Nikita Tszyu Stops Oscar Diaz After Six to Stay Unbeaten in Newcastle

Nikita Tszyu keeps rolling, and honestly, Oscar Diaz never really looked like stopping him.

Wednesday night in Newcastle had a bit of everything — controversy, cuts, arguments over scorecards, a few bad blood moments carrying over from the weigh-in, and Tszyu calmly smashing through another unbeaten opponent to pick up the vacant WBO International Super Welterweight title.

The card itself? Bit uneven in places, but when things got good, they got properly entertaining.

Main Event

Nikita Tszyu (12-0-0) stopped Oscar Diaz (16-1-0) via RTD after round 6
Super welterweight – 10 rounds

Tszyu just looked levels above by the end of this. Early on he was patient, almost too patient at times, but once he settled into range Diaz started getting broken down piece by piece.

The judges had it 60-52 across the board after six rounds and that felt about right. Diaz was brave enough and kept trying, but he wasn’t winning rounds. Tszyu’s pressure, body work and timing were too clean.

By the end of the sixth, Diaz’s corner had seen enough and pulled him out before round seven started. Fair stoppage too. No point leaving a fighter in there taking punishment for pride.

Tszyu made a statement without needing to go wild. He’s quickly turning into one of the strongest pieces No Limit has right now.

Co-Main Event

Callum Peters (7-0-0) outpointed Joeshon James (10-2-2) via unanimous decision over 10 rounds
Super middleweight – 10 rounds

Peters started fast and looked in control early, especially after dropping James with a body shot. For a while it felt like he might run away with it.

But James clawed his way back into the fight in the middle rounds and made things competitive enough that one of the scorecards looked ridiculous by the end. Two judges had it 100-89 while the other scored it 99-90.

Peters deserved the win, no real issue there, but James gave him more to think about than those wider cards suggested.

Other Title Fights

Jack Bowen (13-1-0) stopped Tonga Tongotongo (11-2-0) via TKO in round 2
Super middleweight – 10 rounds

This was fun while it lasted.

Tongotongo actually had Bowen in a bit of trouble briefly, which woke the fight up fast, but Bowen responded properly and turned the whole thing around. Once he got on top, Tongotongo started getting overwhelmed and the stoppage in the corner felt justified.

Bowen also leaves with the vacant WBO Oriental Super Middleweight title, while Tongotongo’s missed weight beforehand meant he couldn’t win the belt anyway.

Non-Title Undercard

Kirra Ruston (9-0-0) stopped Berkay Varol (9-1-0) via TKO in round 3
Light heavyweight – 10 rounds

Varol came out firing and was landing right hands clean early. He even opened a cut on Ruston, and for a moment it looked like things could get awkward.

Instead, Ruston settled down, recovered well and took over. Strong comeback performance after a shaky start.

Rahim Mundine (3-0-0) defeated Lance McDonald (1-5-1) via unanimous decision after 5 rounds
Super welterweight – 5 rounds

This one’s probably going to get people talking more than most of the undercard.

The scorecards read 48-47, 49-46 and 49-46 for Mundine, but not everyone watching agreed with it. Plenty felt McDonald had done enough, and there were definitely some fans disagreeing with the result afterwards.

Mundine got the nod in the end though, fair or not.

Kyron Dryden (14-2-0) stopped Hunter Ioane (10-14-1) via TKO in round 2
Welterweight – 5 rounds

After all the face-off drama earlier in the week, Hunter Ioane came out swinging wild haymakers early trying to take Dryden’s head off. But once Kyron Dryden settled down and started landing the right hand consistently, the whole fight changed.

Ioane hit the canvas in round one and never really got himself back into it. Bit personal beforehand. One-sided once Dryden found his rhythm.

Brent Walton (5-2-0) edged Jayden Vasica (1-2-0) via majority decision after 4 rounds
Welterweight – 4 rounds

Probably one of the tighter fights on the card. One judge had it even at 38-38, while the other two gave Walton the edge 39-37.

No robbery, but definitely competitive.

Brandon Grach (5-1-0) stopped Caleb Tialu (3-7-0) via TKO in round 3
Heavyweight – 4 rounds

Grach handled business without much drama. The judges already had him comfortably ahead before the stoppage came in the third.

Wayne Telepe (4-2-0) defeated Benjamin Amos (3-2-0) via majority decision after 4 rounds
Lightweight – 4 rounds

Closer than one scorecard suggested. One judge somehow had it 40-36, while another saw it level at 38-38.

Messy little fight at times, but Telepe got the result.

Closing

Tszyu was the story again, and deservedly so. Calm, controlled, heavy-handed and never really in danger.

But Newcastle also got a few arguments over scorecards, a couple of entertaining scraps, and enough weird moments to keep boxing fans talking all week.