02.04.06 – By Kostya Tszyu: Next weekend Floyd Mayweather Jr and Zab Judah meet in the ring at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, USA and I will be watching here in Australia very closely. I am really looking forward to this fight. It is an interesting match and in some ways very exciting. Speed against speed, both of them are young and both are very good boxers. They are very confident in themselves.. They believe that they can win any fight. It could be a very, very exciting fight. But it could also be a very boring fight when you have two good fighters trying to outbox each other and cancelling out their advantages.
Some people are seeing this fight as a mismatch, but I don’t see it this way at all. I think Zab can rise to the occasion. He will have trained hard for this fight. His focus will be there. Zab missed his media conference call last week. Maybe this is a sign of how serious he is taking the challenge? Or, it could be just a little game he is playing.
Zab Judah has much boxing ability. His arrogance or overconfidence lets him think he can win fights easy. But there are no easy wins in boxing. Every night you have to be 100%. If you are not prepared, someone will turn the lights out on you in a split second.
Floyd Mayweather Jr is one of the best boxers in the world today. He has proved this over a number of years. He just doesn’t talk about it, he shows what a great fighter he is in the ring. One of the reasons for his success is that he very rarely gets hit cleanly. He has very, very good defence because he is smart and he can read a fight very well. He has been given a natural talent with his speed, but he is also a smart boxer who trains very hard for his fights.
Floyd has moved up in weight as he has grown up and got bigger. As he has matured he has moved from super featherweight to lightweight to super lightweight and now to welterweight, but has still retained his speed and he is still beating very good fighters. He always wants to fight the best and puts big challenges in front of him. He has never been a big hitter. As he becomes more used to fighting at welterweight, maybe his power will increase, which could be scary for some of his opponents.
Lots of people expect Floyd to win this fight and there is extra pressure for him. But he has always handled the pressure well. This is the sign of a great fighter. Handling the pressure of a big fight like this and being able to perform on the night with everyone watching is what separates the great boxers from the good ones.
I am expecting a good fight from both Floyd and Zab and will be watching every punch.
I have moved into Week 6 of the “Dancing with the Stars” television program here in Australia. I think my partner Luda Kroitor and I did very well with our Samba last week. It was exciting for me that we scored 31 out of 40 from the judges, which was the second highest score of the night and we are still aiming to improve. I have found that it is not just about dancing well. It is about entertainment and putting on a good show for the viewers. We did not make any mistakes again which is very pleasing.
There are only six couples left now and the competition is becoming more intense. I think there is more pressure on my opposition. I have learned to handle pressure very well over the years and take advantage of the situation. I can see when the other couples are nervous and losing focus a bit. It is something that Luda and I don’t have and I know we are improving every week. I really enjoy this competition!
We are doing the Viennese Waltz this week. It is a very traditional dance. Many Balls in Russia open with this dance and I love it. It is very elegant compared to last week’s Samba. I am feeling very confident going into the new dance each week. I am pushing myself in practice and Luda is pleased with my energy through our training sessions, which are four to five hours each day.
I need all of the Tszyu Crew’s support in voting each week. I want to get to the final and it is going to be very, very close voting each week.
While “Dancing with the Stars” is a lot of fun, more importantly, proceeds from your voting will go to one of my favourite charities – THE SMITH FAMILY, who help needy children and families.
The Tszyu Crew in Australia can help me support THE SMITH FAMILY in the following ways.
To vote by phone: 1902 555 013
OR
To vote by phone text: SMS “Kostya” to 194 777
So, start dialling and texting now to support THE SMITH FAMILY and me in this unique competition.
“Dancing with the Stars” can be seen each Tuesday night on the Channel 7 network in Australia at 7:30pm AEST. Check your local television guides for screening times in your area.
You can see photos of me dancing and read reports on my performances at www.KostyaTszyu.com
See you on the dance floor and remember the Tszyu Crew rules always!
Your champion,
Kostya Tszyu