Nikita Tszyu (proper) lands a punch on Koen Mazoudier (left) – Photograph courtesy of No Restrict Boxing
Junior middleweight prospect Nikita ‘The Butcher’ Tszyu (10-0, 8 KOs) scored a career-best win when he stopped Koen Mazoudier (12-4-1, 5 KOs) within the ninth-round of their scheduled 10-round contest on the ICC Sydney Theatre in Sydney, Australia, on Wednesday evening.
Mazoudier, 28, had his moments early on, however he actually got here on within the center rounds of the bout. Within the sixth spherical of their battle he obtained below Tszyu’s pores and skin and the pair traded for the second half of the stanza. It was a second of ill-discipline from Tszyu. Each boxers returned to their corners leaking claret from the nostril.
The bout became a firefight within the seventh spherical. Mazoudier was in a position to drag Tszyu right into a brawl within the second half of the warmth. A giant proper hand shortly earlier than the bell from Mazoudier buoyed the underdog with confidence and he continued his aggressive assault within the eighth.
Tszyu went with him. The pair traded within the pocket in middle ring for the ultimate minute of the spherical.
Nikita Tszyu – Photograph courtesy of No Restrict Boxing
Tszyu went again to sniper mode within the ninth. He labored Mazoudier’s physique with the left however left himself open to the best hand excessive. Halfway via the spherical, a left cross from Tszyu damage Mazoudier and he went on with the job, emptying his tank as he threw punches with each fingers to drive referee Chris Condon to step in and cease the competition on the 1:05 mark of the penultimate spherical.
It was a coming-of-age battle for the 26-year-old Sydney southpaw, who has beforehand been criticized for wading ahead and dropping bombs in an effort to entertain followers.
This time round, he made a superb impression of his Corridor of Fame father, Kostya Tszyu.
He stood his floor. He owned middle ring. He didn’t get grasping. He landed very exhausting counterpunches to the physique and head. Till the midway level of the battle no less than.
It was removed from an ideal efficiency from Tszyu, however his enhancements have been apparent.
“I needed to work for that. That was not simple. The sensation proper now could be indescribable,” stated Tszyu. “He was all the things we anticipated. Koen, I tip my hat to him. He’s one powerful bastard. I used to be truthfully very, very impressed. I didn’t count on him to be that arduous. I didn’t count on the battle to be that arduous.”
When requested about these powerful moments in the course of the bout, Tszyu gave an perception into his mindset.
“I stated to myself, don’t be a bitch. Don’t be a pussy. Preserve preventing!” he stated.
Promoter George Rose of No Restrict Boxing flagged a possible showdown with home rival Michael Zerafa.
“Let’s do it. He had lots to say main as much as this,” stated Rose.
There have been farcical scenes in the primary assist bout when Michael Zerafa (32-5, 19 KOs) was awarded the victory over veteran Tommy Browne (45-9-2, 19 KOs).
Zerafa, 32, obtained out of the gates early towards the 41-year-old Browne, making an attempt to check his reflexes and stamina. On the finish of the opening spherical, he landed an overhand proper to Browne’s jaw of their eight-round, 157-pound catchweight bout. Browne, whose finest days have been 20 years in the past at featherweight, returned to his nook with a suspected torn left bicep that he possible carried into the battle.
Coach Tommy Mercuri referred to as the battle with Browne sitting on his stool. Zerafa crossed the ring to have phrases with Browne’s coach, calling his fighter a quitter. Mercuri walked Zerafa again out to middle ring, giving him a verbal spray. That was when Zerafa’s brother and cornerman stepped round from the aspect and threw a wild proper hand at Mercuri’s chin.
It was an unedifying spectacle at finest.
American former world titleholder Shawn Porter, who was calling the battle stay from ringside, provided a scathing evaluation of what occurred within the ring post-fight.
“That’s unacceptable. If Michael is aware of his brother has the power to do this… he shouldn’t be in his nook,” Porter stated.
Zerafa’s brother was escorted from ringside.
In an IBF gentle heavyweight title eliminator, Conor Wallace (14-1, 10 KOs) edged Jerome Pampellone (18-2, 11 KOs) by way of break up determination in a 12-round bout.
True to type, England-born New Zealander Pampellone, 28, got here with the stress. He pushed Wallace again, winging huge proper fingers excessive within the early rounds. Some missed, some landed. He had some preliminary success bulling Wallace to the ropes, however the 28-year-old Irish southpaw, who bins out of Brisbane, Australia, weathered the storm and located a house for his personal left cross behind a artful lead-hand feint.
By the halfway level of the bout the battle seemed shut and thru 10 frames, the battle appeared to hold within the steadiness. However the intelligent footwork and sensible shot choice of Wallace noticed him draw back within the championship rounds, with judges Adam Top and Chris Condon each scoring the battle 116-112 for the winner, whereas decide Carl Zappia noticed Pampellone the winner 115-113.
“This implies all the things to me, we caught to the sport plan. I barely obtained touched,” stated Wallace within the ring after the bout. “I’m solely getting began. I’m solely a child.”
Wallace now finds himself in place to problem the winner of the vacant Ring championsip conflict between Artur Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) and Dmitry Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs) set to happen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 12.
