Tim Tszyu eyeing the big title his famous dad never won

Rising star Tim Tszyu is eyeing a special milestone that even his legendary father Kostya never achieved in his boxing career.

The 24-year old No.15-rated IBF contender will challenge Victoria’s Australian super welterweight champion Joel Camilleri at The Star in Sydney on May 15.

Labelled a gun by the world’s best known boxing trainer – Tszyu takes on Camilleri in his first fight of a long-term contract with No Limits Management Boxing.

The show will also feature two other Australian world rated fighters, cruiserweight Jai Opetaia and welterweight Cameron Hammond, plus former rugby league star Justin Hodges.

Tszyu, who is 12-0 with 10 KOs, wants to beat 28-year-old Camilleri (17-5, 6 KOs) and then two other world ranked Australian super welterweights, Dwight Ritchie and Michael Zerafa, before before fighting former WBO welterweight champion Jeff Horn.

While Russian-born former undisputed junior welterweight world champion Kostya was based in Australia throughout his career as a professional, he never fought for the national title.

“I was born here and to me to say I’m an Australian champion, it would be a great achievement, so I’m looking forward to the opportunity,” Tszyu told AAP.

Tszyu 2.0, as Tim is also known as, recently retuned from a camp in the United States, where he sparred fighters from several countries in famous gyms, including the Wild Card Boxing Club in California and the Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas.

At Wild Card he worked out in a gym where there was a poster of his dad and he caught the eye of Freddie Roach, the sport’s most globally recognised trainer and mentor to numerous world champions.

“He treated us so well, he gave us great sparring and Freddie said to my manager I’m a gun, and to have someone like that say that is very motivating and inspiring,” Tszyu said.

Tszyu says his aspiration is to win multiple world titles in different divisions.

Heavyweight Hodges meanwhile will have his second professional fight with his opponent to be announced.

The Queenslander won his first fight inside a round and with more experience would like a crack at former NSW rugby league captain Paul Gallen, who has a 9-0 record

“I think he’s still a bit angry he hasn’t won many (State of) Origin matches against me, so I think he wants to try and knock my head off,” Hodges said.