Tim Tszyu’s US debut showed future rivals some vulnerabilities. But that might actually work in his favour, when the elusive title shot arrives.
Undefeated in 20 fights, Tszyu took a fight outside Australia for the first time.
He not only took on American veteran Terrell Gausha, but also enormous risk, in front of a sold out crowd in Minneapolis.
Tszyu ultimately won the super welterweight world title eliminator, via unanimous decision, but there was an element of ‘loss’ about it. He’d been exposed.
Tszyu showed no fear early, going straight at 34-year-old Gausha. No backward step.
It proved costly, caught by a Gausha overhand right. The Aussie had been dropped to the canvas for just the second time in his career.
Main Event’s Ben Damon summed it up, with Tszyu’s first round going ‘horribly wrong’.
“Tszyu’s in trouble,” Damon added in commentary.
The 27-year-old emerging contender would pick up the pieces and turn the screws across 12 pretty brutal rounds. He landed 236 punches to Gausha’s 163, at greater efficiency.
But the shortcomings had been exposed in broad daylight for his next opponent.
“There were definitely some s*** thoughts going through your head at that time but you have to get up,” Tszyu said post-fight.
“You sort of blink and think: ‘How the f*** did that happen?
“It is all a learning lesson.”
Tszyu moved to 21-0, cementing a date with either Brian Castano or Jermell Charlo, who have a highly-anticipated unification bout in May. The winner will be encouraged by what Tszyu put on tape.
“Charlo especially… he is a deadly puncher,” expert Barry Michael pointed out on Main Event’s coverage.
Former Aussie star Jeff Horn, who lost to Tszyu in 2020, agreed with Michael.
“Tim didn’t look as good as we thought he was going to look in this fight.
“I thought he was going to match it with those two big names… but now there’s big question marks.”
But on top of an unblemished record, Tszyu now also has time.
In Minneapolis, Castano or Charlo might’ve finished off what Gausha coudn’t.
The Australian contender now has a chance to find solutions to the problems he faced, quite literally, head on.
As for Tim’s next opponent – let’s hope they train for the Tszyu that Gausha saw, not the ‘new Tszyu’ he’ll be six months from now.
