Tim Tszyu makes big hints about Carlos Ocampo’s title fight and is surprised by a very personal question

Tim Tszyu admits he’s preparing for the biggest test of his boxing career when he takes on Carlos Ocampo and told Daily Mail Australia he expects an all-out war of attrition for his provisional WBO super-welterweight belt next Sunday.

The 28-year-old defeated the highly regarded American Tony Harrison in his most recent bout but expects a very different challenge when he takes on the tough Mexican man on the Gold Coast.

“It’s just a tough, tough fight,” Tszyu revealed at his Queensland training camp.

“Stylistically, it’s a different kind of fight than Harrison.” It’s going to be a fight where you tire, throw a lot of punches, throw a lot of heavy shots, instead of focusing on placement.

The Aussie knockout artist believes Ocampo will be the toughest opponent of his career so far

The die-hard Mexican (left) has just two knockouts in his impressive 35-2 record – including one in the first round against Errol Spence Jr (pictured) – but Tszyu doesn’t expect the fight to end early next Sunday

“With Tony Harrison it was more strategic, it wasn’t as brutal.

“Ocampo is first and foremost a warrior. It’s in his blood. He will not give up, he will die on his shield.’

The title contender has suffered just one knockout loss in his impressive 35-2 record, and that was when WBC, WBO and IBF Welterweight Champion Errol Spence Jr. took him apart in the first round with some brutal body punches – but Tszyu doesn’t leave much out of this fight.

“The thing is, he fought Errol when he was only 21, you can’t really judge anyone at the time,” he said.

“It’s been six, seven years since then – but of course the body shots are good.”

Many pundits were stunned when the Australian agreed to fight in Ocampo as a loss would see him lose his status as the mandatory challenger to undisputed world champion Jermell Charlo.

The interim WBO super welterweight champion brutally defeated esteemed American Tony Harrison in his last fight – but thinks Ocampo will be a different story altogether

“He’s a warrior first,” Tszyu said of Ocampo. “It’s in his blood.” He won’t give up, he’ll die on his shield.

The American was due to play Tszyu in January but had to pull out through injury and has since vowed to eliminate “that slut from Australia” when they finally meet.

The son of the all-time great boxer Kostya believes that in the ring he will have a clear advantage over Charlo.

“I think he’s made a lot of money in his career, he’s comfortable with his current situation and I think all of that plays a part.”

“Right now I’m following him, I want that fight where he’s more comfortable.”

Tszyu gears up for Ocampo with top-tier sparring partners including Ben Hussein and American super middleweight brothers Jason and Justin Bell.

As always, he’ll practice multiple rounds in a row while getting a new opponent about every three rounds to challenge himself – just like he did when he traveled to America last year to prepare for Charlo.

Tszyu’s parents Kostya (pictured together) and mother Natalia did not baptize him with the name he bears in the ring

“The fighters there treat you 100 percent disrespectfully,” he explained.

“It’s about walking into the gym feeling a little bit uncomfortable, that’s the biggest lesson I’ve learned. Different faces, different people, different gym environments – all of that plays a role in growth.”

Tszyu was nicknamed “Soul Taker” because he often knocked out his opponents – although he was originally christened Timofei by his parents.

When asked why he had never appeared in the ring under that name, he was completely at a loss.

‘I don’t know. “That’s actually a good question — I’ve never been asked that before,” he said.

“Nobody calls me Timofei, neither my mother nor my brother.” I have no plans to change.

“Honestly, it’s just the name on my passport.”