Tszyu-castle will be the focus of the boxing world once again… when Nikita Tszyu returns to Newcastle next month.
The 28-year-old pugilist, nicknamed The Butcher, is set to face undefeated, world-ranked Spaniard Oscar Diaz.
And, the pair are locking horns at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre on Wednesday 6 May.
Unbeaten at 11-0 with nine knockouts, Tszyu’s fought three of his previous bouts in Newcastle.
Amazingly, the family’s record in the former steel city is second-to-none.
No member of the clan, Kostya, Tim or Nikita, has ever tasted defeat.
Between the three of them, they boast an incredible 13-0 clean sheet.
But, in Diaz, known as El Torro (The Bull), he stands before a formidable rival.
The 25-year-old enjoys an unblemished career over 16 contests.
“Nikita is one of the fastest-rising names in Australian boxing and every time he fights, he keeps forcing his way higher up the world rankings,” No Limit Boxing CEO George Rose told media outlets.
“He’s unbeaten, he’s exciting, he’s dangerous and this is another huge chance for him to keep building towards the biggest fights in the division.
“There’s no question the (Michael) Zerafa bout left a bad taste.
“It ended in controversy, it ended in frustration and it denied Nikita the type of statement he was ready to make.
“That’s why this return is so exciting.
“He’s hungry, he’s motivated and he wants to remind everyone exactly who he is.
“To bring him back to Newcastle makes this even better.
“He’s already had some huge moments here and everyone remembers the Dylan Biggs fight, when he got off the canvas and showed exactly what he’s made of to win the Australian title.
“That was a massive moment in his rise.
“It’s one of the reasons Newcastle has become such an important city in Nikita’s story.”
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