Australian junior middleweight champion Nikita Tszyu 8-0 (7) was late to his own weigh-in after a faulty home sauna meant it took longer than anticipated for him to boil down to the 154-pound weight limit.
Opponent Danilo Creati 8-1-1 (1) was left standing around waiting for the arrival of Tszyu, who eventually turned up in a white SUV.
“I had an ice pack on my head. I was laying (back), cruising. A superstar, rocking up fashionably late,” said 26-year-old southpaw Tszyu, who will defend his national crown against Creati at the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney, Australia tonight.
“It’s actually better like this, you don’t have to stand around waiting for the undercard guys. I just came in, everyone looking at me… it’s kind of nice.
“I had to lose two (kilos) today but I do it all the time. We also have a sauna and a bath that we use as a back up. It happened last camp as well. We thought it would work this time… I guess not.”
Creati, 34, who has only ever lost to Michael Zerafa on points, believes he has the boxing ability to spring the upset.
“He really struggled with the weight,” Creati said. “It was written it in his eyes up there on stage. And the guy looked skinny. So that’s what I told him up there.
“I told him he looked skinny, he said ‘yes, I’m hungry’ and I said ‘we going to eat tomorrow’. I’m going to surprise everyone and make history.”
Tszyu is backed by promotional powerhouse No Limit Boxing who already have a shortlist of names for his next bout that include recent world title challenger Zerafa, Brock Jarvis and American Ronnie Austion, a regular sparring partner of WBC junior welterweight champion Devin Haney.
“I know Michael is a name Nikita likes and the whole of Australia likes,” said Tszyu’s manager Glen Jennings to Fox Sports Australia.
“Michael Zerafa, he’s an absolute competitor. We all know that. But whether he considers (a fight with Nikita)? That will be up to him and his team.
“There is definitely an opportunity and if it comes off, it comes off. But we’re not chasing it.
“Michael boasts a lot of experience and we still have plenty of work to do with Nikita, who is still in the learning stage. But nothing is out of the question.
“I think No Limit would like to do it, so at our end it would really be up to Nikita’s coach Igor (Goloubev) and if he is comfortable with taking that fight.
“He will be the one makes that decision.”
As for Tszyu, he says he simply does what he is told.
“Nobody tells me the plan. I’m like a headless chook. I just run around doing whatever I’m told,” he said.
“So I’m not focused on anyone. My main thought right now is ‘how do I improve on the day before’.
“Once the bigger fights come, that’s when you focus on certain people.
“But right now, I’m still a rookie.”
