A critical look at the past week in boxing
BIGGEST WINNER
TIM TSZYU
It pays to believe in yourself. Tszyu was all but guaranteed the opportunity of a lifetime, a shot a Jermell Charlo’s undisputed 154-pound championship if he waited for Charlo’s broken hand to heal. Instead, because he would rather fight than sit idly, he took the significant risk of taking on former beltholder Tony Harrison in the meantime. A victory would keep him busy and set up the fight with Charlo. A loss would torpedo his plans altogether. Well, Tszyu took the gamble. And to say it paid off is an understatement. The Aussie patiently, methodically broke down one of the best technicians in the world before delivering a spectacular ninth-round knockout in front of his giddy hometown fans Saturday (Sunday in Australia) in Sydney. As a result, the fight with Charlo is even more compelling now, as Tszyu will be seen as a more significant threat. And he will have eight-plus rounds of experience against a crafty veteran, which will help him against Charlo and going forward. Yes, in retrospect, the son of Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu made a brilliant move.
BEST FATHER-SON BOXERS?
TSZYU
Who is boxing’s best father and son or daughter combination? Tszyu (22-0, 16 KOs) is entering the conversation. No father-son combination is an obvious choice for “best” at the moment, which leaves the door open for the Tszyus. One could argue it’s Muhammad and Laila Ali, both of whom are in the Hall of Fame. Leon and Cory Spinks are near the top of my list. And there are others in the mix: Floyd and Tracy Harris Patterson, Lenny and Ray Mancini, Wilfredo Vazquez Sr. and Jr., Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. and Jr., Guty Espadas Sr. and Jr., and Floyd Mayweather Sr. and Jr. However, in my opinion, there are no father-son/daughter combinations in which both of them were truly great. Kostya Tszyu was a great fighter. And while Tim is still far from that classification, he has a chance to get there. He can box, he can punch, he’s durable and he’s unflappable, ingredients that can take a fighter a long way. And he has a tremendous opportunity on the horizon: If he fights and beats Charlo – which is realistic – he will have the distinction of being an undisputed world champion. That wouldn’t necessarily lift him to “greatness” but it’s a giant step in that direction. We’ll see how this plays out.
BIGGEST LOSER
TONY HARRISON
Harrison (29-4-1, 21 KOs) seemed to imply during a post-fight interview that he might be finished with boxing. “I train extremely hard to fight. I don’t need no more victories,” he said but wasn’t pressed on what he meant. If that was his last fight, he should be proud that he gave a gutsy, honest effort. He fought hard and had good moments, particularly when he fired off his long, quick jab. He simply didn’t have the wherewithal to cope with the relentless of pressure of Tszyu, who seems to both indefatigable and unusually strong. Harrison tried and failed, which is part of boxing. No shame in that. And, of course, there is no shame in a splendid career. The 32-year-old from Detroit is still the only man to beat the future Hall of Famer Charlo, from whom he took a world title in 2018 And he did it while Charlo was in his prime. Is it time for him to walk away? That would make sense. He’s now 1-2-1 in his last four fights, which obviously is a bad sign. And he had no answers whatsoever for Tszyu. Enough is enough.
RABBIT PUNCHES
The road to #DavisGarcia has begun 😈
The megafight you've been waiting for, coming 4.22 on SHO PPV 🥊@Gervontaa | @RyanGarcia pic.twitter.com/hMGUIEH2q0
— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) March 10, 2023
How would Tszyu fare against Charlo? Charlo was correct when he said after the fight that he is different from Harrison. Obviously, he’s better. He might not be quite as good a technician as Harrison but he’s superior in every other way, including his formidable punching power. Charlo probably has too much firepower for Tszyu. That said, I like the all-around ability Tszyu has demonstrated. And I love his grit. He’s a tough, tough guy. Charlo should be favored but the matchup isn’t as one-sided as some might think. . The CompuBox statistic that best told the story of the Tszyu-Harrison fight was the number of power punches thrown (and landed), 41.2 per round (16.6) for Tszyu and 17.4 (7.2) for Harrison. It’s difficult to win a fight with just a jab. … The scoring wasn’t outrageous – all three judges had it 77-75 for Tszyu after eight rounds, five rounds to three – but that seemed too tight given the winner’s effective pressure and huge advantage in power punches. I had it 78-74 for Tszyu. …
News item: Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk reportedly have agreed to terms on a fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship in late spring or early summer, probably in London. Usyk evidently accepted the short end of a 70-30 split of revenue, which makes sense to me because Fury is a much bigger figure than his Ukrainian counterpart. Usyk stipulated that he agreed to the financial terms with one caveat: Fury must donate £1 million to Ukraine’s war effort against Russia. I hope Fury accepts that condition. And I certainly hope that boxing doesn’t get in its own way once again. No deal is complete until there are signatures on contracts. Fingers crossed. … Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia is being billed as the biggest fight of the year. And it might end up being so if pay-per-view buys in the U.S. are the gauge. However, Fury-Usyk might be bigger internationally. And Terence Crawford–Errol Spence Jr. and Canelo Alvarez–David Benavidez might rival Davis-Garcia if those compelling fights are made. …
The hype for the Davis-Garcia fight, on April 22 in Las Vegas, kicked off last week. The matchup should resonate because of the fighters’ abilities – and knockout power – as well as their massive social media followings. Is any other matchup in history quite like it? I don’t think so. Who wins? You have to favor Davis. They both are quick handed and have one-punch knockout power but Davis is a better boxer and has more experience in big fights. Garcia might have a size advantage, although he had to agree to a 10-pound rehydration clause between the weigh-in on Friday and the day of fight to get the opportunity. I give Garcia a decent shot at victory, though. He’s a good, well-schooled boxer, might have the fastest hands in the sport and can knockout anyone with the right punch. Should be fun to watch.
[lawrence-related id=36109,36101,36095,36081,36077]