Tszyu vs Tackie: Fire and Ice

Last November Kostya Tszyu (28-1-1, 23 KOs) unified the 140 lb. Super Lightweight/Junior Welterweight division by dispatching Zab Judah in the second round of their championship bout. Kostya's unification was hard fought and well earned with no question of whether his championship was bought and paid for with anything less than hard work and skill.

This year the champion eagerly begins defending those titles he worked so hard to unify, and Kostya's first challenger is Ben "The Wonder" Tackie (24-2-0, 15 KOs). The bout has been dubbed "When Warriors Collide" and in Kostya Tszyu's first unified world title defense, boxing fans and aficionados can look forward to seeing a clash between a remarkable champion and a classy, skillful challenger.

Everything about the collision of these two warriors makes for an intriguing and curious match. Consider the simple logistics: Kostya Tszyu was born near the arctic circle in Serov, Russia; Ben Tackie was born in equatorial Accra, Ghana. Through talent, determination, and oddities of fate the long journeys of these warriors will bring them face to face in a ring at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 18.

If you want a sense of how these fighters developed and what to look forward to when they square of, look close at where they came from and you'll see their origins personified in their fighting styles:

Kostya Tszyu has resolve in the ring that's as tough and rugged as the Ural mountains near his Siberian hometown - a fierce iceman of a warrior who freezes opponents with the bone chilling blasts of a power punch assault.

Ben Tackie is as persistent and inescapable in the ring as the sweltering heat and humidity of the African tropics - a fiery warrior who scorches opponents with a smothering and unrelenting attack.

Ironically, both men left their tough and humble beginnings behind and relocated their families and careers to more temperate climates. Kostya moved to Sydney, Australia, while Ben ended up in Glendale, California in the United States. The geographic and cultural changes have been no hindrance to the training regimen or skills development for either Kostya or Ben, and have only served to temper the strict discipline both fighters adhere to.

When these two professionals get in the ring there is no doubt that their focused intentions for victory will be unbelievably intense... and don't doubt that either man is powerfully capable of producing a knockout or of showing the deep stamina to carry them the distance. Regarding that issue of focus or strength of mind neither man comes up on the short end of the stick either. Though as a conquering champion, Tszyu has hung tough under heavy public criticism by media personalities and his opponents that only increased in volume with each of his successes until he silenced Zab Judah with a solid right hand. Tackie can appreciate the luxury of not having endure the typical pre-fight psychological onslaught.

Fans of professional boxing can look forward to this fight and appreciate both the well matched skills of Kostya Tszyu and Ben Tackie and their equally classy professionalism that hasn't been spoiled by success. Oddly both men have remained dedicated, soft spoken family men who have resisted the common temptation to build media hype for their fights by trash talking their opponents or staging outrageous public performances. These guys respect each other and deserve the respect and gratitude of sports fans for walking their well principled talk and elevating the sport of boxing above its quagmire of scandal ridden scum - scandals that frequently push pro boxing and boxers into news headlines, but seldom for anything remotely admirable.

We boxing fans have got plenty to look forward to on May 18th.

The big question now is which element will prevail, Kostya Tszyu's impenetrable Siberian ice or the searing tropical fire of Ben Tackie?