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Tszyu, Mazoudier make weight to end scales drama

3 minute read

<i>Nikita Tszyu has crushed speculation he </i>would fail to pass the super welterweight limit after successfully making weight for his bout with Koen Mazoudier.

Nikita Tszyu has made weight for his title bout with fellow Sydneysider Koen Mazoudier after speculation the rising boxing star would fail to pass the super welterweight limit.

Tszyu (9-0, 7KOs) hit the scales at 69.34kg to meet the division's usual 70kg limit at Tuesday's weigh-in for Wednesday's fight at ICC Sydney.

Taller than Tszyu at 182cm, Mazoudier (12-3-1, 5KOs) came in at 69.78kg.

Mazoudier's camp warned the fight would be called off if Tszyu failed to make weight after the latter's team tried to add an extra 1.4kg to the bout.

But Tszyu showed no signs of concern when he took to the scales.

"This was the easiest one I've ever had," Tszyu said.

"No sauna, no steam room, no nothing."

The 26-year-old will have a shot for a top-15 world ranking when he takes to the ring.

Win against Mazoudier, Tszyu will also leave with the IBF Australasian and WBO inter-continental super welterweight titles.

Lose, for the first time in his career, and Mazoudier takes it all.

"I see every fight, honestly, as a new step," Tszyu told AAP.

"This one's kind of like a bigger step than the other ones, as this gets me higher rankings in world organisations, but it's still a step, and we're on a steady path, and so far so good.

"I hope it's going to be the toughest (fight) because I truly think that the best version of him will come out and it's going bring the best version of myself."

Power puncher Tszyu says he's been working hard to ensure his occasionally questionable defence is as good as his much-vaunted offence for the 10-round bout.

"That's been a huge thing I've been focusing on this camp," Tszyu said.

"I always try and prepare for the distance.

"You always want to prepare for the hardest case scenario and I always do prepare for the hardest possible fight, but if the opportunity is seen to be able to stop it (early) then I go for it, but you never really plan for it."

Also on Wednesday night, Irishman Connor Wallace and New Zealand's Jerome Pampellone do battle in an IBF light heavyweight world title eliminator while long-time Tszyu rival Michael Zerafa and Tommy Browne fight in the co-main event.

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