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Kostya Tszyu is the king of the junior welterweights, but also one of the most inactive boxers in the richly talented division. Pure boxing ability, patience when picking his shots, arduous training and a power punching combined in one and you have Tszyu. Earning wins over Diosbelys Hurtado, a past his prime Julio Cesar Chavez, Zab Judah and two wins against Sharmba Mitchell, Tszyu’s record of 31-1 (25 KOs) seems fit enough to reside in the number four or five slot in the top pound-for-pound rankings. Due to injuries, he has been less active than the other pound-for-pound members have, but, his presence has been felt, because, we are all aware of Tszyu’s dominance over arguably the best weight class in all of boxing. In Tszyu’s defense, accepting a fight with Ricky Hatton is a move that has earned the champion credit, being that he just destroyed Mitchell in November of 2004. Kostya Tszyu could have handled a tune up bout and pushed Hatton aside until winter, forcing the very active Hatton to fight another dangerous junior welterweight from the deep talent pool.
As a fighter with a tough mentality and being an overall lover of boxing, Tszyu views this match as a stepping-stone in earning another notch on the pound-for-pound list. Another to applaud Tszyu is that he, as a world champion agreed to fight in his opponent’s backyard. That is rare and added pressure for Tszyu. The hardcore Tszyu fans will admit that Hatton is no push over; the man can hit pointblank, and hit very hard. Hatton has the disadvantage of not being viewed in the North American mass media, so a lot of the North American public is ignorant of his pure boxing skills.
Some of the protestors against this fight would have been more comfortable with a Tsyzu vs. Judah re-match, Tsyzu vs. Mayweather or a Tsyzu vs. Miguel Cotto fight. Could this be a sign of neglect used by the whole boxing public, understanding the United States is the main market for big paydays? Whatever the case, Tszyu could care less and he is in England, focused and determined to come out the winner. This fight looks awesome on paper and with that being said, it could be another great fight, following the Diego Corrales vs. Jose Luis Castillo encounter.
Tszyu likes to stalk and hit, and if you ever had the chance to watch him fight, you will notice that the man rarely blinks. He will study his opponent, storing his opponent’s steps like a hard drive on a computer. Another plus for Tszyu is that he makes very few mistakes. This man’s boxing mind is accurate and highly educated. Yet, he is not unbeatable. In 1997, yes, a long time ago, Vince Philips displayed the steps to follow if you wanted to defeat Tsyzu. Yes, the same Vince Phillips that Hatton defeated. Hatton has the younger heart, quiet determination and the heart of England on his side.
With a 38-0 record and 28 knockouts, if you are disrespecting Hatton’s power, you have a headache coming. If Hatton boxes early and punches later, he can defeat Tszyu; if he enters the ring trying to bomb away with Tszyu, Hatton will leave the ring early via knockout. Tszyu loves and adores the pressure of being stalked. Hatton needs to confuse Tszyu by baiting him. Let Tszyu make one of his few mistakes, and BAM! Let the power punches go. We all know that Tszyu is in tremendous shape, but we do not know if Tszyu is in top-notch shape after taking a lot of punishment throughout his career. Let’s be logical, the man has not been tested in years. Another plus for Hatton is his awareness of the opportunity. A win will push him into the mass market of the United States. Hatton’s age is also a good sign, not that it has a lot to do with his performance, but, if he puts on a decent show, regardless of the outcome, it will design him in the public eye as a legitimate boxer and he will be remembered as the man who, “Really put a lot on Tszyu.”
In order for Tszyu to keep his reign going strong, he has to watch Hatton carefully. Tszyu has to be on point with his counter punching and not go for the knockout so soon. With that said, he has to figure a way to get Hatton out before six rounds, because, the longer the fight, the lesser the chance for Tszyu coming out the winner. Tszyu makes few mistakes and that trait has more to do with his ability to end fights early. The more rounds the fight goes, the more comfortable Hatton will get and the more in tune Hatton can become, the more powerful he will punch and the chances of Tszyu leaving an opening to be hit increase.
A bonus for Tszyu to add to his top-notch skills to ensure a win would be the benefit of being acclaimed as a great champion for his age, like Bernard Hopkins. Future fights with Mayweather, Cotto, Judah, Shane Mosley and Oscar de la Hoya are more ambitious than the amount of money that can be made from securing one or more of these bouts. Of course, Hatton realizes the same treasures are in line if he wins. Fight fans, promoters, sports media and the whole, wide world, be prepared to watch a splendid fight in the place that created boxing: England.
Shaun Rico LaWhorn can be reached at filmmaking_mentality@msn.com
