As Australia’s Nikita Tszyu looks to continue his hyped rise and rise in Sydney on Wednesday night, we look at four burning questions ahead of a stacked No Limit Card.

1. What would a win mean for Nikita Tszyu?

And could it be enough to land a 2025 NRL Las Vegas weekend headliner against somebody like Muhammad Ali’s grandson, Nicho Ali-Walsh?

Of all the burning questions to be answered tonight, undoubtedly the greatest is where the undefeated ‘Butcher’ goes if he continues his hyped rise and rise against Koen ‘The Barbarian’ Mazoudier.

BOXING: NIKITA TSZYU V MAZOUDIER | WED 28 AUG 7PM AEST | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.

All week we’ve been hearing that Tszyu, with a win, will then be pitched into a showdown with Australia’s boxing bad boy Michael Zerafa, who himself fights popular Sydney mainstay Tommy Browne in the co-main.

Three years after walking away from a hyped headliner with Tim Tszyu, Zerafa is now on what he has dubbed a three-fight plan to get that back – and says he has been “promised” the younger Tszyu sibling next by No Limit if both win tonight.

However as revealed by No Limit CEO George Rose this week, the “doors to the world” open up to Tszyu if he beats Mazoudier and earns himself a top 15 world ranking.

Already, Rose is in discussions with the NRL about having a Las Vegas fight card on the same weekend at their 2025 launch, and Nikita Tszyu could be a chance of headlining if promoters can find a suitable ‘name’.

Previously, one man in the mix was Ali-Walsh, the 24-year-old Las Vegas fighter who only recently turned down a $3 million offer to fight Jake Paul, stating: “I’m not part of that circus league of boxing”.

Ali Walsh (10-1) avenged the only loss of his career in June, beating Sona Akale by decision, despite suffering a dislocated shoulder late in the fight.

Exactly what that means for his immediate future remains unclear but, for Nikita Tszyu to headline any potential card, promoters would be looking for a rising US fighter with suitable ‘name’ value.

Obviously, No Limit would love to have Australia’s boxing poster boy Tim Tszyu headlining such an event, but should he beat IBF world champ Bakhram Murtazaliev in October the logistics around when he fights become determined by thousands of factors.

There is a chance Nikita Tszyu could fight again this year in Australia – potentially against the winner of Zerafa and Browne – and then still turn around for that Las Vegas weekend at the start of March.

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How much does ‘Deadpool’ have left to give as Aussie boxing’s bad boy?

No matter your take on Michael ‘Pretty Boy’ Zerafa, there is no doubting Australian boxing’s greatest villain brings more eyeballs to a card when he is throwing down.

But exactly how dangerous the now 32-year-old Melburnian is undeniably a question that needs answering given he has now fought just twice in the more than two years since he enjoyed a huge win over Issac Hardman – a lacklustre win over Danilo Creati and brutal KO loss against WBA middleweight champ Erislandy Lara.

Speaking with Fox Sports Australia this week, Zerafa promised to score a knockout win over Browne although conceded it will bring him no positive headlines given the age of a rival who has already retired once.

BOXING: NIKITA TSZYU V MAZOUDIER | WED 28 AUG 7PM AEST | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.

Certainly there will be plenty of eyes on the fighter who took Kell Brook 12 rounds and, most famously, stopped Jeff Horn in 2019 – with plenty keen to try and get a read on what a fight with Nikita Tszyu would look like.

Given his career, Zerafa (31-5) would appear to be easily the biggest test of The Butcher’s career.

Elsewhere, the fighter also branded himself Aussie boxing’s Deadpool given the headlines have surrounded his jawing this week with Browne, with Tszyu, with Mazoudier, with journalists, Main Event host Ben Damon, everyone basically.

Zerafa even made headlines 24 hours out from the fight when Fox Sports Australia revealed he had been rushed to complete 11th hour bloodwork, which he had initially forgotten and could see the fight stopped.

Thankfully, it’s understood No Limit have received this early today.

Can Conor McGregor’s mate steal the show?

He has previously cornered for UFC megastar Conor McGregor, and now Australia’s fighting Irishman Conor Wallace looms as the man who could go steal the show on a stacked card inside the ICC Theatre tonight.