A critical look at the past week in boxing
BIGGEST WINNER
TIM TSZYU
It pays to believe in yourself. Tszyu is absolutely guaranteed the chance of a lifetime, an undisputed 154-pound championship hit from Jermell Charlo if he waits for Charlo’s hand wound to heal. Instead, because he would rather fight than sit still, he took a considerable risk facing former boxer Tony Harrison in the meantime. A win will keep him busy and set up a fight with Charlo. A loss would destroy his plans completely. Well, Tszyu made a bet. And to say it paid off is an understatement. The Australian was patient, methodically disrupting one of the world’s best technicians before delivering a spectacular stunt ninth round knockout in front of his giddy hometown fans on Saturday (Sunday in Australia) in Sydney. As a result, the fight with Charlo is now even more compelling, as Tszyu will be seen as a more significant threat. And he will have over eight rounds of experience against a crafty veteran, which will help him counter Charlo and move forward. Well, looking back, Hall of Famer’s son Kostya Tszyu made a stellar move.
BEST Father-son Wraith?
Kostya (right) and Tim Tszyu could become a legendary father-son duo. Mark Evans / Getty Images)
TSZYU
Who is boxing’s best father and son or daughter combination? Tszyu (22-0, 16 KOs) is joining the conversation. No father-son combination is the obvious choice for “best” at the moment, which leaves Tszyus’s door open. One could argue that it was Muhammad and Laila Ali, both in the Hall of Fame. Leon and Cory Spinks are near the top of my list. And there are others in the group: Floyd and Tracy Harris Patterson, Lenny and Ray Mancini, Wilfredo Vazquez Sr. and Jr., Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. and Jr., Guty Espadas Sr. and Jr., and Floyd Mayweather Sr. and Jr. However, in my opinion, there is no father-son/daughter combination where both are truly great. Kostya Tszyu is an excellent martial artist. And while Tim is still far from that classification, he still has a chance to get there. He can box, he can punch, he’s durable and he doesn’t falter, ingredients that can take a boxer a long way. And he has a huge opportunity ahead: If he fights and beats Charlo – that’s for real – he will have the title of being the undisputed world champion. That doesn’t necessarily elevate him to “greatness” but it’s a huge step in that direction. We will see how this plays out.
THE BIGGEST FAILERS
Tony Harrison gave his best but was overwhelmed. Image of Mark Kolbe / Getty
TONY HARRISON
Harrison (29-4-1, 21 KOs) seemed to imply in a post-fight interview that he could end up boxing. “I train very hard to fight. I don’t need to win anymore,” he said without emphasizing his point. If it’s his last battle, he should be proud that he gave his best and was honest. He fought hard and had great moments, especially when he unleashed his long and fast jab. He was simply incapable of dealing with the relentless pressure of Tszyu, who seemed to be both tireless and unusually strong. Harrison tried and failed, that’s part of boxing. There’s no shame in it. And, of course, there is no shame in a glorious career. The 32-year-old from Detroit remains the only man to beat future Charlo Hall of Famer, for whom he won the world title in 2018 And he did it when Charlo was still a teenager. at its peak. Is it time for him to leave? That would make sense. He’s currently 1-2-1 in his last four games, which is obviously a bad sign. And he has no answer for Tszyu. Enough is enough.
TRIAL DOLL
The road leading to #DavisGarcia started
The great battle you’ve been waiting for is coming in 4.22 on SHO PPV@Gervontaa | @RyanGarcia pic.twitter.com/hMGUIEH2q0
– SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) March 10, 2023
How will Tszyu fight Charlo? Charlo was right when he said after the battle that he was different from Harrison. Obviously, he’s better. He may not be a technician as good as Harrison but he is superior in every way, including his formidable punching power. Charlo probably has too much firepower for Tszyu. That said, I like the all-round ability that Tszyu has shown. And I love his grit. He’s a tough, tough guy. Charlo should be popular but the match is not as one-sided as some think. . The CompuBox stats that tell the story of the best Tszyu-Harrison match are the number of powerful punches thrown (and landed), 41.2 per round (16.6) against Tszyu and 17.4 (7, 2) for Harrison. It is very difficult to win with just one stab. … The score isn’t exaggerated – all three referees gave Tszyu 77-75 after eight innings, five trebles – but that seems too close given the effective pressure of the winner and the huge advantage in terms of the winners. powerful punch. I had it 78-74 for Tszyu. …
Fresh items: Tyson’s Rage And Oleksandr Usyk report yes agree to the terms in the fight for the undisputed heavyweight title in late spring or early summer, possibly in London. Usyk has clearly accepted a short-term finish of a 70-30 revenue share, which makes sense to me since Fury is a much larger number than his Ukrainian counterpart. Usyk stipulates that he agrees to financial terms with one caveat: Fury must donate £1 million to Ukraine’s war effort against Russia. I hope Fury accepts that condition. And I certainly hope that boxing won’t go its own way again. No deal is completed until there is a signature on the contract. Fingers crossed. … Gervonta Davis compare to Ryan Garcia is being billed as the biggest fight of the year. And it could end up like that if pay-per-view buying in the US is the metric. However, Fury-Usyk could be bigger internationally. And Terence Crawford–Errol Spence Jr. And Canelo Alvarez–David Benavidez could be Davis-Garcia’s rival if those engaging fights are made. …
The hype for the Davis-Garcia fight, on April 22 in Las Vegas, begin last week. The bout will resonate with the fighters’ prowess – and knockout power – as well as their massive social media following. Is there another match in history like it? I do not think so. Who wins? You have to support Davis. Both are fast and have the power to knock out with one punch but Davis is the better boxer and has more experience in big fights. Garcia may have the size advantage, though he has to agree to a 10-pound rehydration clause between Friday’s weigh-in and game day to stand a chance. However, I give Garcia a good chance to win. He’s a good boxer, well educated, probably has the fastest hands in the sport and can knock anyone down with a suitable punch. Watching this will be fun.
