Tim Tszyu vs Tony Harrison Boxing light-middleweight world title Preview and Prediction

An attention-grabbing battle this weekend involves us from Australia. Native rising star Tim Tszyu takes a step up in competitors in opposition to the skilled American Tony Harrison, in a junior-middleweight interim title battle.

The battle will likely be accessible within the US on Showtime. They’ll solely present the principle occasion, with protection beginning at 10.45PM ET. The battle itself might begin a bit later, because it is dependent upon undercard fights Showtime gained’t have. For Australian viewers, it’s a $59.95 KayoTV PPV, with the principle card beginning at 12PM on Sunday, AEDT and the principle occasion scheduled for two.45PM.

For readability: the battle is going on on Sunday afternoon native Sydney time, so you might even see it in listings as Sunday. However that interprets to Saturday night time within the US.

Preview

Tim Tszyu (21-0-0, 15 KOs) isn’t messing round right here. He’d initially been scheduled to battle the unified champion of the division, Jermell Charlo, on the finish of January. Charlo broke his hand in sparring, placing paid to that. No-one would have thought of it odd if Tszyu sat on his promised shot in any respect the belts, at most taking a tune-up in opposition to a lighter opponent to maintain busy. As a substitute, he’s taking up one of many greatest challenges accessible to him, one which he might nicely lose. A win will get him a WBO interim title, however no-one’s going to think about him the actual champion till he fights Charlo, so… it’s a threat.

To be honest, his household historical past might clarify a few of that eagerness. Lengthy-time followers of boxing will bear in mind his father Kostya. A protracted-reigning (and two-time) champ at 154lbs, he’s nicely remembered in Europe and the US. In Australia, he’s one thing of a hero. Carrying on that legacy has positively given Tim some alternatives, nevertheless it’s additionally an extended shadow to be boxing in. So maybe it’s not a shock to see him being daring, to make his title shine in his personal proper.

His journey right here has been… nicely, regular. He’s positively somebody his administration and promoters see a future in, in order that they’ve not been hasty; he’s been nicely constructed up. That stated, nor has his journey been one among merely blasting by way of overmatched opponents. He first got here to worldwide consideration when he knocked out Jeff Horn in 2020. His most up-to-date two opponents, Takeshi Inoue and Terrell Gausha, are additionally very credible wins. That stated, at 28 he does have to make a transfer now. Right here’s his likelihood.

Harrison (29-3-1, 29 KOs) might rightly declare to return from a unique world, boxing-wise. No well-known father to make his title and with no vital promotional backing or beginner achievements, he’s gotten to the place he’s just about by preventing anybody who’ll get within the ring with him. This has led to his justifiable share of losses, however he additionally shocked Jermell Charlo the primary time they fought, scoring a choice victory. These playing cards had been controversial, and he misplaced the rematch by KO, however these performances and others have nonetheless proved he gained’t be a simple out for anybody. He’ll be hoping to upset the applecart once more, and get a 3rd shot at Charlo within the course of.

Prediction

Tim Tszyu has a method you would possibly discover acquainted, even in case you’ve by no means seen him earlier than. Not due to his father. He’s only a textbook instance of a strong, no-fancy-tricks stress fighter. He has his flaws, for positive, however he’s the sort of opponent who’ll be a nightmare for anybody. Large, strong, and laborious to maintain away from.

As with many of those sorts of fighters, he begins from the toes. He doesn’t appear to be transferring quick, as a result of he isn’t. Nonetheless, he’s abled to make use of neatly angled footwork to get in his opponent’s face and push them to the ropes and corners fairly persistently. What which means is that if they wish to circle to his left, he’ll step left, chopping off that area. Often, he’ll throw a hook with the alternative hand- so on this instance, a proper hook. That cuts the choices even additional, and makes his opponents should step straight again, and ultimately to the ropes.

His timing is sweet too. A stress fighter who lets his opponent make step one will discover himself always adjusting, with no alternative however to observe into the area they only left. Tszyu, although, has been excellent to this point at being the one to make the primary transfer. Meaning they’re reacting to him, and he will get to make the choices.

He backs this up with good offensive expertise when he will get to that most popular vary, too. He’s a affected person puncher. Moderately than throwing the kitchen sink at his opponent, he’ll decide his moments, wait to see what’s open, and intention at that. His arsenal of punches isn’t as huge as among the finest fighters, however he chooses them nicely for the best second. He units them up nicely too, with feints, some tidy pro-active head motion, and a few set-up punches earlier than the true leather-based flies. He’s a constant body-puncher, drawing his opponent’s fingers down and sapping their vitality in lengthy fights.

He occasions his punches in addition to his footwork, too. He’s a really troublesome man to change straight with, as a result of he’ll discover moments to throw in between his opponent’s punches, blowing up their rhythm and, usually, forcing them to cowl up or retreat.

He additionally makes use of his measurement – he’s huge for the division- in skillful methods. He’s troublesome to clinch with or push about, as a result of he units his stance and body in such a method that he’s interfering with an opponent’s motion in shut. He’s glad to tangle up, and good at discovering methods to get punches off if the referee lets them work.

That is all fairly basic stuff. Should you suppose it seems like one thing Gennady Golovkin would do, it’s from the identical playbook. Tszyu, to this point, hasn’t proven that stage of ability and consistency with it, however he’s good nonetheless.

The place worries do are available is his defence. He has a reasonably primary excessive guard, and since his head motion usually goes lacking, it’s key to his defence. Sadly, it’s very open down the center, which means opponents can cut up it with a jab very simply. It’s additionally held excessive and nonetheless, so in addition to he lands bodyshots himself, he’s open to them himself. And, probably crucially, he stands fairly upright when he’s in shut, which means if he’s compelled to lean again to keep away from harm (or by taking harm) he can get off-balance over his again foot. Opponents to this point haven’t exploited these tendencies, however the indicators are there.

Picture by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Photographs

Harrison, in the meantime… nicely, on this too he might virtually be referred to as an reverse to Tszyu. Not within the sense that he’s a pure outboxer, although he does do this. However the place Tszyu’s whole gameplan is constructed to impose his type on an opponent, Harrison is rather more reactive. He’ll often battle on the tempo his opponent provides him. In the event that they wish to press, he’ll allow them to have interaction. In the event that they wish to step again, he’ll observe them. Which may make issues powerful for him, as a result of the standard finest option to take care of fighters like Tszyu is to disrupt their plans. Harrison most likely isn’t going to, he’ll simply react.

It’s not essentially a looming catastrophe although. Being so reactive means he’s needed to develop a variety of expertise down the years, so he can battle at that tempo if he wants. The primary huge optimistic for him is he has an excellent jab, so Tszyu’s weak spot to them will come to the fore. Towards Sergio Garcia in his final battle, he additionally displayed a pleasant line in uppercuts as a part of his response to heavy stress, and that openness up the center might make {that a} cash punch.

He’s, typically, a great counter-puncher and has a giant arsenal of photographs to choose and select from. He disguises them nicely, too, and manipulates vary to set them up. Garcia ate a whole lot of leather-based by merely not realising Harrison was going to have the ability to throw in a given moment- hooks disguised behind stance shifts, or bodyshots was overhands. Tszy ought to be a unique stage of problem, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a set of expertise that’ll Tszyu hasn’t actually confronted earlier than and that Harrison will discover helpful. He’s received energy too, as his KO file reveals, so surprising punches could be fight-changing- and we don’t know the way Tszyu will react to that sort of problem.

The place Harrison would possibly come undone, although, is within the layers of his defence. He has some first rate strikes, with good head motion and a pleasant lively guard. He’s, nonetheless, a type of fighters who usually must reset after a few punches defended. If any given change goes for rather more than that, he begins to get a bit off-balance, and any photographs landed will likely be extra harmful. He’s additionally weak whereas throwing his personal photographs, and as talked about, Tszyu may be very harmful in direct exchanges.

All in all, it’s a giant check for each males. If Harrison wins he’ll should climate a storm to do it- however any win for Tszyu gained’t be with out studying just a few classes. It’s a tricky one to foretell, being such a disparate conflict of types, nevertheless it ought to be entertaining.

What’s on the undercard

Nicely, as talked about above, in case you’re watching on showtime you gained’t be seeing the undercard. If you’re in a spot you’re capable of see it, you’ll discover what you most likely count on: a really Australian-centered present. The chief assist is an attention-grabbing one, with Paulo Aokuso preventing Yunieski Gonzalez. The veteran Gonzalez is on a two-fight skid, however he’s nonetheless a huge step up in competitors for Aokuso, in his fourth battle and professional for lower than a yr. With a nickname modelled after the legendary Pernell Whittaker, he’d higher impress.

Past that it’s a card largely of native favourites who most likely don’t have an enormous quantity of world-level upside, although we might even see Sam Goodman scrapping at that stage in some unspecified time in the future. He’s preventing TJ Doheny, who’s had a great profession however is previous his finest now, so it’s each a check and a showcase, in some way. We’ll additionally see Nikita Tszyu, Tim’s youthful brother. Nonetheless very early days for him, so what his potential is like stays to be seen.