Terrell Gausha offered no excuses for his defeat to £154 title holders Erislandy Lara and Erickson Lubin, the only two defeats of his career. He ended up making the mistake of making unanimous decisions in both games, in 2017 and 2020.
He told Boxing Junkie: “They were the better ones that night.
However, the 2012 US Olympic athlete wants you to know something else: He is the better boxer due to his frustrations, which he believes will become apparent when he comes face to face with talent. Australian Tim Tszyu during the 12-round junior middleweight match on March 26 in Minneapolis (Showtime).
He pointed to his second knockout with the capable Jamontay Clark in his only fight since the Lubin loss as a sign of what he can do.
“I am an Olympic athlete,” he said, “and the faith of Olympic athletes has not wavered. That’s what it is. Of course, we all want to be undefeated. I just never fear losing my ‘0’ I want to fight the best. That’s what I do. I feel like a better fighter than before. … Jamontay Clark is a solid opponent. And I stopped him spectacularly.
“They say you are only as good as your last battle. It was my last fight.”
Gausha (22-2-1, 11 KOs) will battle four elite boxers – Lara, Austin Trout (draw), Lubin and Tszyu – in just six bouts, which underscores his desire to “fight” against the best.”
The question is, how many more games can the 34-year-old, 10-year veteran from Cleveland hit if he doesn’t raise his hand on March 26? Could the match against Tszyu (20-0, 15 KOs) be his last chance on a big stage?
Gausha refuses to see this as a must-win battle. Every mission has to be won, he said.
At the same time, he also acknowledges the importance of the game. If he wins, he will be in a strong position to challenge for the world title for a second time.
He doesn’t want to be known as someone who falls short in the big games. He wants people to see him as a boxer who never gave up on himself and finally realized his dream of becoming a world champion.
“I scored a lot of goals in boxing,” he said. “The Olympics, a world championship. I haven’t done that but it’s still something out there for me to do. I want to be the best in the tournament. I have to go out and prove myself. Some guys win championships at a younger age, 22 or 25. Some guys win their championships when they’re older. As long as you win, that’s all that matters.
“…This is just the way it is for me. Everyone’s fate is different. Like I said, I’ll probably be the one other boxers look at as the persistent guy. ”
