Tim Tszyu has been left stunned at the toughness of Takeshi Inoue, labelling him a “brick wall” after a unanimous decision win over the Japanese star.
Tszyu continued his undefeated streak, bringing his career record to 20-0-0, but saw his run of five straight TKO wins over as he was unable to end Inoue.
RECAP: Tszyu sets sights on Argentine star after gruelling 12-round win
Despite the 31-year-old being peppered with a bevy of body shots and vicious uppercuts, Inoue remained on his feet throughout the contest, save for a brief moment in the final round where he slipped on advertising.
Following his win, Tszyu paid tribute to Inoue’s toughness and admitted that the gruelling 12-round encounter was “the best thing that could’ve happened” as he prepares to take his game global.
“The guy’s built like a brick wall,” Tszyu said. “F—ing hit him with anything and he doesn’t go down.”
“I don’t know, I don’t think any of the heavyweights can drop him. He’s like a brick wall, literally, hands up to him man. That was a f—ing warrior.
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“In all honesty, I heard him squeal like 20 times and he still wouldn’t go down. You see his face, it’s completely battered and his body, I’m sure he’s going to be sore tomorrow but man, what a warrior.
“He just kept coming, he didn’t stop. You hit him with everything and he’s so durable.
“I felt him hurt a few times but I didn’t want to jump too much on the pedal because I knew every time I hit him, he just had no reaction.
“The last rounds, nine, 10, 11, he was on his feet in all honesty. I heard him breathing from the guts and I just kept hitting him in the body and I don’t know what’s in there.”
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Tszyu confirmed his intentions to take his talents overseas after the fight, eyeing a meeting with Argentina’s Brian Castano in Las Vegas, and said the Inoue fight would stand him in good stead.
“I’ll be back in the gym. I’ve got to be well more prepared than that because I’ve got to take these guys out,” he said.
“All the great boxers have to do 12 rounds. For myself, I was knocking everyone out in three or four rounds and I was getting a bit too confident, and this is the best thing that could happen for myself because sometimes these American boxers, yeah they’re maybe a bit more skilful, but they wouldn’t be able to take that, I guarantee you.”
Tszyu hopes the match-up against Castano will take place around February, provided Castano doesn’t have a rematch against his American rival Jermell Charlo.
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“I’m ready to go to the States,” he said.
“I want to be able to go there and do something that I’ve always dreamt about, the bright lights in Vegas, and then bring it back here to Australia.”