Terrell Gausha faces a tough decision after a decisive defeat to Tim Tszyu

By: Andrew Johnson

Terrell Gausha (22-3-1) arrives at The Armory in Minneapolis on Saturday with a single mission: defeat Australia’s rising star Tim Tszyu (21-0) and resuscitate his campaign to return to Welterweight super champion.

In Gausha’s eyes, the former Olympic athlete could clearly see the path to another title showdown if he beat Tszyu. He envisioned the chance to face winners Jermell Charlo (34-1-1) and Brian Castaño (17-0-2) and the chance to hold on to his place as a valid candidate. France at 154 lbs. “There’s no other way for it.” “The winner of this fight will be the winner of the rematch between Jermell Charlo and Brian Castaño,” Gausha said at a press conference Thursday.

Gausha’s career lost momentum after he lost to Erislandy Lara (28-3-3) in 2017. He drew a draw with Austin Trout (34-5-1) and then lost to Erickson Lubin (24-1) at his last fight before Covid shut down boxing. Gausha recovered by beating Jamontay Clark (15-2-1) in a fanless “bubble”, but the betting public felt his best days were behind him and bet Theirs put him as the 11-1 underdog against Tszyu.

The fight got off to a slow start, but Gausha ignited the crowd of nearly 5,000 with a sharp right hand on Tsyzu’s chin and knocked it down in the first round. Gausha was clearly the B-side of the main event, but he got up from the stool to start the second half with discomfort within reach and the fans in the back, but his legs seemed heavy. dull and lifeless. Tszyu was able to control the ring and keep Gausha’s back against the rope for the next five rounds. He took hundreds of punches and didn’t throw enough to make Tsyszu think twice before unloading.

By day 7, Gausha’s gaze was no longer on Charlo and Castaño, they focused on surviving the night. The whispers in the crowd about stopping the fight were stopped in the 8th round by a Gausha protest, but the younger, stronger Tsyzu prevailed for the remaining minutes and won easily. easily on the scoreboard.

Terrell Gausha fought hard, but he implemented a strategy that maximized punishment to the body and minimized his chances of winning. Had he thrown fewer punches, the umpire might have stopped the fight before the final bell rang and if he had had more chances he could have scored another knock. He snuffed out his chances of victory by spending most of the match barefoot and glued to ropes.

Gausha is now 34 years old and, after the loss, he is left with many inspiring options for the next step in his career. He may move on and may shock another rising person like a double-digit underdog, or he may decide he’s had enough and dedicate himself to a line of work. other.

Whatever he decides, Terrell Gausha has been fighting for nearly a decade as a pro and can take pride in his work, just as he is proud of his efforts in Minneapolis. . “I hope I gave the fans a great show.” Gausha told Jim Gray in his post-match interview, “I trained hard. I poured out all my heart. I’m happy with it. I hate to lose but I played like a champion.”