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8 months ago
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Tim Tszyu's mother Natalia has predicted the Aussie world champ and his fiancee will give her a grandson who follows in his footsteps by becoming a boxer, just days before he has the biggest fight of his life in Las Vegas.
The 29-year-old fights 197cm-tall Sebastian Fundora on Sunday, Australian time, with Tszyu's WBO super-welterweight belt and the vacant WBC title on the line.
Natalia Tszyu made the prediction while in Vegas to see her son try to follow in his legendary father Kostya's footsteps by claiming a world title in Sin City - which would make him the first Australian-born boxer to accomplish the feat.
'I'm telling you, I won't be surprised if one day you are talking to me and I'm going to be a grandmother and my grandsons are going to be fighting,' she told Fox Sports.
'Honestly, I feel it.'
Tim Tszyu's mother Natalia (pictured together) believes it's only a matter of time before her boy gives her a grandson who carries on the family's fighting tradition
The Aussie world champ is engaged to long-time partner Alexandra Constantine (pictured together) after they met during a boxing class in Sydney in 2016
Constantine has been at almost all of Tim's fights and will be ringside when he takes on the biggest challenge of his career - and biggest opponent - on Sunday, Australian time
Tszyu is in for a David vs Goliath clash with Fundora, who is a staggering 23cm taller than him and has an incredible reach advantage.
The Aussie is a huge favourite to win the bout, and doing so would see him emulate his dad, who scored arguably his most famous victory when he knocked out Zab Judah in spectacular fashion to become the unified lightweight champion of the world at the gambling mecca in 2001.
Natalia went on to reveal that her son made an eerily accurate prediction about his fighting future more than a decade ago.
She said she tried to ensure Tim and his brother Nikita didn't take up boxing by putting them into a private school and changing their lives around so they would 'live in a normal Australian way'.
Tszyu will be giving away a staggering 23cm in height to American Sebastian Fundora when they fight for the WBO and WBC super-welterweight belts in Las Vegas
'Then one day, 12 years ago, Tim said to me, "Mum, I want to box. I see myself fighting in Las Vegas. And one day when my dad comes to Australia, I'm doing to pick him up in a beautiful car and drive around Sydney,'" she recalled.
'I stand here today and I remember that conversation. And the dream comes true.'
Tszyu is engaged to long-time partner Alexandra Constantine, who will be ringside for Sunday's bout.
He has said the Sydney-born finance graduate has been a rock for him during his climb to the top of the sport.
'She lives this as well. She is young, she could be going out to bars, hanging out with her friends, instead she's stuck in a sauna with me on Saturday nights and then we have an early night,' Tszyu said.
The Tszyu family is pictured right to left in Las Vegas for the Fundora fight: Mum Natalia, Tim, his sister Anastasia and brother Nikita
It had been reported that Tim's legendary father Kostya would be ringside with Alexandra for the huge title fight, but the 54-year-old backflipped on that earlier this week
'When I diet, she diets. She cooks a lot of meals, she actually keeps me grounded with my diet.
'So it's not just my victory when I win a fight, she deserves the spotlight too.'
The pair met at a boxing class in the southern Sydney suburb of Rockdale 2016, and it was love at first sight for Tszyu.
The fighter, who normally refuses to hold the pads for anyone else, was smitten by her smile.
Once the class ended the pair began chatting and the two have been inseparable ever since.
Constantine, who is fluent in English, French and Macedonian, has been ringside at almost all of Tszyu's professional fights.
It was originally reported that Kostya would make the trip to the USA to see him fight Fundora, but the 54-year-old legend backflipped and will no longer be present.
English (US)