Boxing world in uproar over controversial detail in Tim Tszyu victory

Boxing fans have taken aim at referee Danrex Tapdasan over the controversial finish to Tim Tszyu's brutal title victory against American Tony Harrison in Sydney on Sunday. The undefeated Aussie dropped Harrison in the ninth round with a series of savage blows to the head and body to claim the interim WBO super welterweight belt.

It was an emphatic end to the contest for Tszyu, who sets up a unified mega-fight later this year against undisputed divisional king, Jermell Charlo. However, many good boxing judges felt the referee failed to protect Harrison by stepping in to call an end to fight earlier, with Tszyu inflicting a number of savage blows on the American when the result already looked to be determined.

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Tszyu had his American opponent on the ropes and unleashed a succession of ferocious uppercuts that Harrison had no answer for. The 32-year-old eventually crashed to the canvas after the vicious onslaught from Tszyu, but the referee still did not wave off the contest right away. Instead, he let a clearly wobbly Harrison get to his feet, before finally declaring the Aussie the winner.

Former world champion Shawn Porter Jr was among those to criticise the role of the official, insisting that Tapdasan should have stopped the fight much earlier than he did. He said when it became clear that Harrison could no longer effectively defend himself, the referee should have intervened to save the fighter from more punishment.

“Look at this right here, uppercut, uppercut, I have to say, I’m very mad at this ref for allowing Tony to take this many clean shots and not step in,” Porter said on Main Event’s coverage. “I felt like the ref should’ve been there. Tony’s head goes out of the ring, the ref is still allowing this fight to take place."

Main Event’s Ben Damon also described replays of the savage finish from Tszyu as painful viewing and agreed the referee should have stepped in earlier. “That’s hard to watch because Tony Harrison is a star and he’s been such a brilliant part of this promotion and he took some enormous shots with his back turned and his senses gone,” Damon said. “We hope he’s OK because he’s a special character.”

Tim Tszyu claims world title in devastating fashion

Marginally ahead on points, Tszyu exploded to life in the ninth to emulate his Hall-of-Fame father Kostya in becoming a world champion. The hometown favourite's victory came 28 years after Kostya knocked out Jake Rodriguez at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas to capture his maiden world title.

The Tszyus join an elite group of just six father-son boxing world champions, including legends Julio Cesar Chavez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, and Leon and Corey Spinks. "Thank you, Australia," Tszyu roared in elation to the capacity crowd. "I've got one sentence. What's my mother-f***ing name?" Tszyu said in reference to Muhammad Ali's famous line after Harrison had repeatedly referred to the Aussie as 'Timothy' in the lead-up to the fight.

The only man to have beaten Charlo, Harrison (29-4-1, 21KO) had derided Tszyu as "the bottom of the totem pole" for beating mostly nobodies and riding his family name to his date with destiny. However, Tszyu made the American eat his words by putting forward a compelling case that he is deserving of his place at the top table in the stacked super-welterweight division.

"There was some banter. In the ring, I proved I was the better man," Tszyu said. "The respect is always there. We never bow down to chatter.

"I was smart. I was patient. I knew he had a jab. He's the man that beat the man. "It means I just beat the man that beat the man. What does that make me?"

with AAP

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