Tszyu reveals bizarre breast milk diet before boxing return

The Australian

3 days ago

New father Nikita Tszyu has revealed he's been drinking his wife's breast milk and using her frozen placenta as a supplement as he prepares for his long-awaited boxing comeback next week.
Known as Australian boxing's dark prince, Tszyu also revealed that older brother Tim is heading to Japan and won't be at his fight against Lulzim Ismaili on Wednesday, August 20.
Tszyu, who welcomed his first child – a daughter named Curiosity – in June made his breast milk revelation this week.
'It's available and it tastes good,' he told Code Sports moments after meeting Ismaili face-to-face for the first time on Thursday.
'It's not for strength gains or anything like that. I'm drinking it because it's available.
'My wife eats a very clean diet and she's pumping out very pure breastmilk, so why not?'
As the news swept through Australian boxing on Thursday, cruiserweight world champion Jai Opetaia even weighed in, saying: 'There's actually no need to do that, bro,' with Nikita responding: 'Don't knock it till you try it!'
Tszyu seemed surprised at the reaction to his newfound hydration method.
'Everyone does it. Everyone's tried it. We've all been a little bit curious,' he said. 'We've just had a baby, so where else do you get it from?
'I'm still yet to do a breastmilk cappuccino, but that's the next step.
'We need more breastmilk though.'
Just add it to the list of quirky Nikita Tszyu tales.
Last week Code Sports revealed he had recently spent a morning as a tourist at the Erotic Heritage Museum in Las Vegas.
'It was quite beautiful really,' he said of his solo escapade. 'Sex is usually hidden and frowned upon in our society these days.
'I like the reactions I got when I showed people what I bought. It was just fun.'
Two years ago he revealed he ate a still-beating snake heart before drinking its blood while on a training camp in Thailand.
More recently, he confirmed his wife – also named Nikita – freeze-dried her placenta, and 'The Butcher' is using it as a supplement during training camp.
Random side quests and unique diets aside, Tszyu says he is a changed man in the two months since Curiosity arrived.
'Looking into her eyes, it gives me so much strength,' he said. 'Coming home each day after a hard training session, my body is just thrashed and I see that little face.
'It gives me all this energy and all this light. It reminds of why I'm doing this.
'I want to keep my family life and my boxing life separate, so even when I come home from training, there's no boxing talk. Unless I want to talk about it, home is my way of escaping from this world.
'Boxing is quite crazy and chaotic and there's a lot of stress that can be obtained.
'Home is my safe place away from it.'
Nikita Tszyu in training camp. Pictures: No Limit Boxing/Gregg Porteous
Tszyu says mum and baby will stay at home when he steps into the ring for the first since his war with Koen Mazoudier last August, and revealed older brother Tim won't be at the bout either.
The fight will be one month and a day since Tim's loss to Sebastian Fundora, and 'The Soul Taker' – who has attended every one of Nikita's bouts – is taking some time away from boxing.
That includes training for a marathon, and heading overseas.
'He's going to Japan – he needs some time off and time away just to reset himself,' Nikita said. 'The boxing world is cruel, and full of assholes who are full of things to say that are all bullsh*t.
'He just needs to go away and do what he needs to do.'
It's a double-edged sword for Nikita.
'I'm kind of jealous – I want to go to Japan,' he said. 'I feel like I was Japanese in a past life.
'I'm so drawn to that country and their culture. I wish I was Japanese.
'I've been once, when I was about 17. It's beautiful. I can't wait to go back.'
Brendan Bradford
Content producer
Brendan Bradford is a sports writer for CODE Sports. He primarily covers combat sports, league, union, cycling and athletics. Brendan has worked in sports media for a decade, covering world title fights, World Cups, Grand Slams and Spring Tours.
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Brendan Bradford