Tim Tszyu is promising no more slip-ups while candidly confessing to "falling apart" after relinquishing his world title in the infamous Sebastian Fundora bloodbath in Las Vegas.
Tszyu takes on undefeated Albanian Denis Nurja in Wollongong on Easter Sunday in a do-or-die encounter being billed as "The Rise" as the 31-year-old strives to resurrect his international boxing career.
"Yeah, it is the rise. I feel like I did fall apart," Tszyu said on Thursday.
"I am putting the wheels back in motion and I'm coming and I'm gunning straight back to that No.1 spot and whoever is in the way of that, they're in danger."
The frank admission that he lost his way comes a day after pound-for-pound legend Terence Crawford reopened old wounds, claiming Tszyu's former entourage "messed him up" and potentially changed the course of boxing history with their supposed mismanagement of the Fundora fiasco.
After retiring last year with an impeccable 42-from-42 record, Crawford made a surprise visit to meet Tszyu in Sydney on Wednesday.
Tszyu needs to take down Nurja to confirm a multi-million-dollar mega bout with American superstar Errol Spence.
But Crawford - who in 2017 became the first undisputed world lightweight champion since Tszyu's Hall of Fame father Kostya 13 years earlier - believes the Sydney slayer would not be at such a precarious juncture had he been managed better.
The fallen world champ lost his WBO super-welterweight belt to Fundora in March 2024 after walking into an accidental elbow from the American at the end of round two.
Bleeding uncontrollably from a savage gash to his forehand, Tszyu had dominated the opening rounds and would have been afforded a mandatory rematch on medical grounds if the fight was stopped before round four.
He bravely boxed on and lost a split decision but Crawford suggested that was the beginning of Tszyu's career spiral.
"On the first fight with Fundora, Tim had him. He had him," Crawford said at Tszyu Boxing Academy.
"They should have stopped that fight. That was bad coaching.
"He would have been better off if they'd stopped that fight and let him come back the second time, instead of letting him carry on and take that punishment."
Crawford, who hung up the gloves after winning 18 major world titles in five divisions from lightweight to super-middleweight, also questioned the old Team Tszyu's decision to fight Bakhram Murtazaliev just six months after the Fundora battering.
The Russian hitman floored Tszyu four times in the first three rounds before Tszyu's brother Nikita threw in the towel.
"They shouldn't have sent him out there with Bakhram in the following fight," Crawford said.
"Bakhram was just the wrong style and the wrong game plan too. They messed him up."
After going undefeated in his first 23 fights before falling first to Fundora, Tszyu subsequently lost a rematch with the "Towering Inferno" last July, leaving the son of a gun at a career crossroads.
With millions on the line against Spence, Tszyu and his promoters No Limit Boxing know squaring off with Nurja is a gamble.
"Well, that's what I always do, man. I always just put it all on the line and I'm just confident in myself," Tszyu said.
"So, look, of course everything's a risk. But you've got to put it all on the line. We're in this sport for a short, minimal amount of time and you've just got to make the most of every opportunity.
"I've changed myself to a certain extent, but I just can't wait to to get in there and bang on, let the dog come out."
