Tim Tszyu destroys Tony Harrison to win WBO world title after a BRUTAL stoppage as the Aussie emulates his legendary father to stage a mega fight against Jermell Charlo
More than a son of a gun, Tim Tszyu is a world champion in his own right after knocking out flashy American Tony Harrison in their super welterweight showdown in Sydney.
Tszyu dropped Harrison in the ninth round with a series of savage blows to the head and body to claim the interim WBO belt and emulate his legendary father Kostya by winning a boxing world title.
‘I just beat the man who beat the man. What does that make me? Tszyu said in the ring.
‘The message was clearly sent. You already know what happens. You know what’s next. I’m coming.’
Seemingly ahead on points, Tszyu exploded to punch Harrison and leave the referee no choice but to stop the fight at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday.
Tim Tszyu claimed the WBO super welterweight world title on Sunday in Sydney
The Australian emulated his father, the legendary Kostya, by winning a world boxing title.
Tszyu dropped Tony Harrison in the ninth round, forcing the referee to stop the fight.
“The best man won tonight,” Harrison (29-4-1) said. ‘Tim, congratulations my boy.’
The hometown favorite’s victory came 28 years after Kostya knocked out Jake Rodriguez at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, when Tim was just two months old, to capture his first world title, the IBF super lightweight belt.
The Tszyuses join an elite group of just six father-and-son boxing world champions, including Julio Cesar Chavez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, and Leon and Corey Spinks.
Preserving his undefeated record, Tszyu (23-0, 16KO) also secured a unified megafight later this year, likely in July in Las Vegas, against the undisputed king of the division, Jermell Charlo.
Tszyu was supposed to have faced Charlo in Las Vegas in January before the American broke two bones in his left hand in training.
He could have waited for Charlo to recover, but he put his world title dreams on the line by taking on Harrison, the former WBC world champion.
The only man to have beaten Charlo, Harrison (29-4-1, 21KO) had mocked Tszyu as ‘the bottom of the totem pole’ for beating most nobodies and bringing his family name to their date. with destiny.
But the mouth of the engine found out the hard way that Tszyu deserves his spot at the top table in the stacked junior middleweight division.
Incredibly, Tszyu is the second fighter from Kostya’s academy in suburban Sydney to win a world title in the last 18 months.
George Kambosos Jr, who grew up training with Tszyu in the gym before forging his own path in the US and Philippines, held the WBA, IBF, WBO and The Ring lightweight titles until last June after defeat previously undefeated Teofimo López in New York in October 2021.
A watchful and cautious Tszyu barely threw a punch in Sunday’s first round, which received the busier Harrison.
It was more of the same in the second round as Tszyu struggled to connect with any significant shots.
The Australian dominated his American rival on Sunday, upsetting Harrison in the third round.
Tszyu upped the ante again in the fifth and landed a big straight shot to the head of Harrison.
But he upped the ante with a big overhand right hand in the third that rocked Harrison, who avoided the wobbles only to find himself back on the receiving end in the fourth round.
Tszyu came forward with a series of body shots in round five, as well as a vicious right hand to the head from Harrison.
Detroit’s dangerous counterattacked in the sixth, landing more shots than Tszyu, who threw several punches and missed.
The seventh round was difficult to decide, but there was little doubt that Tszyu took the eighth with another direct blow to the American’s head, before ending the contest with his dazzling barrage.
