DYLAN Biggs reckons the majority of Nikita Tszyu's professional opponents were beaten before they even got in the ring.
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It's not a compliment.
Biggs, a Queenslander and Australia's youngest national champion, has stoked the fire for an explosive fight at Newcastle Entertainment Centre next Wednesday by questioning Tszyu's record.
The 21-year-old, who is unbeaten in 10 fights (seven KOs), will be defending his Australian super welterweight title in their 10-round bout, the main event of a nine-fight No Limit Boxing card.
"He's fought a lot of people ... he'd already beaten before he reached the ring," Biggs said of Tszyu's seven-win (six KOs), no-loss record.
"A lot of the people he's fought had been already mentally defeated, or defeated within themselves, and were just coming for bragging rights of having fought a Tszyu.
"The name probably intimidated them."
Tszyu most recently beat Jack Brubaker, and has previously beaten Ben Horn and Benjamin Bommber.
He has twice fought in Newcastle, beating both Darkon Dryden and Mason Smith in 2022.
In his most recent fight, Biggs floored Ryan Mitchem in less than 90 seconds. He won by TKO shortly after.
The bout before that, he won the title, becoming the youngest national champion in the process, when he upset Dan Hill on points.
But Biggs and Tszyu appear a genuinely even match-up. Biggs said it was "definitely" the biggest fight of Tszyu's career, and likely also his.
"There's been a lot of fifty-fifty debate. A lot of big names in boxing are saying that they don't know which way this is going to go, it could go in any direction," he said.
"I feel like that's the first time that's happened in any of Nikita's fights, where people are actually unsure who is going to win."
Biggs, nicknamed the 'Beaudesert Storm', a reference to his home town, is in the final stages of his training preparations and will arrive in Newcastle later this week ahead of the fight.
He recently returned home from a three-week training camp in Thailand
The son a quarry worker, Biggs gave up his job as a disability-support worker to become a full-time professional this year.
He trains six days a week out of Beaudesert Boxing Club, and hopes a win over Tszyu will help fast-track his career.
"This fights carries a lot of publicity," he said.
"Winning this fight would slingshot my career a lot further.
"It jumps me years ahead of where I would be fighting regular opponents.
"It puts me on the map and puts Beaudesert on the map."
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