Boxing icon Kostya Tszyu opens up on decision to leave family as he prepares to watch Tim’s world title fight

Boxing legend Kostya Tszyu has spoken candidly about leaving his Australian family as as his eldest son readies himself to take on world champion Bakhram Murtazaliev on Sunday.

Tszyu was a surprising and conspicuous presence after gatecrashing the official pre-fight press conference for Tim’s IBF super-welterweight showdown, stealing the show from his world title-chasing eldest child, Tim.

Not expected in until hours later, the 55-year-old Hall of Famer shocked Tim from behind with a familiar fatherly massage, then greeted younger son Nikita in the flesh for the first time in 11 years with a long, emotional embrace.

Tim’s date with destiny was but a pipedream after Kostya left his family for a new one in his native Russia some three years after suffering a career-ending pummelling at the hands of Ricky Hatton in 2005.

‘Honestly, I want to be there every time they fight. Unfortunately, it’s too far away,’ Kostya told News Corp.

‘Secondly, I’m extremely busy. I have a schedule months ahead of me. At the end of the year I only have three days off.’

Kostya is excited about finally being ringside for Tim’s fight on Sunday.

‘Superb. Great feeling knowing that the reunion will benefit him,’ he said.

Kostya says he will always make time for his sons if they need him

‘Great, even though we have not seen each other. They’ve understood what’s happened in my life and we move forward.

‘I’m here for Tim. Nikita is great and able to come as well for preparation, but we’re here for Tim. We’re in the corner. Even though I’ve been living in Russia for many years now, he always knows that I’m in his corner.

‘He always should know that any time he wants me to be there, I’ll be there. I’ll cancel everything.’

Tszyu hasn’t been ringside for any of his boys’ combined 35 professional bouts since Tim’s debut in 2016.

Tim has repeatedly recalled that night at the SCG a ‘circus’, branding his father a ‘pain in the arse’ as he screamed out instructions uncontrollably.

All has been forgiven, with the former unified world champ given a front-row seat for Tim’s date with destiny at the Caribe Royale Orlando resort.

Tszyu, though, cannot promise he will be able to contain himself watching on live for the first time in nine years.

Tim Tszyu fights Russian Bakhram Murtazaliev in Orlando on Sunday afternoon

Tszyu hasn’t been ringside for any of his boys’ combined 35 professional bouts since Tim’s debut in 2016

‘I don’t know how I will be,’ he said. ‘I’m alright now. I’m not nervous now but I’m not sure what’s going to happen.

‘I will try – maybe it’s not right to do, maybe – but I’ll put extra pressure on that guy (Murtazaliev). ‘I’m sorry, my friend, but I’ll do it.’

Team Tszyu will be be hoping there is no repeat of the fiasco in Las Vegas in March when Tim suffered the first defeat of his career, a controversial split-decision loss after an accidental elbow from Sebastian Fundora left the Sydneysider with a gaping head wound.

‘Thank God I wasn’t there because I don’t know what would I do during that fight,’ Tszyu said.

‘The referee is supposed to stop the fight, not (the) corner. ‘It’s a referee and the way he was bleeding non-stop, many countries would stop the fight.’