Tim Tszyu Drowns Tony Harrison In The 9th Round

By Boxing News - 03/12/2023 - Comments

Vince D’Writer: During the course of the promotion for his big fight with Tony Harrison, the number one ranked WBO junior-middleweight contender Tim Tszyu said he was going to drown Harrison in the ninth round, and on the night of March 11th, Tszyu stopped Tony Harrison (29-4-1, 21 KOs) in the ninth, and won the WBO Interim junior-middleweight title.

Tim Tszyu was originally scheduled to fight the undisputed 154-pound champion, Jermell Charlo on January 28, but unfortunately Charlo suffered a broken hand while training in December 2022. Tszyu had to move on to plan B which was to fight Tony Harrison, and the winner would get the match against the undisputed champion.

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In front of his home crowd of 11,740 at the Qudos Bank Arena, in Sydney, Australia, Tim Tszyu stepped in the ring to face the biggest challenge of his pro career. The former WBC junior-middleweight champion Tony Harrison got off to a good start as he won the first round by consistently landing the jab.

In the second round of the fight, Harrison continued to land the jab, but Tszyu was using a high guard, pressing forward, and finding a home for the right hand. Tszyu’s best punch of the round happened when Harrison threw a one-two combination, and Tszyu countered by landing a sneaky uppercut.

Tszyu began to pick up the pace in the third as he started the round with a three-punch combination. At the midway point of the third, Tszyu connected with a big right hand that rocked Harrison, and in the final seconds of the round, Tszyu finished strong by landing a right hand followed by the left hook.

For the next couple of rounds, Tim Tszyu continued to remain patient, press forward and force Tony Harrison to fight off his back foot. Harrison had success landing the jab and a few right hands, but he was unable to put his combinations together.

In round 8 Tszyu used the jab to force Harrison to the ropes, and he proceeded to connect with a big overhand right. In addition to the right hand, Tszyu was also having success attacking the body of his opponent.

With a minute left to go in the ninth, Tim Tszyu exploded. Tszyu landed four consecutive right hands that forced Tony Harrison to stumble back to the ropes. While his wounded opponent had his back against the ropes, Tszyu landed five uppercuts followed by a right-left combination that sent Tony Harrison down to the canvas.

Harrison wisely took the eight count, and then he rose to his feet. The referee took a good look at Harrison, and then he asked Harrison to walk to his left, and then to his right. Harrison was able to complete the task, but he did it on unstable legs, and as a result the referee put a halt to the contest.

With the win Tim Tszyu (22-0, 16 KOs) won the Interim WBO junior-middleweight title, and next on his agenda is an appointment with the undisputed champion Jermell Charlo. During his post-fight interview, Tszyu talked about the statement he made in the ring.

“The message was sent clearly, you know what’s up, you know what’s next, I’m coming to America!” Tszyu went on to state, “Australia, you know, and the world you know now, what’s my mutha f**kin name? Say my mutha f**kin name… Tim Tszyu.”