Surging super welterweight Nikita Tszyu (10-0, 8 KOs) has continued an unbeaten start to his professional career, stopping a gallant Koen Mazoudier (12-4-1, 5 KOs) in the ninth round of a hellacious war to collect the IBO intercontinental and IBF Australasian title at the ICC Theatre Sydney in Australia. The dogged, back-and-forth bout lived up to the hype attached, with each combatant bravely marching through their share of adversity until the decisive blow was dealt.
Nikita Tszyu makes a successful launch to regional level.
The Butcher overcomes Koen Mazoudier in the ninth to earn a pair of IBF and WBO affiliated belts.#ozboxing #boxing #tszyumazoudier pic.twitter.com/4obGFNh4iA
— Aus-Boxing.com (@ausboxing) August 28, 2024
Mazoudier came out firing in the first, setting the tempo for a fast-paced opening stanza. Standing up to Tszyu’s power initially, the Western Sydney native landed several right hands and close-range left hooks. Tszyu soon found his footing with an imposing display in the second, culminating in a counter left in the final 30 seconds that wobbled Mazoudier. Having taken momentum, Tszyu worked to keep it firmly in his grasp in rounds three and four, mixing targets and ranges throughout. In particular, the hard body punching in tight scored for ‘The Butcher.’ Still, Mazoudier held firm, re-establishing himself in the fifth by walking forward to plant his own straight rights that rocked Tszyu’s head back on multiple occasions.
If the action across the first five could be described as exceptional, the sixth round eclipsed even that. As both men fell victim to their desire for bloodlust, the pair took things to the inside, each taking turns at landing frantic two and three-shot combinations to their opposite’s jaw. Mazoudier’s confidence started to grow as a result of the violent three minutes, and as the bell to end the seventh round sounded, the underdog had swung things back his way, owed mainly to a powerful right cross that wobbled Tszyu.
Justly tired, both men threw defense out the window in the eighth round. Most notably, the head movement that stood out in the first half of the fight for Tszyu became a shadow of its former self. The fight saw yet another swing in momentum in the ninth, this time bringing about an end to the brutal display. As the exchanges continued to play out, a pull-counter left from Tszyu landed flush, rocking Mazoudier for the final time and setting the train in motion for the outpouring of punches that caused referee Chris Condon to step in.
Reflecting on the win that will see him make his first venture into the world rankings, Tszyu was quick to pay respect to the heart displayed by Mazoudier before touching on his potential next move. “I take my hat off to Koen. He’s one tough bastard,” Tszyu told Main Event’s Ben Damon.
“I was honestly very, very impressed. I did not expect it to be that hard. I didn’t expect the fight to be that hard. There was a moment at the start where I kind of got him, then there was a point in the middle where I was out on my feet. This is where strength comes from, pushing through those tough times. Honestly, this fight was a wake-up call. I have to prepare for even harder fights. That was just the tip of the iceberg.”
A Post Fight Melee Overshadows Michael Zerafa’s Victory
In the co-main event, the bizarre matchmaking that led to Michael Zerafa (32-5, 20 KOs) and 41-year-old Tommy Browne (45-9-2, 19 KOs) squaring off gave way to an even stranger fight. Returning from an unsuccessful shot at Erislandy Lara’s (30-3-3, 18 KOs) WBA middleweight crown in March, Zerafa made his way back into the winner’s column as expected, but not without the trademark controversy that has come to dominate his career.
A relatively even first frame came and went, with Browne surprising many by timing his right hand over Zerafa’s jab from the outset. Not to be outdone, Zerafa found success with his own rear hand, stinging ‘The Titan’ to close the opening three minutes. The first bell would serve as the contest’s last, however, with Browne unable to return from his stool, citing a left bicep injury.
The fight’s end did not halt the action, though. When Zerafa started to accuse his foe of quitting, Browne’s cornerman Tommy Mercuri charged ‘The Pretty Boy’ furiously, causing the victor’s brother to enter the ring to land a punch on the trainer’s jaw. As tempers soon started to cool following the ugly incident, Zerafa quickly turned his attention to his next desired matchup, calling out main event victor Nikita Tszyu for another domestic blockbuster.
Conor Wallace Earns A Split Decision As He Eyes A Future Title Shot
In what may have been the most anticipated matchup of the night for Australia’s hardcore boxing audience, light heavyweights Conor Wallace (14-1, 10 KOs) and Jerome Pampellone (18-2, 11 KOs) did not disappoint in their clash for the number two spot in the IBF rankings.
True to form for a Wallace performance, both fighters landed heavy shots across the first two rounds, with much of the action defined by the southpaw straight left to the head versus the mixture of head and body attacks from Pampellone. By the midway point, however, Wallace had established greater control of the contest and, despite wearing some vicious overhand rights, seemed to have taken the lead through a strong jab that set up straight punching combinations.
No greater example of this came than in the opening minute of the seventh period. Having been backed into a corner after a hard right from Pampellone, Wallace fired out in a flash with his own four-punch flurry to take the center of the canvas. Across the proceeding rounds, the Irish-born Brisbanian appeared to capitalize on a spirited yet visibly tired Pampellone, pressing the action until the final bell to win what remarkably ended up as a split decision (116-112, 116-112, 113-115).
With the head-turning victory, the 28-year-old continues his climb to a potential shot at the IBF belt. It will surely have eyes fixed on the impending showdown for the undisputed title between Dmitrii Bivol (23-0, 12 KOs) and Artur Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs).
Undercard Results
Earlier, Dharringarra Trewhella (4-0, 1 KO) outpointed cagey southpaw Calvin Jensen (3-1) to a six-round unanimous decision (58-56 x 3). A relative of Australian boxing great Anthony Mundine (48-11, 28 KOs), 22-year-old Trewhella got off to a fast start before a composed Jensen slowed the fight’s pace with a strong jab and lateral movement in rounds four and five. Sensing a need for urgency, Trewhella found another gear in the last, stamping his claim on the fight with multiple hard right hands.
Rising prospect Billy Polkinghorn (3-0, 1 KO) banked a valuable five rounds against New Zealander Michael Reynolds (1-1), scoring a unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45 x 2). Of note, the combination punching of the 27-year-old stood out. Despite the pace pushed by his Kiwi counterpart, who accepted the fight on just one week’s notice, Polkinghorn provided all the answers in the form of left hooks and uppercuts.
Billy Polkinghorne beats Michael Reynolds by UD. Yet another fighter to keep an eye on. The scores were 49-46, 50-45 and 50-45.#TszyuMazoudier
— Brendan Bradford (@1bbradfo) August 28, 2024
Opening the main card in an entertaining fashion, Sonny Knight (3-0, 2 KOs) and Laban Stringer (1-3) stood toe to toe for four rounds, each landing their fair share of heavy combinations across the 12 minutes. Ultimately, Knight took a split decision (39-37, 40-36, 37-39) from the close and dogged affair, keeping his undefeated record intact in the process.
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