Tony Harrison respects rival Tim Tszyu’s fighting spirit even if he doesn’t give much thought to his skill set or resume.
Harrison, who faced his 154-pound opponent on Saturday (Sunday in Australia) in Sydney, was impressed with Tszyu’s ability to bounce back from his first-round knock to beat Terrell Gausha by a clear decision in March last year.
That kind of resilience, said the veteran from Detroit, can take a boxer a long way even if he’s not a very good technician.
Harrison described Tszyu as “a tough guy.”
He said: “I can’t really rate him on anything other than tough because I think that’s the only thing he brings, toughness. “I think he’s a guy who prides himself on being tough, proud of his fit body, which are two good attributes to succeed in any fight. I don’t rate him as a guy I have to think harder.
“I think he showed his championship bravery when he got up off the ground, off the mat [against Gausha]. For him to come out of the ring and succeed, I think that says a lot about who he is as a fighter.”
Harrison (29-3-1, 21 KOs) has a much deeper background than Tszyu. That includes two meetings with current undisputed champ Jermell Charlo, whom he designated to win the WBC title in 2018 and then lose by knockout in a rematch in December. next year.
He believes that the Gausha fight is the only important test of the opponent. He even questioned whether he would ever meet Charlo, whom he was due to fight in January. Charlo had to withdraw after breaking his arm in practice, which opened the door for a game in Sydney.
“It was his first test in combat,” Harrison said of his match against Gausha. “I think we have to at least gauge his competitiveness that he brings because aside from Terrell, I don’t think he’s ever played against anyone remarkable enough to say, ‘You’re the champion. next, you’re the next world champion, you’re the next undisputed champion.’”
Of course, a win over Harrison would solidify Tszyu’s résumé and his championship credentials. The winner of the fight, for the WBC’s “interim” title, is expected to challenge Charlo next.
Harrison plans to derail the Australians’ plans. He hopes to become the obligated challenger by giving Tszyu his first defeat and getting him a rubber match against his opponent, another “stubborn” boxer whom he absolutely adores. respect.
He has his own place in boxing and a legacy to think about.
“Hard and all, I just think that’s really where I need to be,” he said of the possibility of a third fight with Charlo. “I need to do it again. Everyone needs a review, I need a redo, we need a redo. … My whole game plan is to bet on myself. I just know that I am more than half of these people when it comes to skills.
“You can be stronger, you can be tougher, you can be faster, but I just feel I have better skills than all of them. I have to get it back. My whole motivation for myself was, ‘I have to get it back.’ I know [Charlo] won’t do it voluntarily so I have to do it involuntarily.
