'There's nothing the kid can't do': The enigmatic figure of Tim Tszyu

Then the silence is interrupted by the sound of the world-ranked super welterweight's fists whirring through the air.

Goloubev has propelled the coins into the air and in the blink of an eye, all five are in Tszyu's hands. It seems almost effortless for a man carving out his own legacy while carrying one of boxing's most iconic last names.

"There's nothing the kid can't do," Tszyu's manager Glen Jennings said.

But that hardly comes as a surprise to Jennings, who was there the day Tszyu was born and will be there when he faces former world title challenger Dennis Hogan at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre on Wednesday night.

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The face of Australian boxing is perhaps one win away from a world title shot. With that goal in mind his hands nab coins inside the Tszyu Boxing Academy in the Sydney suburb of Rockdale, and his razor sharp jabs split newspaper pages in half.

His father is all over the gym yet nowhere to be seen. Seventy-three posters bearing Kostya's name line the walls, with Team Tszyu 2 now on a path to create more.

Kostya is in Moscow, well aware his 26-year-old son could not be in better hands. Jennings, Goloubev and Tim's grandfather Boris are in his corner. That same group "spent a lifetime" with the former world champion.

"The Tim you see today is the same Tim we started with," Jennings said.

"As a human, he's exactly the sort of guy you'd want to go and have a lunch with, and just sit and talk. He's a funny guy, he really is. We're all car guys. We all love our American muscle cars and American yank tanks.

"He's a gifted athlete, the dude can play basketball as good as he can fight, he can play tennis as good as he can fight. He has whooped everybody we know in table tennis."

While 17 times opponents have tried to stop Tszyu and failed, countless more have been on the wrong end of the ledger in table tennis.

"It was pretty humbling actually," No Limit Boxing promoter George Rose said. "He towelled up a few of us. You think you're good at something and then he just comes in."

Tszyu's battle with Hogan looms as the toughest test of his career. But that suits just fine, because "absolutely every fight for Tim going forward is going to be a battle, and it should be".

"We don't go backwards and we don't go sideways, if someone wants to put their hand up and say 'we want to fight Tim Tszyu', well, you better be above us or at least there with us because we're not looking at you if you're not," Jennings said.

Tszyu has already disposed of a former world champion in Jeff Horn - not just beating him, but beating him up - yet Hogan's camp say this is a tune-up fight, that he isn't ready.

"As they all say, as they all say," Tszyu smiled.

"I'm ready to be compared to the big boys. That's it. You can make a good fighter look shit, and that's my plan. I'm confident in my ability, I know what I bring to the table.

"I'm getting bigger, stronger, and on Wednesday night I'll be ready. There are big things in the works and that's what drives me, of course.

"I'm not overlooking Hogan, he's a tough guy. But again, there's levels."

Hogan has doubled down on threats to boycott the fight if he is kept from wearing trunks bearing the logo of his sponsor Pointsbet. Promoter Matt Rose won't stand for it given Sportsbet's sponsorship of the show.

Neither party wants to wilt. Yet eventually someone will get their way and Hogan will be there to take on Tszyu.

A sold-out show in Newcastle marks something of a homecoming for Team Tszyu. It is Jennings' hometown, and the site of seven wins during Kostya's legendary career.

"A lot of people can relate, that's the main thing," Tszyu said.

STEEL CITY SHOWDOWN

Wednesday: Tim Tszyu v Dennis Hogan at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre, 6pm.

WBO Global super welterweight title: Tim Tszyu [17-0] v Dennis Hogan [28-3-1]

WBA Oceania, IBO International super welterweight titles: Wade Ryan [17-9] v Koen Mazoudier [8-1]

WBA Oceania super middleweight title: Cesar Mateo Tapia [12-0] v Renold Quinlan [12-7]

Super featherweight: Paul Fleming [26-0-1] v Tyson Lantry [8-3]

Super middleweight: Sakio Bika [34-7] v Sam Soliman [46-14-1]

Super welterweight: Darkon Dryden [3-0] v Jason Medawar [1-0]

Super welterweight: Jason Fawcett [debut] v Alex Carioti [debut]

Super flyweight: Linn Sandstrom [0-1] v Felicity Loiterton [debut]