If it wasn’t clear beforehand, he’s convinced it’s firmly cemented now.
It’s Tim Tszyu.
Not Kostya Tszyu’s son.
Not that Tszyu doesn’t look up to his legendary world champion father as an idol, but he’s steadfast that at this point, he’s done enough to make his own mark — and name — in boxing.
Tszyu (22-0), 28, has long emerged as the top super welterweight contender, and now is currently WBO interim champion.
He’s become a celebrity in his hometown Australia, where he’s fought in front of raucous, sold-out arenas with fans chanting his name.
They were shouting it as loud as they ever have during his TKO victory over Tony Harrison on March 12 at Quods Bank Arena in Sydney, when Tszyu became the interim champion.
Maybe that’s why Tszyu felt it was the time to so distinctly – and pointedly — ask the crowd “What’s my name?” repeatedly during his in-ring interview following the win.
“I think from the first-ever fight I ever fought, people have been saying the same exact thing,” Tszyu told The Post. “‘You’re only here because of your last name.’ For me, saying ‘What’s my name?’ is to remind everyone that it’s not my last name that’s got me here, it’s my first name.
“Yeah, 100 percent [I established that]. I beat the man who beat the man. That’s all there was.”
But Harrison wasn’t necessarily the opponent Tszyu had wanted, nor deserved.
After his 2022 unanimous decision victory over Terrell Gausha in his United States debut, Tszyu had earned the right to challenge the division’s undisputed champion, Jermell Charlo.
But a broken hand led to Charlo postponing the bout, forcing Tszyu to pivot to Harrison, who is the only fighter to ever defeat Charlo (although Charlo later found revenge in a rematch) as the next best option.
It also opened the door for his interim title, as Charlo still owns the full WBO title along with the three other belts in the division.
After dispatching Harrison, Tszyu again earned the right to face Charlo, whom he directly called out after the fight.
Charlo — while serving as a guest commentator on Showtime’s broadcast of the Tszyu-Harrison fight — told The Post that he was looking forward to fighting Tszyu because “he’s perfect for my style.”
But their planned summer bout was again called off, as Charlo continues to rehab his injury.
For the second time, Tszyu had to pivot, and instead is fighting 27-year-old veteran Carlos Ocampo (34-2) to defend his WBO interim 154-pound title as the main event on Showtime’s card on Saturday night at the Gold Coast and Exhibition Centre in Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia.
“At first, when I first got told [Charlo] couldn’t fight for another, like, six months, I was pretty frustrated,” Tszyu said. “Now I’m like whatever, I’ve got another opponent in front of me. My head is in the game. It’s all right. The show goes on, as they say.
“As you play a video game, there’s the big boss, then there’s little bosses that you’ve got to beat before the big boss. And that’s what it feels like for me. If I can’t do this guy, then I go for the next one. Whatever, the road to undisputed continues for me.”
It’s a challenge Tszyu has now been forced to get used to — focusing on new opponents while keeping the undisputed Charo bout, which he’s now earned twice, in the back of his mind.
But perhaps the delays have delivered somewhat of a silver lining, as Tszyu described his win over Harrison as “my most patient one. My most comfortable one, for the moment.”
And he has another chance to fine-tune parts of his game on Saturday, before he hopefully again tries for the fight he’s for so long had his eyes on.
Or more specifically, the opponent.
“You know what? For me, it’s not about the belts,” Tszyu said. “It’s just about beating Charlo. It doesn’t matter. Let’s say he vacates all the belts. I still want Charlo. That’s the name, that’s the top dog, I don’t want dogs to define me, it’s the names and the resume that you have behind you that describes your journey.”
