty Images) (Getty Images)

But Natasha sees it differently.

“Kostya was never in the kids’ lives, Kostya disappeared from the kids’ lives when he left them at a young age,” she told the Daily Mail.

“The kids have built their lives without their father. I know that some people won’t want to hear this, but this is the truth."

As far as Tim is concerned, it doesn't matter either way whether or not his father watches him fight.

“My dad supports me no matter what, from where he is,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald.

“The fact he’s not here doesn’t bother me. He’s only been to one of my fights anyway.”

Tszyu's undefeated record and WBO global super welterweight title are on the line at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre on Wednesday night.

But the stakes are much higher than that, with Tszyu needing to win to hopefully earn a long-awaited world title shot at Argentina's Brian Castano.

with AAP

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