TSZYU IS FIGHTING FOR RESPECT.

Byline: ROBERT MORALES Boxing

Despite a sensational career that has seen him go 13-1 in world championship fights, Kostya Tszyu probably never has received his just due in the boxing world.

He has always been highly thought of, but rarely has he been seen atop respectable pound-for-pound polls.

Part of this is because he has had stiff competition. Since winning his first world title in 1995, Tszyu has had to compete for the mythical pound-for-pound title with fighters like Roy Jones Jr., ``Sugar'' Shane Mosley, Felix Trinidad Jr., Oscar De La Hoya and Bernard Hopkins.

Also, since most of the major boxing shows are in the U.S., it is difficult for a foreign fighter such as Tszyu - who is from Australia via Russia - to become as popular with the fans and media in this country.

Thus, Tszyu finds himself still fighting for respect. After a near two-year layoff because of left-shoulder surgery, he will put his International Boxing Federation junior welterweight championship on the line Saturday when he fights a rematch with Sharmba Mitchell.

Showtime will televise the fight from the Glendale Arena in Phoenix, Ariz.

``I think I need to prove it first,'' said Tszyu, when asked if he still considered himself a top 10 pound-for-pound fighter. ``Even though I have not been in a fight for so long, I think I'm in the top 10; I think I'm still one of the best in the world.

``But that is why I want this fight, to prove to many critics I can still do the job. I'm 35, but I'm the hungry guy who wants to have this fight more than anything else.''

Considering what happened in the first fight between Tszyu and Mitchell on Feb. 3, 2001, there can be no doubt that Mitchell is also very hungry. Mitchell was forced to retire after the seventh round because of an injured left knee.

Tszyu, who was winning on two of the scorecards while the third was even, was credited with a seventh-round technical knockout.

Mitchell, last week in this space, talked about how badly he wanted to beat Tszyu in the rematch, how when he wants something this badly, no one can prevent him from getting it.

But again, Tszyu also has plenty to fight for. He wants to make certain he retires with a legacy of greatness. He's not sure he has achieved that just yet.

``It is not my place to judge this,'' Tszyu said last week in an interview with the Daily News. ``I think I have always fought the best fighters and have always tried to do my best. I never ducked anybody.

``Only history can say this. Only the new generation can tell me if I have done enough to give my name a legacy or not.''

Tszyu has had several big victories. The most impressive was his second-round knockout of Zab Judah on Nov. 3, 2001. This was a highly anticipated fight across the world. Tszyu's World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association junior welterweight titles were on the line, as was Judah's IBF belt.

It was a fight that could have gone either way. Some experts were picking Tszyu, others were tabbing Judah to win. It was a close call.

But Tszyu hit Judah so hard in the second round, that Judah went down twice from the same punch. He got up, staggered and went down again. Fight over.

Rarely has there been such a spectacular knockout in a unification bout when the fighters were so close in talent. That inspires greatness.

Also, Tszyu has done what most believe solidifies a tag of greatness. He came back from a stunning 10th-round technical knockout loss to Vince Phillips on May 31, 1997. Tszyu lost his IBF belt that night, but since has gone 12-0, 8-0 in world-title fights.

Tszyu may think he has to do more to cement his place among boxing's greats, but he doesn't.

--Could Gatti be next?: Tszyu said he would next like to fight WBC champion Arturo Gatti, provided he gets past Mitchell.

``I would love to fight against Arturo Gatti,'' said Tszyu, who is 30-1 with 24 knockouts. ``People want to see this fight. We have to make this happen. But first things first.

``This fight (with Mitchell) is not going to be an easy fight. I'm going to come up and do my best.''

--What about ring rust?: Tszyu last fought Jan. 19, 2003, more than 21 months ago. Tszyu said that for some fighters who don't stay in the gym while rehabilitating from surgery, that could be a problem. Not for him.

``It is possible to have ring rust, but I have been in the gym every single day,'' he said. ``I don't have any concerns.''

--Golota-Ruiz: The main event of the Nov. 13 pay-per-view card from Madison Square Garden in New York should be interesting. It pits WBA heavyweight champion John Ruiz in a title defense against Andrew Golota.

Both have reputations for being dirty fighters, Golota more so for his two infamous disqualification losses in 1996 to Riddick Bowe for hitting below the belt.

``You have to be careful of John Ruiz,'' said Golota's trainer, Sam Colonna, last week during a conference call. ``He's a dirty fighter. He hits behind the head, he hits low. When Andrew does that, he gets disqualified.

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