By Erik Schmidt: After three years away from the boxing ring, former light welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu (31-2, 25 KOs) reportedly told the Australian Today newspaper that there’s a “40 % chance” of him returning to the ring, “for the right deal.” Obviously, this would mean a big-name start, someone like former light welterweight champion Ricky Hatton, who sent Tszyu into his three year absence from the ring with a 11th round stoppage in June 2005.
It’s doubtful, however, that Hatton would be interested in another bout with Tszyu, considering that Hatton has now become one of the most popular fighters in boxing after his recent loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and doesn’t need another fight with the 38 year-old Tszyu in order to make big money. It was perhaps a big mistake for Tszyu to walk from boxing for such a long period of time, even if he didn’t officially announce his retirement, for it probably hasn’t increased his standing among fans, since the new fans won’t have any memory of ever having seen him fight and the old ones likely have forgotten about him.
Instead of someone like Hatton, Tszyu should consider a more attainable bout with someone like Andreas Kotelnik, the WBA junior welterweight champion, Junior Witter, the WBC champion, Paul Malignaggi, the IBF champion or Ricard Torres, the WBO champion. Perhaps one of them might be interested in a bout with the 38 year-old former champion Tszyu, although the bout wouldn’t bring in anything near than the amount that Tszyu received for his bout with Hatton in 2005. However, it’s still better than nothing. I can’t see Tszyu winning any of the fights due to his long time away from the ring.
Even three years ago, he was beginning to fade as a fighter, showing signs of slowing down and experiencing multiple injures while training for fights. It’s unclear whether Tszyu can get himself into proper shape to even make the 140 lb junior welterweight limit. In recent pictures, Tszyu looks quite a bit larger than that, looking as if he’s weighing around 180 lbs. Tszyu states that he’s kept himself in shape all these years, but still having to take off that amount of weight at his age would likely leave him in a weakened condition, and thereby vulnerable against most any opponent that he would be going up against.
It’s doubtful that we’re talking about more than one comeback fight, especially if he looks bad and loses. I do think that Tszyu could beat someone like Malignaggi, if Tszyu comes into the bout in top shape and not in the weight depleted condition that he was in his last bout with Hatton. I don’t see Tszyu beating anyone in that kind of shape because he looked bad and noticeably weaker than in his prime. A fighter like Malignaggi would pick him apart and win on points. Tszyu’s mention of there being a “40% chance” of him returning also doesn’t give me a strong feeling that he’ll be coming back.
This seems to suggest that he’s looking for one big name, clearly a fighter like Hatton. Like I mentioned earlier, that isn’t going to happen because Hatton doesn’t need Tszyu any longer. I also doubt that Malignaggi would take on a bout with Tszyu either, for he’s potentially a strong possibility for a bout with Hatton in the future and it’s highly doubtful he’d want to risk that by fighting an old dangerous fighter like Tszyu. There’s been mention of Tszyu returning to the ring as a welterweight, that way he wouldn’t have to struggle as much to make the 140 lb weight limit anymore.
If that’s the case, I can’t see Tszyu getting any fights with one of the four champions in the near future. Besides that, he wouldn’t figure to have much, if any chance, at beating any of them – Miguel Cotto, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Antonio Margarito and Carlos Quintana. Personally, I hope Tszyu stays out of boxing and officially announces his retirement. If he wanted to continue boxing, he should have done it three years ago instead of waiting so long to make his move.
I can’t blame him for wanting to line up a fight with a big name fighter, because if the shoe was on the other foot, I’d do it as well, though I wouldn’t have waited as long as he did.