Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.<\/a><\/p>\n‘No one’s in control of the judges’ | 14:37<\/p>\n
While admitting several rounds were close, the Main Event analyst eventually scored the fight in favour of Tszyu by two rounds.<\/p>\n
As a result, Green said that while he could understand why some people would be urging for the previously undefeated Aussies to rematch, he also has no problem with Tszyu now heading Stateside to make his US debut before Christmas.<\/p>\n
During a crazy night on the Gold Coast last week, all three judges came up with different scorecards in what was an eliminator for IBF super welterweight champ Josh Kelly.<\/p>\n
First up, judge Phillip Holliday had the bout for Tszyu 117-111.<\/p>\n
Then, Sabrina Kerr scored it for Mahoney 115-113.<\/p>\n
And third judge Carl Zappia had it 114-114.<\/p>\n
Immediately after the fight, and when interviewed inside the ring by Ben Damon, Tszyu added to the chaos by suggesting he had lost the bout.<\/p>\n
By the time of the post-fight press conference however, the Sydneysider was winding that statement back \u2014 suggesting it had been fueled by the disappointment of not finishing his rival. <\/p>\n
Australian boxing legend Danny Green. Picture: Alex Coppel.Source: News Corp Australia<\/p>\n
Speaking in commentary immediately afterwards, meanwhile, Green gave the fight to Tszyu \u2013 a decision he doubled down on after rewatching the fight in his West Australian home on Wednesday afternoon.<\/p>\n
While Green scored the first two rounds for Mahoney, he then found only two more for the gutsy Gold Coast native \u2013 six and twelve.<\/p>\n
Tszyu, meanwhile, earned rounds four, five, seven, eight, ten and eleven.<\/p>\n
Green determined rounds three and nine too close to split, making his final scorecard for Tszyu: 116-114.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo it was a tight fight,\u201d the retired champion said this week. \u201cBut after rewatching all 12 rounds without commentary, I\u2019ve again scored it in Nikita Tszyu\u2019s favour.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd by two rounds.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause while Mahoney started well, and it did take Nikita a while to come on, once Tszyu started finding his groove through rounds four and five, through that middle section he really started chugging.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd overall, I think it was his thudding left hands that proved the difference.<\/p>\n
\u201cNikita also went to the body a lot. And you\u2019ve gotta score those shots \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Tszyu admits defeat as Rose FIRES up! | 03:52<\/p>\n
Pushed on what separated the fighters, Green continued: \u201cMahoney was throwing a lot of punches, and his jab certainly kept him in the game.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it was Nikita landing the harder, heavier shots.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt times too, there was a bit of shoe shining from Mahoney \u2013 bap, bap, bap, arm punching. I don\u2019t give a lot of value there.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut in saying that, he also landed some solid, cracking shots. And right throughout the fight.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I just saw Nikita landing the heavier, harder and more telling blows.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Tszyu definitely came on stronger through rounds seven, eight, nine, ten and eleven.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yet while Green gave the fight to Tszyu, he suggested the 28-year-old was not yet ready for super welterweights champions like Kelly, Sebastian Fundora and Jaron \u2018Boots\u2019 Ennis.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would\u2019ve liked to see Nikita throw his right hook more,\u201d continued the man whose own career includes wins over Roy Jones Jnr, Stipe Drews and Anthony Mundine.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s got a beautiful right hook but just didn\u2019t let it go as much as he could have.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd Mahoney had his hands high, so wasn\u2019t really allowing it.<\/p>\n
\u201cOverall though, Nikita still needs more experience before he steps up to that world title level. And I know Nikita will be humble enough to recognize that.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich is great.<\/p>\n
Where to now after Tszyu v Mahoney draw? | 05:20<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s absolutely measured and intelligent of a young fighter to say, \u2018no, I need more time before taking on these top dogs \u2026 because I\u2019m not quite there yet\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd remember, this was only fight number 14 for Nikita.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhich also includes the one [against Michael Zerafa] that wasn\u2019t really a fight.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo it\u2019s still very early in his career to be taking on world champions. That would be premature.\u201d<\/p>\n
But as for Tszyu now debuting in the US this December, most likely on the undercard of American superstar David Benavidez?<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t see why not,\u201d Green said. \u201cAs long as Nikita keeps improving, keeps testing himself and growing, there is no downside to that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Elsewhere, Green also urged Tim Tszyu to double down on his gutsy win over American Errol Spence Jnr by now looking to become a two-division world champion.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Erislandy Lara could be the perfect opponent for Tim,\u201d the former world champ said. \u201cObviously, given Lara\u2019s age, he is well and truly on the back nine.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I also think Tim [has the style] to beat him. So there\u2019s a lot to like there. I mean, if Tim Tszyu had stepped on the gas against Spence, I really believe he could have put him away.<\/p>\n
Mundine’s beautiful tribute to dad | 01:20<\/p>\n
\u201cWhatever Tim does next though, that\u2019s totally up to him.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I\u2019d be chasing another world title.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause what does Jermell Charlo do for you? What does he bring?<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I think Tim should definitely be confident after that win over Spence. Maybe he could\u2019ve stepped on the gas and finished. But a win is a win, and it was a great victory.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking on Main Event immediately after last Wednesday night\u2019s Gold Coast fight, Green believed Nikita Tszyu\u2019s repeated success with his left hand had been enough to get him over the line.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just felt that Nikita landed that left hand so often \u2026 [but] it\u2019s difficult to score,\u201d Green said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had Nikita Tszyu winning the fight. Full respect to Ben Mahoney, who I said wouldn\u2019t go past eight rounds. He proved me wrong.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a magic fight. It\u2019s not pleasant when it ends controversially. I\u2019ll have to watch it again to then score it properly.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Australian boxing great Danny Green has rescored Nikita Tszyu\u2019s controversial IBF eliminator against Ben Mahoney \u2013 and says…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":878359,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[571],"tags":[64,63,802,85],"class_list":["post-878358","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-boxing","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-boxing","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/878358","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=878358"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/878358\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/878359"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=878358"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=878358"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=878358"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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