Judging drama as Tszyu-Mahoney can’t be split
Murray Wenzel |
Nikita Tszyu has walked back his post-fight admission that Ben Mahoney deserved to win after judges split their world title eliminator on the Gold Coast in a controversial draw.
The pair’s Wednesday fight was for a shot at Englishman Josh Kelly’s IBF super welterweight crown, but what happens next is now up in the air.
After a battle that fluctuated, judge Phil Holiday scored the fight 117-111 to Tszyu – effectively giving him nine of the 12 rounds, while Sabrina Kerr had it 115-113 to Mahoney. Carl Zappia’s 114-114 card meant they could not be split.
While not completely ruined with a loss, it ended the Tszyu family’s unblemished run of 56 wins in Australia between Nikita (12-0-1), older brother Tim (26-0) and Hall of Fame father Kostya (18-0).
The anticlimax drew jeers from the pro-Mahoney crowd and led Tszyu to a remarkable confession that he later walked back in the press conference.
No Limit Boxing boss George Rose also stormed out of the arena after his post-fight address, reportedly fuming at comments coming from the Mahoney corner.
“I gave the fight to Ben, honestly,” Tszyu said immediately after the fight.
“Maybe one or two rounds more, but I can’t be a judge. It was a close fight, but I thought he edged it.”
Tszyu, speaking about 30 minutes later in the press conference, had changed his tune.
“I was hoping to finish him, make it a very clear, decisive win. I was disappointed in that and can’t make a full assessment of the fight yet.
“I’m a tough critic in the ring. It was the emotions. I envisioned it and not being able to get it (stung).”
Mahoney started well before Tszyu, who had busted his eye in a head clash, stormed ahead with a dominant stretch from the third round.
But the local favourite rallied and had the better of the final rounds.
“I’m a pretty optimistic dude … I’m proving them (the critics) wrong again and again,” the 31-year-old said.
“I don’t know what’s next but I show I belong and what else to do you need? I thought I’d won, he thought I won, the fans thought I won.
“The scorecards are the scorecards … (but) I should be fighting for a world title now.”
Earlier Koen Mazoudier did what was needed to book a shot at Jermall Charlo, a month after visa issues meant the former two-division world champion couldn’t get to Australia to fight him when first scheduled.
The Central Coast-based fighter, who detailed to AAP his life-and-death struggle with drug addition earlier in the week, wasn’t his sharp self in a 10-round war with Sam Beck.
But he was relentless, landing more than 300 of the 1089 punches he threw to win the decision, despite one judge scoring it a draw, to improve to 16-4-1.
Promoter George Rose had declared in the lead-up that the Charlo fight was back on, provided Mazoudier got past Beck.
“My goodness, get behind us … they (Charlo’s team) dogged us,” he said.
“But I’ll need to be a lot better than that, a lot better.
“It was a poor performance, but I’ve been in a dark place, so (it’s great to) just to be here, healthy and stronger.”
In the co-main event, Blake Wells’ body took a beating as the impressive Callum Peters went to work in their IBF Pan Pacific middleweight title fight.
The referee eventually stopped the bout in the eighth round, handing Peters – an unlucky loser to the world amateur champion at the Paris Olympics – his eighth stoppage in nine professional wins.
Earlier, Rahim Mundine, with father Anthony in his corner, improved to 4-0 with a unanimous points defeat of Jae Larsen.
Heavyweights Brandon Grach and Ike Pluto went the distance, the latter unimpressed when the cards went 2-1 in Grach’s favour.
Max Reeves targeted the bloodied left eye of Oliver Firth before notching an eight-round stoppage.
And Saundre Simmons, who arrived from the US with a 9-0 record, was left fuming when stopped by Kirra Ruston in the first round.
Gold Coaster Ruston had already knocked down Simmons, who was defending himself on the ropes when the referee decided he’d seen enough with 26 seconds left before the first bell.
AAP