The son shined.
Tim Tszyu, whose father is Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu, survived a first-round knockdown to dominate Terrell Gausha and win a unanimous decision in a 12-round junior middleweight bout Saturday night in Minneapolis.
The scores were 116-111, 115-112 and 114-113. Boxing Junkie scored it 117-110 for Tszyu, who was making his U.S. debut.
“It was good that I faced adversity for the first time and I was able to come back,” Tszyu said in the ring after the fight. “All respect to my opponent, Terrell Gausha. He’s one hell of a warrior.”
Tszyu (21-0, 15 KOs) ended up on his behind as a result of a straight right about two minutes into the fight, which seemed to surprise him more than it hurt him.
Perhaps it woke him up because he dominated most of the rest of the fight, which sent a message to the other top 154-pounders that the Aussie is a genuine threat to any of them.
.@Tim_Tszyu stuns Gausha with a huge right in the 5th round 🥊💥#TszyuGausha pic.twitter.com/aE0lgvDBSi
— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) March 27, 2022
Tszyu walked down Gausha from the second round on, consistently pushing the former U.S. Olympian to the ropes and landing heavy shots to both the head and body.
Gausha (22-3-1, 11 KOs) fired back when he could amid the storm but took many more power shots than he delivered.
The Cleveland native found himself in serious trouble in Round 5, when Tszyu hurt him with an overhand right and tried to finish the job. However, Gausha survived, demonstrating the resilience that allowed him to hear the final bell.
A moral victory does Gausha no good. He’s now 0-3-1 in his four biggest fights, losses to Erislandy Lara, Erickson Lubin and Tszyu, and a draw against Austin Trout.
At 34, he might not get many — any? — more chances to take part in important fights.
“I hate losing but I went out like a champion,” he said.
Tszyu? He said he had a blast.
“I was just enjoying myself,” he said. “I felt I was in control the whole time. I kept the pressure on. I wasn’t going to back down. I kept landing shots so I thought, ‘F— it. I’m going to keep moving forward and keep fighting.'”
Tszyu will be watching with great interest the May 14 rematch between Jermell Charlo and Brian Castano for the undisputed 154-pound championship because he appears to be first in line to face the winner.
Another possible opponent, if he can’t get his title shot immediately, might be the winner of the April 9 Erickson Lubin-Sebastian Fundora fight, but he feels his time is now.
“I’ll definitely be there, definitely be watching,” he said of Charlo-Castano II, which will take place in Los Angeles. “I’ll be coming for the two boys. Whoever wants it, come get it.”