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Australian super welterweight champion Dylan Biggs should walk to the ring last in Wednesday night’s clash against Nikita Tszyu in Newcastle, says boxing great Jeff Fenech.
With a flurry of late money from punters reportedly siding with Biggs to pull off a big upset via KO, the two camps been engaged in a stalemate in the lead up to the bout over who will walk out first.
Rights to enter the ring last have become a sore point between the boxers, with promoter No Limit wanting Tszyu, as the more recognised fighter, to walk in second.
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But Biggs’ camp disputes that Tszyu is the A-side, because their fighter, at 10-0, is the Australian champion, and boxing traditionally honours its champions by having them walk out last.
Typically the fighter with the title that is being defended will walk last and be introduced last, however it is not an official rule and a change can be negotiated in the fight contract.
There have been several instances in the past where the champion has walked to the ring first.
But Fenech, a former world champion and Hall-of-Famer, believes the long-held customs of the sport must be observed.
“If I’m being honest, I don’t care what you are or who you are, it’s always the champion (that comes out last) that’s supposed to walk out last,” Fenech told Wide World of Sports.
“Should they change it? No they shouldn’t. Just go and win the title and then you’ll be a champion and come out last. You earn that.
“Biggs has earned that. He fought for the Australian title and won so it should be him.”
Biggs suggested he would refuse to come out of his dressing room if told to walk first during the press conference this week, while Tszyu called him a “brat” for fussing over the formalities.
During the weigh-in Biggs’ camp called for a different set of scales and was also accused of not helping sell the fight by the Tszyu camp. Fenech, who fought for an Australian title in his third fight, said boxing has always held firm with most facets of the sport through the test of time, and this should be no different.
“This is talk, it’s to hype the fight and excuse my language, it’s all bullshit. I used to let my fists do all the talking,” he said.
“But the world has changed. Boxing has changed. But there are rules and I think we should stick by them. If this is what they need to promote the fight, it’s not a good sign.
“For Nikita this is an important fight. You have to be able to beat the best in your country and then go overseas. This kid at the moment is the best kid in the weight division. Whether your name is Tszyu, Fenech or Tyson, for me it’s the rules. But in this day and age, what are rules?
“I love watching Nikita because he’s an animal. He believes in himself and he can fight. I wouldn’t care if he walked last or first. People follow him because he can fight not because of his mouth.”
Fenech called Tszyu’s clash with Biggs “without doubt his toughest fight” to date, with the betting public also reportedly seeing it that way after claims plenty of late money had been spilled on Biggs to win by KO.
“They’re probably going off Nikita in his last fight,” Fenech added. “He got dropped from a headbutt. People don’t realise when he got hit after it he was concussed.
“In football you get concussed they bring you off. Nikita got concussed severely from a head knock and he still got up and won the fight against a tough Jack Brubaker.
“People think Brubaker dropped him but it was a headbutt that the referee didn’t see.”
And his tip?
“I think it will be a very, very tough fight,” Fenech said. “Nikita has got extraordinary punching power. That might shine through but then again don’t be surprised if there’s an upset. This is a tough fight.”
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