It was there the Australian super welterweight spent hours on end trying to perfect his craft with one eye on a domestic showdown with former world champion Jeff Horn.

"For me, it became obsessive. I became very obsessed with what I do," Tszyu said.

Tszyu and Horn will meet in Australia's biggest domestic bout in front of up to 16,000 fans at the $250 million North Queensland Stadium on August 26.

It looms as a chance for the Sydneysider (15-0) to truly make his mark after Horn (20-2-1) said "the only reason why this fight is being made is because his last name is Tszyu".

MORE SPORT

The fight had been scheduled for April 22 at the same venue before those plans were scuppered by COVID-19 restrictions which gave both fighters time to reflect.

"Nothing in my life matters besides boxing. When you put that in perspective, it means training three or four times a day," Tszyu said.

"I made a little gym in my garage and I was able to learn things, and stick in my garage for hours and hours on end, trying to perfect my craft. I actually became obsessed, it's a sickness, and I'm going to win.

"He's got a family, he's got other responsibilities. We've got completely different lives, he'll do what he does and I'll do what I do."

To say the pair are completely different perhaps would not be too far from the mark. Horn arrived at Monday's official press conference in a fitted suit coupled with a tie bearing his signature orange and black.

Tszyu stood before him - at a fair distance to cooperate with social distancing regulations - in a bright red tracksuit jacket. Horn described himself as a "fighter" who doesn't mind dabbling in boxing, and labelled his opponent as a "boxer" in a purist's sense.

Behind them were windows overlooking the North Queensland Cowboys' new home, which will soon be filled with boxing fans after tickets went on sale on Monday afternoon, with seating available in the stands and on the field.

A bout in Townsville brings Tszyu to the city in which his legendary father Kostya Tszyu fought back in 1997 - so it was perhaps fitting his name was brought into the conversation.

"The only reason why this fight is being made is because his last name is Tszyu. His father is an absolute legend, we wouldn't be fighting him if his last name wasn't his dad's name," Horn said.

"They're very serious and very cocky in the way they think they're going to win this fight nice and easy. Tim has never fought the opposition I have, he's got relatively little experience in that manner.

"I've fought world champions, Hall of Famers, legends like Manny Pacquiao. I've fought Terence Crawford. I might not have got that victory but you learn so much [more] from your losses than from your wins.

"I'm absolutely shocked at the betting markets at the moment. He's a hot favourite for this fight and I'm shocked, I want to turn it around and put some money on myself.

"He's going to be blown away [making the walk to the ring], there's no way you can't be blown away in a stadium fight. I have every time, this is a momentous occasion.

"What does he do with that energy? Does he use it or does it sap away from him? I've used it every time and I plan on doing that a third time."