The Hard Word

Jeff Fenech and Kostya Tszyu go head to head to talk boxing.

Australia's most outstanding boxers of the past decade, Jeff Fenech and Kostya Tszyu have carried the country's fighting dreams and kept the sport firmly in the Australian public's eye. OK, so one of them was born in Russia, but we took him into our hearts and renamed him Aussie Kostya. Fenech re-kindled Australia's interest in the sport in the 80's and turned it into a national obsession by winning three world titles and narrowly missing a fourth, and Tszyu has continued on from where the Marrickville Mauler left off. Between them, they have taught the people of Australia that middleweight boxing is where all the action is - showing up those pedestrian heavyweight slugfests for what they are. We brought them together and then put CHRIS SHEEDY in between (not that we don't like him, heh, heh) to ask the questions.

Jeff, what do you think of Kostya's fighting style?
He's got the power to dictate and overcome most encounters in the boxing ring. He's such a gifted athlete, but I believe he's never been taught how to fight as a professional. His style is very upright, and I believe there's much he can learn. The reason Kostya lost his last fight was because he didn't know how to go under the punches, or roll and cut his opponent off and turn him around.

Kostya, what do you think of Jeff's fighting style?
We're very different. Jeff was just like a bulldog, extremely fit, very hungry and he was angry. He hated his opponents, he came out to destroy their lives. Jeff would use everything, his elbow, his head, whatever. Some of his opponents were technically better, but he just destroyed them because he was the toughest guy in boxing. I learned to be very fit from Jeff, but also I have a very good technical background, like knowing how to punch correctly. That's probably why his hands were badly injured, and mine, touch wood, are still fine, even after 19 years fighting.

How much of a fight is a mind game and how much is physical?
JEFF: Preparation is about 80 per cent physical and 20 per cent mental. You've got to be fit, but when you step in that ring you have to watch what your opponent is doing and out-think him.

KOSTYA: It's a mind game before the fight, not during the fight. When it comes to the action you have to do your best physically and that's it. In the day before the fight you just have to forget about everything, forget boxing, just relax.

How do you psyche yourself up before a big fight?
JEFF: It's not too hard when you know somebody is going to be trying to knock your block off. I just used to try and be as relaxed as I could and keep all my energy for the fight. Before my first world title fight I did a lot of that walking around and pretending I was this crazy man who wanted to kill somebody. Surprisingly enough, that was the only fight I was ever tired in, because I used a lot of energy before the fight.

KOSTYA: Usually, I don't think about the fight. Sometimes I'll think about what kind of fight plan I have, but immediately before the fight I don't usually think about anything.

Do you hate your opponent before you get into the ring?
JEFF: Yeah, I do. Actually, I recently met for the first time an opponent I put into St Vincent's Hospital during my second world title fight. He was fine and I was happy to shake his hand and talk with him.

KOSTYA: Never! It's natural in man from thousands of years ago - competing to find out who's the strongest. That's why I will never hate my opponent, it's just a fight. Of course, I will still try to hurt him. I have fought against a close friend, and we bashed each other as hard as we could. I won and he congratulated me afterwards. The friendship wasn't affected.

What was your first fight and why?
JEFF: I had lots of fights. I've had people's fathers chase me, I had fights at school - one kid hit me over the nose with a shovel. As a kid I was little so I was a target.

KOSTYA: It was a fight in the ring, I didn't have many fist fights. I started boxing very early, when I was seven. I won my first fight in the first round. When young kids box and you land a couple of good punches they stop the fight. It was just boom, boom, boom...finished.

If your son wanted to take up boxing, would you encourage it?
JEFF: No, definitely not. I believe in this sport you have to be hungry and my little boy could not be hungry because he's a spoilt little brat.

KOSTYA: I wouldn't encourage him to get into it, but if he decided by himself that he wanted to get into it, then I'd support him.

If you know your opponent has a beautiful wife and baby, does it make it harder to beat the crap out of him?
JEFF: No, it makes it easier!

KOSTYA: It doesn't make a difference. If I see him bleeding, then I'll still keep trying to hit him in that place.

Do you ever mix socially with your opponents?
JEFF: No, never. The majority of your opponents fly in, you beat them up and the next day they're gone again. If somebody beat the shit out of you, I'm sure you wouldn't want to go up and talk to them afterwards.

KOSTYA: We don't try to mix with each other. Maybe cricketers can go out and drink beer together after a game. I drink water alone.

What's the dirtiest trick in the sport of boxing?
JEFF: Biting people's ears off is pretty bad. I've been thumbed in the eyes and I've headbutted people after they've headbutted me. I've heard of people making a small cut in the glove and taking out half the padding.

KOSTYA: The worst one was the Tyson thing. There are lots of tricks you can do, and if you do them properly, they're not dirty. In wrestling I learned how to floor an opponent just using my knee, and break an opponent's hands no problem at all. I can show you how I break hands later on...

What importance do you place on a knockout punch?
JEFF: It's a bonus! Mike Tyson does about 35 per cent of the training he used to do as a youngster because he knows that if he hits the guy, then the fight's over. Having a knockout punch, without doubt, is like having four aces up your sleeve, especially if you've got an either-hand like Kostya does.

KOSTYA: When your fighting, the gloves are extremely thin, and every time you throw a punch your hands are damaged straight away. It's important to have strong hands and a strong punch. My hands are strong, but sometimes not strong enough to take what I can give.

You both have great hand speed - just how important is that?
JEFF: It's just as important as a knockout punch - they both play a big role.

KOSTYA: It's more important than a knockout punch. Some boxers have a really heavy punch, smashing everything in its path like a bulldozer. Other boxers have punches more like a mosquito bite - very effective and fast. My punch is a combination - not to heavy, not too light.

Do you think that the lighter weight categories have a lot more to offer the viewers?
JEFF: Without a doubt. Little guys throw heaps more punches and are much more entertaining. We get 1/100 th of the purses that they get because people go to watch those big guys make a big thud when they hit the ground.

KOSTYA: I think the middle weights are more entertaining, but we can't do anything about the fact that the big fighters get all the attention. In America, people like big things - big cars, big houses, big boxers.

If you were the same weight as Evander Holyfield, how would you fight him?
JEFF: I'd bite his other ear off. (laughs) No, I'd keep a distance, then if Holyfield got in close, I'd tie him up. I believe Lennox Lewis with his height and reach and speed, at this point in his career he could beat Holyfield. I believe that Mike Tyson has the power and strength to upset and even knock out Holyfield, but so far he's never fought him with a game plan.

KOSTYA: You have to have him doing what you want him to do. And you have a bigger heart than him, because this guy can take punches and give them back even harder.

How many permanent injuries have you ended up with?
JEFF: (laughs) Just mainly my hands are very sore. It's a sad story, but they're the tools of my trade and I wasn't born with very good ones.

KOSTYA: The only injuries I've had are my hands, but now I know how to avoid that injury. Fortunately, I don't think I have anything which will affect me for the rest of my life.

How did you cope with a surprise professional loss at a stage when the whole country felt you were pretty much unbeatable?
JEFF: It was very hard then, and it's still very hard now. I look back and I think the only person who ever beat Jeff Fenech was Jeff Fenech. I had a lot of success and I got carried away. I forgot where I came from, I forgot the hard work ethic and I took short cuts. That's when I lost my hunger.

KOSTYA: It wasn't just the public - I thought I was invincible. The defeat against Vince Phillips put me down for quite some time. I didn't go to the gym for a couple of months.

Are boxing techniques applicable to street fighting?
JEFF: If you learn to punch properly and you're involved in a street fight, then hopefully after one or two punches the fight will be over. If I hit somebody properly, whether they're 17 stone or two stone, then that's it. The fight's over.

KOSTYA: It's very applicable. I try to avoid it, but sometimes, you have a stupid drunk come at you. I usually say, "Please, just go and pick a fight with someone else, not me." It's only happened two or three times in my life and it's been over each time in one punch. I know that it's going to connect with his chin even if I close my eyes when I take a swing. Boom...that's it.