SYDNEY, Australia – Sunday evening’s “scary” terrorist shooting at Bondi Beach left Tim Tszyu “rattled and disturbed”.
Tszyu was at his home in Sydney and due to attend the following day’s press conference to promote his fight with Anthony Velazquez when he first became aware of what was unfolding at perhaps his home city’s most celebrated beach.
Monday’s press conference was cancelled out of respect for the 15 victims of the shooting and their families. Until discussions between the promoters No Limit and the relevant authorities concluded with what No Limit’s George Rose said meant that they will hereafter proceed as planned, the status of Tuesday’s weigh-in and Wednesday’s promotion were also in doubt.
Fifteen people – including a 10-year-old girl – were killed in the attack targeting the Jewish community at a Hannukah event in what has been declared a terrorist attack by police and described by the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as “an act of antisemitism… [and] terrorism on our shores”. The gunmen were a 50-year-old father and his 24-year-old son; the father died after being shot by police, and his son is in a critical condition.
That mass shootings are so rare in Australia has contributed to a wider sense of fear and shock. Sunday’s attack is the deadliest in the country since 35 people were killed by a lone gunman in Port Arthur in 1996.
“I was at home when I heard the news and started seeing the messages and videos come through,” the 31-year-old Tszyu told BoxingScene. “It was really scary. It was rattling.
“It’s disturbing, and your heart goes out to everyone affected. One of our friends was going to go to Bondi for a swim yesterday but changed his mind, so it hits close to home and really puts things into perspective. I still can’t believe it happened in Sydney to be honest.
“When a tragedy like this happens, of course the fight becomes secondary, especially when it’s your own city. Sydney is home, and you feel it more deeply.
“But I feel that if we can bring people together and give the city something positive, something to lift spirits and unite everyone, then that’s important too.”
Tszyu was born and raised in Sydney and since following his celebrated father Kostya into boxing has adopted what was Kostya’s gym – the Tszyu Fight Club in Rockdale – as his own.
Wednesday’s fight, at a catchweight of 157lbs at the TikTok Entertainment Centre, represents his first in his home city for almost three years. Their fight week build-up started by him making an appearance at the training ground of the AFL team he has long supported – the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
The undefeated Velazquez, 29, is in his 20th fight fighting for the first time outside of America. His final preparations for Wednesday’s contest are taking place at Bondi Boxing Club, close to Bondi at nearby Waterloo. No Limit, incidentally, are preparing a tribute to the victims and their families on Wednesday evening.
“We’d actually just left the gym when that happened,” he told BoxingScene. “Probably like an hour [before it happened]. We’d just got a little sweat in and were getting ready for the weigh-in. A buddy of ours [Tony Del Vecchio] owns the gym.
“It was pretty crazy. It was terrible. It’s definitely not good – it’s very sad.
“I’ve got to put it to the back of my mind because obviously I’ve got to fight, but I definitely feel for the families and the people that got shot. That’s definitely not nice.
“[But as a professional fighter] you’ve got to stay focused. There’s a lot of things that go wrong in life – you’ve just got to be strong, mentally and physically.
“It’s definitely sad for the families. Terrible for the families. Those terrible people.”
