Tszyu Stops Harrison, Tony Yoka loses to Carlos Takam in France & Bermudez Regains Titles
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Sydney, Australia (March 12th, 2023)– Tim Tszyu of Rockdale, New South Wales, Australia, has made his statement in the 154 pounds junior middleweight division. Tszyu, now (22-0 with 16 knockouts), scored a ninth round stoppage of former World Boxing Council World Super Welterweight champion Tony Harrison, (29-4-1) with 21 knockouts, Detroit, Michigan, after knocking him down in the main event at Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney, Australia, Saturday, March 12, 2023, to win the World Boxing Organization Interim World Super Welterweight title.
The big interim title win by sets up a match with undisputed World Super Welterweight champion Jermell Charlo, (35-1-1 with 19 knockouts), Richmond, Texas, who holds the WBC, WBA, WBO, IBF, Ring Magazine and lineal titles. Charlo last fought on May 14, 2022, when he knocked out Brian Carlos Castano at Dignity Health Sports Park, in Carson, California, knocking Castano down twice in a rematch of their 2021 12 round split decision draw.
Harrison had a good first round, using height and reach advantage to outwork Tszyu . From that point on, Tszyu got inside and outworked Harrison in the majority of rounds. Harrison won some rounds, but was behind on all three scorecards 77-75, indicating scoring of the bout was neutral and fair. If Harrison had won the ninth round, he would have been one point behind on the scorecards. Harrison would have had to have won all four of the last four rounds to win the bout. Tszyu brutalized Harrison with uppercuts and hooks midway through round nine, leaving him defenseless on his feet. The final flurry left Harrison draped over the ring ropes, where Tszyu dropped him with power hooks. Harrison beat the count, but he was out of it, forcing the stoppage at 2:43 of round nine by referee Danrex Taptasan.
Jermell Charlo versus Tim Tszyu will most likely happen next. Here is what Jermell Charlo had to say..
“He was impressive. He did what he had to do at home,” Charlo said.
“He was a little flat to me but my movement, my style and my power will make him do completely different things. When I get my [left] hand right and get back into the ring for training, put that tape in. That will work.”
Charlo went on to warn he will be a “different animal” to Harrison, who he doesn’t think posed much of a threat to Tszyu.
“This is exactly what we had seen,” Charlo said.
“He comes forward but is not as fast. He’s strong, of course, but aren’t we all? I’m a different animal in there than Tony.
“I’m a different fighter than Tony. You can’t compare me and try to compare Tony’s skills in boxing. He didn’t dog it out. He didn’t bring that dog in him.
“If he wanted to fight me, he’d have to bring more dog in him. But Tim is next and that’s who we had before the injury so it’s not like I’m not prepared already.”
Charlo is not expecting any real changes from Tszyu ahead of the fight, predicting the Australian will “do the same thing” and relishing the chance to “shut him up”.
“He doesn’t really show a lot of athleticism to me,” Charlo said, per New York Post’s Jared Schwartz.
“When you’ve got skills, and you’ve got styles and you’ve got power all together, you get four belts. He’s going to be a tough fight because he’s coming forward, but I think he’s perfect for my style.
“I know he can’t take my punch, because I just know my punch is different… It just made me want to fight, just get this over with, shut him up, I’ve shut a lot of them up, it’s just another one.
“He’s going to do the same thing. He’s not going to change much.”
Three foreign fighters, one American originally from Cameroon, one British, and one Italian, all won majority bouts on the road in France, a unique occurrence.
Former World title challenger Carlos Takam, age 42, 40-7-1 with 28 knockouts, Henderson, Nevada, by way of Douala, Cameroon, won his first fight in nearly three years, with a 10 round split decision upset over 2016 Rio de Janeiro Brazil Olympic Super Heavyweight Gold Medalist Tony Yoka, now 11-2 with nine knockouts, Paris, France. The card went 96-94, 96-94 Takam, and 96-94 for Yoka. Tony’s jabs and dominated the first half of the bout. Takam excelled in the second half of the bout, opening a cut near the left eye of Yoka and outworking him and staying busier. Takam, looking like an aged bald yellow chin bearded version of Iron Mike Tyson, won on the punch count in a competitive bout.
After the bout, Takam called out top rated heavyweight contender Dillian Whyte. Given Whyte, who last appeared in the ring when outpointed Jermaine Franklin at Wembley Arena in November 2022, has no significant bouts on the table in 2023 at the moment, promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing might give Takam his wish. Yoka lost a majority decision over 10 rounds in Paris in May 2022 to Martin Bakole. It seems Yoka has never won a decision in his native Paris, and hats off to the fair and impartial judges.
On the undercard, Dan Azeez, 19-0 with 13 knockouts, Lewisham, London, United Kingdom, stopped 21-5-1 Thomas Faure of Chateauroux, France, in the twelfth round to win the vacant EBU European Light Heavyweight title.
Pietro Rossetti, 17-1 with eight knockouts, Rome, Italy, knocked out 21-4 southpaw Mohamed Kani, of Montpellier, France, to win the EBU European Welterweight title at Paias de Sports, Montpellier, France.
On Friday, March 10, 2023, in Estadio Luna Park, Argentina, Evilin Nazarena Bermudez, 18-1-1 with six knockouts, Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina, regains the vacant International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organisation Female world Light Flyweight titles with a 10 round unanimous decision over southpaw Tania Enriquez, 20-1 with nine knockouts, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, two minute rounds. Scoring went 97-93, 97-93, 96-94 for Bermudez.
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