Nikita Tszyu set for American debut in Las Vegas but warned to take it slow in reality check

What’s next for Nikita Tszyu?

The 25-year-old is set to enter the next stage of his boxing career after a thrilling comeback win over Dylan Biggs on Wednesday to become the Australian super welterweight champion.

Just like Tim Tszyu was knocked down by Terrell Gausha in his American debut, Nikita was knocked down by Biggs in the first round but rallied with scintillating fourth and fifth rounds to end the fight via TKO.

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It was a coming of age performance for the younger Tszyu brother, who gets knockouts for fun as a highlights machine but was yet to have a significant victory to hang his hat on.

Now with a belt around his waist, Nikita’s camp are turning their attention to overseas opponents and a fight in Las Vegas.

Nikita told reporters after the fight: “I was climbing Kosciuszko(against Biggs). Now we’re looking for the next mountain to climb.

“I feel like I improved a little bit. There’s still a lot to work on. I had to compose myself. I was a little bit rattled in that fight.”

While nothing is locked in yet, promoters are hopeful the Tszyu brothers will fight in Vegas in the same week in March as the NRL’s season openers.

Tim’s next opponent could be American Erickson Lubin or Errol Spence Jr, while Nikita would be getting a taste of overseas experience and his camp says he still has plenty of fighting to do in Australia.

While there’s been some suggestions Nikita would go global in Tim’s undercards in America, his camp urged people to cool their jets and said he will be back fighting in Australia very soon.

“The next round of options is so interesting for Nikita,” said his manager Glen Jennings, who also looks after Tim and was in Kostya’s corner at the peak of his powers.

“We’re having a joke about Vegas. We would love that to happen but it’s not a strategic move for Nikita. It’s just another numbered fight. Don’t expect anything more than that.

“We hope Nikita will be on that card but it will be against a challenger that’s right for the time. We’ve still got a long way to go with Nikita. A lot of things to learn from tonight.

“That’s eight fights now. We’re still four fights away from coming out of his rookie period really. We’re not rushing him. We’re just giving him a step up each time.

“Nikita does what he does. He goes in the ring, the bell rings and he takes care of it. So does his brother and so did his dad.”

A Vegas fight between Nikita and Nico Ali Walsh, the 23-year-old grandson of Muhammad Ali, has been floated and would be a mouth-watering clash between two legendary names of boxing.

Domestically, Ben Hussain (10-2, 6KOs) is a potential next opponent for Tszyu given he holds regional super welterweight belts.

But Nikita is improving at such a rapid rate that overseas opponents might soon need to be brought to Australia to give him a challenge, just like when Tim fought Takeshi Inoue.

“Obviously regionals (titles) and rankings will come into play now and Nikita will start to move up into that international level,” Jennings said.

“There’s only limited amount of stock for Nikita to fight that takes him up to that level and it may mean we bring someone out here to take him to that level.

“The American trip is almost like a reward for us. That was Tim’s goal, he just wanted to fight in Vegas and that opportunity’s come up. It so happens to happen on a marvellous Australian weekend so where better to showcase all our boys.

“Apart from Tim, for everyone else it’s just another step in their progression.

“If Nikita didn’t do Vegas, he’d be in (the ring) again early next year.”

Nikita opens his shoulders to swing hard with his lethal left hand, but as a result can open himself up to getting hit.

Two-time world champion Shawn Porter said in commentary Nikita still had plenty to work on and it was important to “go slow”.

“He just took out an undefeated fighter but he’s still got to go slow. He’s still got a lot to work on,” he said.

“Before he steps up and goes across seas and he tries to become anything more than what he is right here, right now in Australia - things can go bad for him. Things that Dylan wasn’t able to do simply because of a lack of experience. That right hand that Dylan landed in the first round, that punch was there for him all night.

“Nikita has a bad habit of leaning into his left hand, right into that right hand. Someone else more crafty, more experienced, can do something like that.

“So take it slow, continue to improve, follow your brother overseas, get that overseas experience and you come back here and put it to work until you know you’re sharp.”

The Courier Mail’s Peter Badel said: “He hasn’t got the great boxing IQ of his brother just yet, but he’s got the heart.

“He’s not ready for world titles yet but another four, five, six fights with overseas opponents, that will sharpen the iron and sharpen the axe, and I think he can win a world title.”

Promoter George Rose was breathing a sigh of relief backstage at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre after Nikita survived the first round scare — understandable given No Limit have hitched their wagon to the quirky youngster as their next big pay-per-view star and a loss would have been devastating for his career trajectory.

He praised Nikita for embracing the hype and pressure that comes with being a knockout artist and given top billing so early into his career.

“He embraces the limelight, the crowd, everything that comes with being the star of the show,” Rose said.

“And not everyone can do that. There’s a lot of great athletes who don’t know how to embrace a crowd and share their character and be themselves.

“He’s got a very interesting character and I think that’s only going to build him as a star in Australia. He’s different to his brother.

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“A lot of people talk about him having a name but he can really fight. He’s a star as a person.

“There’s not many people in Australian sport like Nikita Tszyu. He’ll continue to grow and I’m grateful he’s growing with us.

“For Nikita, this year was building towards this fight, the Australian title. He’s capped off his year.”

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