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If it was needed, a statement has been made. Tim Tszyu belongs in the very highest echelons of the Super Welterweight division after an authoritative knockout win over former champion Tony Harrison in Sydney.
He takes the interim world title today, but will have designs on the undisputed version currently owned by Jermell Charlo.
Harrison is the only man to have defeated Charlo, who was due to take on Tszyu, before a sparring injury intervened. In the meantime, the champ has spent his time ridiculing Tszyu’s name – has he not heard of Kostya? – which provoked a post-fight spray from Tim.
“What’s my motherf—ing name!” shouted the victorious Aussie.
“The message was sent, clearly. You know what’s up, you know what’s next, I’m coming. I’m coming to America!
“Australia, you knew, but the world knows now. What’s my motherf—ing name? Say my motherf—ing name!”
(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
The end, when it came, was surgical rather than concussive. The whole fight had been a stylistic clash, with the naturally defensive Harrison willing to fight on the outer and the all action Tszyu able to break the wall enough to pick up rounds.
With the American behind on the cards, he opted to stray into the middle and was met by a range of accurate uppercuts that stunned, before the weight of blows sent Harrison almost out of the ring and finally to the floor.
It could have been stopped before then, but as Harrison stumbled to his feet, the referee decided that he’d had enough.
“I knew I had to be smart,” said Tszyu of his performance. “The competitor I had in front of me, he’s the man that beat the man. I just beat the man who beat the man who beat the man. What does that make me?”
On US TV, Charlo was less glowing.
“I’m a different animal,” he told Showtime. “I’m a different fighter than Tony, you can’t compare me and Tony. He (Tony) did less than what he normally does. The ring was smaller but he didn’t dog it out.
“And if he wanted to fight me he would have had to bring more dog in. But Tim’s next and that’s what we had before the injury so it’s not like I’m not prepared already.”
Asked jokingly if he would be fighting Tszyu in Australia, Charlo replied: “Absoutely not. He’s coming over here.”
(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
The early rounds were the archetypal chess match: Harrison, advertised as one of the best jabs in the game, lived up the billing with plenty of cultured work, but Tszyu was the one applying the pressure.
The third, however, showed the threat that Tszyu possesses: he got Harrison off of the ropes for the first time and smashed an overhand right that worried the former champ, before finishing strong with a barrage. Tony was happy to hear the bell.
The American did recover through the fourth and fifth, but where once he had opted to fight from the ropes, now he could barely go anywhere else.
Tszyu, too, unleashed the full arsenal of punches, connecting to the head and body and from all angles. The writing was on the wall.
The recovery did come, but the longer Harrison stayed on the ropes, the worse it was going to get.
Eventually, he stepped into the middle and it was his undoing: Tszyu landed a barrage, sent his opponent to the canvas and, though Harrison regained his feet, the ref had seen enough.