Greater than a son of a gun, Tim Tszyu is a world champion in his personal proper after knocking out flashy American Tony Harrison of their super-welterweight showdown in Sydney.
Tszyu dropped Harrison within the ninth spherical with a collection of savage blows to the top and physique to assert the interim WBO belt and emulate his legendary father Kostya in profitable a world boxing title.
Seemingly simply forward on factors, Tszyu exploded to life to pummel Harrison and go away the referee with no different however to cease the struggle at Sydney’s Qudos Financial institution Area on Sunday.
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The hometown favourite’s victory got here 28 years after Kostya knocked out Jake Rodriguez on the MGM Grand in Las Vegas – when Tim was barely two months outdated – to seize his maiden world title, the IBF super-lightweight strap.
The Tszyus be a part of an elite group of simply six father-son boxing world champions, together with Julio Cesar Chavez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, and Leon and Corey Spinks.
In preserving his undefeated file, Tszyu (23-0, 16KO) additionally secured a unified mega-fight later this yr, possible in July in Las Vegas, towards undisputed divisional king Jermell Charlo.
Tszyu was purported to have squared off with Charlo in Vegas in January earlier than the American broke two bones in his left hand in coaching.
He may have waited for Charlo to recuperate, however positioned his world title desires on the road by taking over Harrison, the one-time WBC world champion.
The one man to have crushed Charlo, Harrison (29-4-1, 21KO) had derided Tszyu as “the underside of the totem pole” for beating principally nobodies and driving his household identify to his date with future.
However the motor mouth came upon the exhausting manner that Tszyu is deserving of his place on the high desk within the stacked super-welterweight division.
Extremely, Tszyu is the second boxer hailing from Kostya’s academy in suburban Sydney to snare a world title prior to now 18 months.
George Kambosos Jr, who grew up coaching with Tszyu on the gymnasium earlier than forging his personal path by within the US and the Philippines, held the WBA, IBF, WBO and The Ring light-weight titles till final June after upsetting the beforehand unbeaten Teofimo Lopez in New York in October 2021.
A watchful and cautious Tszyu barely threw a punch in Sunday’s opening spherical, which the busier Harrison took.
It was extra of the identical in spherical two as Tszyu struggled to attach with any significant blows.
However he upped the ante with an enormous overhand proper within the third that rocked Harrison, who staved off the wobbles solely to search out himself on the receiving finish once more in spherical 4.
Tszyu edged forward with a collection of physique pictures in spherical 5, in addition to a fierce straight proper to Harrison’s head.
The Detroit dangerman hit again within the sixth, touchdown extra pictures than Tszyu, who delivered a number of swings and misses.
Spherical seven was powerful to name however there was little doubt Tszyu took the eighth with one other stinging proper to the American’s head, earlier than ending the competition together with his gorgeous barrage.
