Turki Alalshikh became “a young kid who didn’t get his lollipop” after Tim Tszyu turned down his fight offers, according to the Australian

Tim Tszyu's refusal to work with Turki Alalshikh did not sit well with the Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia. The GEA has been pivotal in helping schedule some of boxing's biggest fights since 2023, with the vast wealth of the Saudi empire helping satisfy fighters' demands.

But the Australian is not solely focused on money, with loyalty a more prized commodity amongst the Tszyu clan. The 29-year old was recently interviewed by Boxing Scene, where he discussed Alalshikh's apparent frustrations.

In August, the GEA declared that Tszyu "did not understand", with his comments stemming from an unsuccessful negotiation with the former WBO champion.

Now, ahead of his return to the ring for the first time since losing to Sebastian Fundora in March, the Sydney native said this about the Saudi official:

"I just sort of laughed at [Alalshikh]. It kind of felt like a young kid that didn’t get a lollipop. ‘Oh well.’ You just ignore it. I’ve got a good team behind me, and I’m happy with everything. I don’t need to depend on anyone else; thinking there’s going to be some god and savior of boxing who’s going to come and fix everything, you know? I think part of it is being able to create your own revenue, and not be dependent on others, and not have to bow down. Be loyal to who supported you from the start."

'The Soul Taker' will be taking on Bakhram Murtazaliev for the IBF super welterweight title on Oct. 19. He will be hoping to bounce back from the first loss of his career, suffered in his previous bout against Fundora.

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Tim Tszyu was "ready to die' against Sebastian Fundora

Tim Tszyu and Sebastian Fundora faced off for the WBO and WBC super welterweight world titles on Mar. 30 in one of the bloodiest boxing fights. The fight ended with Tszyu suffering a split-decision defeat.

Ahead of his return to the ring, the Australian reflected on what he learnt from such a tough battle. Tszyu did not mince his words as he spoke to reporters following a workout and said:

"At the end of the day, you lost, who cares? Whatever. You put on a show, you showed respect to how it is, and you showed your true self. That's what it's all about... I realized I was ready to die, no matter what. And when you're ready to die, you're a hard man to beat."

Catch Tim Tszyu's comments below (5:30):