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Tszyu vs Leija: Can Kostya Conquer All In 2003?

By Ed Ludwig

01.01 - The new-year brings us many intriguing fights and the usual rumoured match ups that never seem to materialize for one reason or another. Lets forget about the latter and concentrate on what we know for sure. January 18th will be the homecoming for the undisputed Jr. Welterweight Champion Kostya Tszyu.

The champ is set for the third defence of his WBA, WBC and IBF titles against Jesse James Leija. The bout will be held at the Telstra Dome in Melbourne Australia and broadcast on Showtime. Tszyu who is a native of Russia will fight for the first time in Australia since 1998 when he stopped Calvin Grove in the first round.

No one can blame Tszyu for an inactive 2002 that saw him defeat Ben Tackie by a lopsided decision. He has averaged three fights per year and that is a lot by today's standards for someone who has a very high profile. Inactivity is very common with many of the top fighters. A Super Fight is what every champion wants and if it does not happen then it's couch potato time.

You can't say that about Tszyu as he is always able, ready and willing to take on all contenders. Many of the other champions should take a page from his book and let their fists do the talking and work for the multi million dollar showdown that they all crave. Everything is driven by the all mighty dollar and many fighters don't want to take the chance against an opponent who could ruin everything.

Boxing is a game of risk. Put up or shut up is how I look at it. If you want something then earn it and not rest on the laurels of previous accomplishments. Kostya Tszyu's family is his number one priority as it should be with all of us. He loves his work and is very dedicated. For me that make's this great sport that much better.

After Sharmba Mitchell's tirade toward Tszyu following the Vince Phillips fight the champion kept his composure and issued a press release. As expected he did not get caught up in the hype and say anything derogatory towards Mitchell. Then again, why should he?

Jesse James Leija has had many wars throughout his career and the upcoming bout with Tszyu will be his last kick at the can. Coming into the backyard of your opponent is hard enough but beating a national hero whom many consider in the top five pound for pound will be no easy task. There will be fireworks and I expect Tszyu will take down Jesse James in a blaze of glory.

What should also be mentioned are the sparring partners. Gary St. Clair is an excellent fighter in his own right. He lost a controversial decision against Leonard Dorin in Montreal in September of 2000. His other two losses have come at the hands of current WBA champ Vivian Harris. I use the term champ loosely and a twelve round decision defeat against Diego Corrales.

Tszyu has also worked with Hercules Kyvelos and now he is preparing for Leija by sparring with Jose Luis Juarez who is said to have a similar style to the challenger from Texas. 2003 could be the year that Kostya Tszyu will dominate. Possible opponents include Arturo Gatti, Ricky Hatton, Vivian Harris and Zab Judah. Kostya Tszyu can cement his legacy should he defend and defeat two of the four mentioned in this calendar year.

For more information please visit www.ktboxing.com

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