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AAP
AAP
Sport
Darren Walton

Tszyu's brother set for pro boxing debut

Tim Tszyu (l) is excited for his younger brother Nikita's professional boxing debut. (AAP)

If boxing fans think Tim Tszyu is deadly, like his famous father Kostya, look out for the family's third coming.

After a five-year hiatus to complete a university degree, Nikita Tszyu returns to the ring for his eagerly-anticipated professional debut against unbeaten countryman Aaron Stahl at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on March 2.

And his big brother can't wait.

While Tim is regarded as a "surgeon" in the ring, Nikita, a qualified architect, has been branded a "butcher".

"I am so pumped," Tim Tszyu said, after 24-year-old Nikita was unveiled among the headline acts at No Limit Boxing's 2022 launch in Sydney.

"I love this kid to death and for him to finally realise what he wants to do, he's going to hurt people and he's going to hurt them bad.

"A hundred per cent there's going to be blood.

"There's going to be things like that involved and there's gonna be bodies on the floor, asleep, with this guy."

A four-time former national amateur champion, Nikita is in the same weight class as Tim -- the mandated WBO light middleweight challenger to Brian Castano after winning his first 20 professional fights.

But he has no desire to ever fight his elder sibling.

"I've thought about it but I wouldn't really want to," Nikita said.

Tim insisted "we'll never fight" each other but the brothers have sparred together.

"It's competitive. We hurt each other, that's for sure," Tim said.

Of the recent session, Nikita said: "I landed a couple of good shots on him but he dominated by the end."

Crediting Tim for showing him the way, Nikita said there was no specific moment he decided to return to boxing -- "just slowly over time" -- and was too modest to predict how his pro debut would go.

"You'll have to wait and see. It's one week away," he said.

"I'd rather let my actions do the talking."

Tszyu's card also features Queensland-based Irishman Dennis Hogan in a final eliminator for the IBO super welterweight world title against fellow Australian Wade Ryan.

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