Tim Tszyu defeated Tony Harrison on Sunday at the Sydney Arena to take home the WBO super welterweight interim title. Tszyu is the son of boxer Kostya Tszyu, a former world champion. In January, Tszyu, 22-0 with 16 knockouts, was initially scheduled to face Jermell Charlo, the undisputed world champion. Nevertheless, Tszyu fought Harrison because Charlo could not due to a broken hand.
Harrison relied on his jab and ringcraft to keep Tszyu at bay throughout the difficult battle. Tszyu scored a barrage of blows in the ninth round that knocked Harrison to the ground. Harrison got to his feet again, but the referee halted it and declared Tszyu, the winner.
Tszyu said after the altercation, “Just now, I defeated the aggressor. What am I now as a result?” He wants the next fight to be a winner-takes-all showdown against Charlo.
Even Charlo watched the battle and appeared on TV, promising to return to the ring before the summer. He thinks Tszyu is the ideal opponent for his style and that he can defeat him with his distinctive punch. Charlo holds the WBO, WBC, IBF, and WBA light middleweight championships.
With a 29-4-1 record, Harrison expressed grace in the loss by stating, “Tonight, the stronger man prevailed. Congratulations, Tim, my son.”
Harrison is the only fighter to have previously defeated Charlo. Therefore Tszyu’s win against him is significant. Tszyu has enhanced his reputation and shown that he is a formidable opponent in the boxing world with this victory.
