Nikita Tszyu has once again showcased his "psychopathic" dark side while vowing to take out trash-talking Spaniard Oscar Diaz in the pair's super-welterweight showdown in Newcastle.
Ranked sixth with the IBF, Tszyu (11-0, 9KOs) is intent on edging closer to a maiden world-title shot with another statement victory over his fellow undefeated rival on Wednesday night.
With a throat-slitting gesture, Diaz (16-0, 6KOs) has already threatened to shatter Tszyu's dream and the family's incredible 53-0 record in Australia.
Tszyu, though, was having none of it at Monday's official pre-fight press conference.
"Everyone says that they're going to take me out and it hasn't happened yet," the 28-year-old said.
"I'll need to be adapting to him, to his style, to his rhythm, but we'll eventually figure it out and then we will entertain the public.
"Because once you see that belief fade, that's one of the sweetest things of the sport. I love boxing simply for my ability to just hurt someone and I get to do it legally.
"So this is a fantastic sport, a little loophole in my psychopathic kind of desires."
Branded "The Butcher" for his merciless style in the ring, Tszyu's quirky antics include trying bull's testicles, a snake's heart and blood, consuming his wife's breast milk and, in some cases, her placenta.
Now he is promising mayhem for Diaz.
"We're going to have a very fun time. Could get messy," Tszyu said.
The fight will take place against a backdrop of chaos in his family life, with Tszyu last month locked out of the family gym in Sydney amid an ongoing rift with his former world champion-brother Tim.
Once so tight that Nikita compassionately threw in the towel after Tim was floored four tries in three rounds in a brutal world-title loss to Russian hitman Bakhram Murtazaliev, the brothers have fallen out badly.
It drama appears to stem from Tim's decision to part ways with the family's long-time manager Glen Jennings, who continues to represent Nikita.
Locks at the family gym, initially established by the siblings' Hall of Fame father Kostya, were changed, forcing Nikita to prepare for his stoush with Diaz at another location.
Nikita was nowhere to be seen at Tim's Easter Sunday fight against Albanian Denis Nurja, with the older brother not expected at Wednesday night's bout either.
Tim Tszyu (27-3, 19KOs) on Sunday locked in a mega-fight with former unified world champion Errol Spence (28-1, 22KOs) at a to-be-determined Australian venue on July 26.
