Nikita Tszyu slammed for 'disrespectful' request ahead of Aussie's title fight

Nikita Tszyu has been called out for his “disgusting and disrespectful” request ahead of his upcoming Australian title fight. Only one week out from the event, the Aussie's camp has contacted the promoter to demand he walks out second, an honour almost always reserved for the reigning champion.

While Tszyu is the A-side and is the fighter people most want to see, Biggs' manager Brendon Smith has been in contact with promoter No Limit and insisted his reigning champion walks out second. The matter is yet to be settled, however, Team Tszyu's manager Glen Jennings insists: “Nikita will be coming out last”.

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Super welterweight champ Dylan Biggs and his team are offended by the request to break from tradition. His manager Brendon Smith told Fox Sports Australia, the ask by the Tszyu camp is just disrespectful.

“Dylan Biggs is the champion – he walks out second, right throughout history, the champion has walked out second and that’s the way it has always been and Dylan has earned that right," he said,

“So if we’re all really in this for the good of Australian boxing let’s get it right on the night and I’m sure the Rose boys and the Tszyu camp will do that but if they don’t, it would be so disrespectful of No Limit if they tried to pull that on the night and so disrespectful of Nikita Tszyu.

“Nobody wants to see that rubbish, it would be disrespectful, disrespectful and disgusting. Dylan Biggs is the champion, Nikita Tszyu is the challenger, we will be walking out second.”

Tszyu's manager says he is the A side so deserves the honour

Despite being full of admiration for what Biggs has accomplished in his relatively young career, Jennings insisted that the fight card has been built around Tszyu and he is the man who fans are coming to see so he needs to walk out last.

Jennings said it would not be the first time a Tszyu, as a challenger, had walked out last, pointing to Tim Tszyu walking out second in his fight with Joel Camilleri for the same Australian super welterweight title in 2019.

Tszyu's manager said the request is not about disrespecting Biggs or the national title, it's simply that it is a pay-per-view event and Nikita is the pay-per-view star. “This is just business for us when you’re the A-side and selling all the tickets that’s how it is and we’d really love to see Dylan Biggs selling his own pay-per-views one day himself if he’s successful enough," Jennings said.

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