‘I’m planning to win the rounds so well they cannot but give me the decision’ – Hogan wary of hometown hype ahead of Tszyu clash

Dennis Hogan in action. Image credit: Getty Images.

Sean McGoldrick

March 30 2021 11:56 AM

THERE has been no shortage of drama ahead of Dennis Hogan's title fight against the son of an Australian boxing icon (eir Sport 10am, Wednesday).

At stake is the WBO global super welterweight title. Hogan's opponent 26-year-old Tim Tszyu is aiming to follow in the footsteps of his father 'Kostya' who became a sporting legend in his adopted country after moving there following the break-up of the Soviet Union.

But Kildare-born Hogan is aiming to derail the bandwagon when they clash tomorrow in a sell-out pay-per-view showdown in the National Entertainment Centre in Newcastle, Australia.

Though both fighters comfortably made the weight, the fight has been jeopardised by a row over a sponsorship logo on Hogan's clothing gear.

The Irishman's primary sponsor is PointsBet, a sporting betting outlet. However, the show's promoter is claiming the logo conflicts with the show's preferred gambling partner SportsBet.

Hogan agreed to remove a T-shirt branding the company’s logo during Monday’s pre-fight press conference. However, at the weigh-in, he sported a pair of sweats bearing the PointsBet brand and insists that he will enter the ring with the brand prominently displayed on his fight trunks.

The matter remains unresolved but given what's at stake a solution is likely to be found before fight time tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Hogan's adopted city of Brisbane, is under a three-day lockdown after health authorities discovered two new clusters of Covid-19 cases.

In common with the rest of the Queensland, the city has so far escaped relatively unscathed from the pandemic. After a two-week long lockdown last year life had returned to normal. Hogan and his entourage had left the State before the new lockdown was announced.

Though the 36-year-old Kilcullen native has fought for World titles on three occasions, he has never previously experienced this level of media hype.

“I’m told that when people sit down to have their dinner and turn on the TV news my face keeps popping up. It is crazy to get this type of exposure but it’s great,” said Hogan.

Having lived in Australia for a decade he is aware of the esteem in which his opponent’s father Kostya Tszyu is held, not just in the boxing community Down Under, but among the general population as well.

“He became a national hero in Australia. Every person I’ve met here absolutely adored him and loved his career. It is one of the reasons why his son Tim gets so much hype. But he’s on his own journey now.”

Tszyu was a decorated amateur fighter in the Soviet Union, winning a gold medal at the 1991 World Championship. He subsequently moved to Australia, turned professional and enjoyed a stellar career, becoming an undisputed and lineal light welterweight World Champion. He was regarded as one of the hardest-punching fighters ever seen in the division.

Now his son is aiming tofollow in his footsteps in the same weight division.

So far, he hasn’t put a glove wrong, notching up 17 wins on the spin including 13 via knockout since turning professional in 2016.

His most notable win was an eighth-round TKO victory over Hogan’s one-time training partner Jeff Horn last August.

Horn controversially outpointed the legendary Manny Pacquiao to claim the WBO World welterweight belt which he held for 11 months.

“Tim fought a very watered-down Jeff Horn. Jeff is tipping me to win on Wednesday. I know I will win it anyway.

“I have been around for a long time now; I’m getting smarter and improving. I’m getting stronger in the gym. I definitely believe this will be my best performance.”

There is a rematch clause in the contract, so Hogan expects to be doing it all over again against Tszyu later this year.

The victim of a notorious hometown decision when he didn’t get the verdict in his world title fight against Jamie Munguia in Monterrey in 2019, Hogan is aware that virtually everybody wants Tszyu to win.

“If the opportunity comes and, I believe it will, I’d love to get him out of there. But I am planning to win the rounds so well they (the judges) cannot but give me the decision. That’s the plan and after that what can I do?”

Last year Hogan spent nine weeks working with his new trainer, former World professional champion and Barcelona Olympics silver medallist Wayne McCullough in Las Vegas ahead of a scheduled St Stephen’s Day fight in Los Angeles.

But his opponent – former World champion Julian Williams – had to pull out of the contest after testing positive for Covid-19.

“I really enjoyed working with Wayne and learned some really nice defensive stuff. We also looked at some techniques to knock opponents out. And Wayne is having an input into this fight as well.”

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