Any win is worth celebrating but history suggests victory can lull even the most hardened competitor and mask underlying problems.
After flattening Takeshi Inoue on the scorecards without a definitive knock-down, Tim Tszyu was asked if he had a message for WBO champion Brian Castano and any of the other big names in the super welterweight division.
“You boys finish your little honeymoons and get back in the gym and start training. I’m coming for all of you. Every single one of you.”
We can’t read too much into Tszyu’s bold declaration – after all what else is he going to say? He won the fight and is the No.1 mandatory challenger for Castano’s belt.
And while it was a polished win with several positives, some facets of the performance might be a cause for concern for a fighter who hasn’t fought overseas looking for a title fight next up, with the Sydney star hoping for a February bout against Castano.
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Inoue is the toughest rival Tszyu has had to face, and he couldn’t find the right combination to unlock the Japanese fighter’s defence on home soil. Inoue is renowned for his toughness, but boxing prowess not so much. Fighters like Castano and Jermell Charlo are widely respected for their combination of power and speed, defence and boxing nous.
They’re seasoned fighters who can adapt to their opponent on the run – something Tszyu failed to do in trying to secure a knockout against Inoue. It happens.
Sure he won, but manner of victory separates champions from great fighters.
Since Tszyu disposed of his last five opponents by KO/TKO, the paying public was expecting the same but he couldn’t break down the brave Japan fighter. Does that spell trouble for Tszyu, who is adamant he’s ready to fight for the division crown?
“I still don’t have any doubts,” Hall-of-Famer Jeff Fenech, who called the fight for Main Event last night, told Wide World of Sports.
“Prior to this I thought, ‘wow he’s going to beat Castano very very easily’… I still think he can but last night may have put a little question mark there and he needs to do other things.
“I really do think he can beat Castano, although he’s (Castano) going to be busier and take more risks.
“The more risks you take against Tim, the harder it’s going to be for him. Inoue didn’t take many risks, he waited those last couple of rounds.”
Inoue’s bravery was lauded after the clash with several boxing experts from the US and at home suggesting it was his “granite” chin and toughness that got in the way of Tszyu landing the telling blow. But Fenech doesn’t buy that theory.
“If you’re hitting somebody enough times and you’re hitting them properly, I don’t care who they are, they’re going to go down,” he said. “Tim didn’t land the clean shots I expected him to and he’ll need to have a good look at it.
“I would have thought he would have hurt him sooner, that was a bit of a surprise. I thought his performance was great but I think he’s better than that.
“He’s got some work to do, he’ll go back and see that and say, ‘wow I was touching this guy for 12 rounds and I couldn’t knock him out’. He’ll learn from that. That’s what he’s great at, getting better and learning.”
Fenech, a former three-division champion, said once Tszyu watches the tape back he’ll easily identify what needs to be fixed. He said Tszyu’s rivals like Castano would take confidence out of last night’s performance, and said Tszyu ‘has to be concerned’ to reach that next level and willing to be his own harsh critic to fine-tune his craft.
“Me watching it I knew what he needed to do. I’m sure someone in the corner could have told him a few things.
“He wasn’t doubling punches, wasn’t tripling, wasn’t sitting down. Even when he was throwing his uppercuts, they were big, although some of them landed, he was putting himself in a dangerous position throwing them.
“He was throwing his uppercuts from his knees which is risky when you’re fighting a good fighter. I know he’s better than that.
“Funny thing was Inoue didn’t punch with him, he didn’t really start punching until the last couple of rounds. He was there for survival, he knew what he was in for.”
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