Australia’s youngest boxing champion has declared himself ready to end the Nikita Tszyu hype train – and only two years after allegedly knocking the rising star cold in sparring.
While he may be unknown to most Aussie sports fans, 21-year-old Dylan Biggs – aka the ‘Beaudesert Storm’ – is ready to announce himself in Wednesday night’s latest No Limit Fight Night card.
Apart from starting his professional career with nine straight wins, the undefeated Queenslander has also finally been guaranteed a Tszyu showdown if he beats Ryan Mitchem in his first TV headliner.
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While not boasting the same hype or profile of the younger Tszyu sibling, several sources have told Fox Sports Australia the national super welterweight champ actually knocked Nikita out during a previous sparring session between the pair.
Biggs even hinted as much in an Instagram post earlier this year, when he took aim at Tszyu for dodging an apparent April 26 showdown, and questioned why the fellow undefeated fighter would not want to “avenge” said training showdown.
Writing on social media in February about a fight that was apparently offered, then withdrawn, Biggs started: “Nikita! Do not have your team call and make the offer if you don’t want the fight.
“I usually sit quiet and focus on the job at hand, but not today especially after hearing the turnaround since accepting the Nikita Tszyu fight for April 26.
“Expecting the contract to arrive, instead (I) now hear Nikita’s team wants to explore other options.
“When I got the call, my first thought was respect, especially after our last sparring session thinking you were wanting to avenge that. But to go about it this way, the respect is gone now.”
Speaking after a Sydney press conference on Monday to announce his latest title defence against Mitchem, the champ confirmed he sparred Tszyu — himself undefeated in seven fights — previously but refused to be drawn on suggestions he had knocked his rival out.
“People can say and think what they like,” he shrugged.
“I don’t talk about what happens in sparring.
“It’s sparring, not a fight.
“So whether it did or didn’t happen, it’s a long time ago … and things are always completely different once you step inside the ring.”
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Asked what he would take from that spar should the pair throw down later this year, he continued: “Given there would be massive improvements on both sides, I can’t really base anything off that spar.
“He’s now a different fighter and so am I.”
So as for what he sees in the younger brother of WBO super welterweight champion Tim Tszyu?
“I see chinks in the armour,” he said.
“Chinks that other people don’t see.
“There’s a lot of gaps there that aren’t being exploited.
“(Gaps) that if punches land with more power, they would do a lot more damage.
“I don’t feel like Nikita’s fought someone who is dangerous enough to really put it on him and hurt him badly.
“Good on Jack Brubaker, he put on a hell of a performance last fight.
“But Jack’s a welterweight.
“He isn’t as big as Nikita. Everyone knows that.”
Ironically, Biggs also sparred his latest rival Mitchem just three weeks ago, thinking he was going to be fighting somebody else this Wednesday night.
A late change however means the pair are now set to throw down at Sydney’s Entertainment quarter.
“And again, I don’t discuss sparring,” he said. “Because now we’re going out there with a big crowd, small gloves, no headgear, it’s completely different.”
Speaking at the Monday press conference to announce his latest national title defence, No Limit CEO George Rose confirmed that, with a win, Biggs would then go into a Tszyu showdown, most likely in November.
“And while this is a really good opportunity for me, I also feel I’ve earned this,” the fighter continued.
“I’ve put in the fights, won the national title.
“If anything, I feel people don’t recognise me as the Australian champion.
“Everyone is pushing for me to challenge others, but they should be pushing others to challenge me.
“I’m the champion, they have to come to me.”
The champ added that, unlike other rivals of Nikita Tszyu, he would not be overwhelmed by all the buzz that surrounds any headliner involving Australia’s No. 1 fight family.
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“You see some guys get overwhelmed,” he said.
“Fizzle out under the lights.
“It’s like they go out there and feel like they’re fighting for the crowd, not fighting the other guy opposite.
“At the end of the day though, there’s two guys in the ring.
“So I don’t need to worry about the cameras.
“I don’t need to go out there, dance around and make it look all fancy under the bright lights.
“I don’t need to make this big persona of myself.
“My hands will do the talking.”
So as for a prediction for Wednesday?
“While I don’t make predictions, this will definitely be one to watch,” he said.
“Because I’m the type of fighter where you shouldn’t blink.
“At any time, it can be over.”
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