Tim Tszyu stood up to win his US debut against Terrell Gausha.
The undefeated Australian (21-0, 15 KOs) beat the 2012 Olympian on points with all three cards in his favor, 114-113, 116-111 and 115-112.
However, it was a nightmare that began in The Armory, Minneapolis for the son of the legendary Kostya. Gausha started the first half with confidence and immediately his shot proved to be a problem for the bettor. And with just one minute left, Gausha overcame with a short right-handed swing, giving Tszyu the second time in his career to knock Tszyu down.
Gausha’s right hand and unnecessary work was a problem for Tszyu, who always wanted to impose himself on the Americans.
Sometimes Tszyu gets caught cleaning too often for his liking and makes mistakes that his 154lbs top 10 peers would likely lick their lips. In favor of the Australians, however, is power, strength and a terminator-style pressure game that looks like Gausha will be overcome.
In the 4th round, Tszyu appeared to punch Gausha in the left arm with a headbutt that left him on the canvas but was deemed unstoppable.
The Tszyu are a one-man hunting group that always manages to smash bodies with their signature shots downstairs that have brought many opponents to their knees.
The fight follows a pattern that is repeated in each round. Gausha will have his rope cut and then forced to do what he can to untie in order to survive. And sometimes it’s something that catches the eye with Tszyu willing to put in a few punches to force his own creation to work. Tszyu’s exploding right hand
chopping anything it can find. Gausha sometimes looks like a man about to fold but often finds more reserves to give as much as possible.
In August, Tszyu began to leave Gausha. It was a punishment but the Cleveland boxer survived the bombardment by dueling the New South Wales boxer. It’s entertaining action sequences, including a comeback from hell thanks to Tszyu.
Gausha ended up getting too comfortable on the rope and was hoping to trap Tszyu to provide a duplicate of his 1st round knock to increase his chances of winning. He was in an uphill battle with Tszyu, plunging like a rock determined to level him.
The dominant 11th place from Tszyu is followed by a final stanza where he is cut too easily by the previous world title challenger. It’s the kind of entertainment that American fans and the Showtime network love to watch again.
The American Dream has begun for Tim Tszyu. The WBO number one contender will now attend the undisputed super heavyweight title rematch between Jermell Charlo and Brian Castano on May 14 in Los Angeles.
The Australian is next to be the winner and despite the flaws shown against Gausha, the fight against Charlo or Castano is likely to prove to be a thriller.
