An elated Nikita Tszyu is eyeing bigger fish after living up to his word and taking out big-talking and tough Spaniard Oscar Diaz to edge closer to a world-title shot in a bout tinged by controversy.
Tszyu improved his unbeaten record to 13-0 with an emphatic sixth-round stoppage in the pair’s super-welterweight showdown in Newcastle on Wednesday night.
However, Diaz’s corner were furious with the nature of the last knockdown in the fight as the Aussie hit his opponent twice while he was down on one knee.
Tszyu could have been disqualified for landing the blows, and he apologised immediately as Diaz’s cornerman could be seen screaming at him and gesticulating wildly.
‘His corner is fuming about the punches after he took the knee,’ Ben Damon said in commentary.
Tszyu explained his actions after the win.
Pictured: The moment Nikita Tszyu committed one of boxing’s cardinal sins by punching his opponent Oscar Diaz while he was down on Wednesday night
The Aussie left the Spaniard’s corner absolutely furious by connecting with two shots while Diaz was on his knees
‘It was just a split-second reaction,’ he said.
‘I didn’t see his knees were on the ground. I thought he was bent over, in my experience if they are bent over, keep punching.’
Forging his own path after living in the shadows of his Hall-of-Fame father Kostya and fellow world title-winning brother Tim, Nikita is now potentially one win away from securing his own shot at global glory.
But rather than gloat or worry about his next bout, the 28-year-old was merely relieved at earning some extra time in the ring after experiencing just three rounds in the past two years either side of left-hand surgery.
‘Good to get the rounds in. Good to feel the energy of a crowd,’ Tszyu said.
‘Good to also get a sweat up.’
The likes of superstar Keith Thurman and fellow American Tony Harrison, who Tim KO’d in 2023 to win the WBO super-welterweight belt, are being touted as Tszyu’s possible next targets.
Tszyu entered his latest contest ranked sixth with the IBF and is now tipped to climb to as high as No.3 in the division’s pecking order after ending Diaz’s unbeaten record savagely.
Diaz couldn’t come out of his corner for the seventh round as he handed Tszyu a victory that brings him much closer to a shot at a world title
The 28-year-old Aussie was in excellent form as he made up for lost time due to a hand injury that kept him out of the ring
The so-called ‘Butcher’ lived up to all expectations with a comprehensive display at the ‘Tszyu-Castle’ Entertainment Centre.
Looking physically imposing in career-best shape, the home favourite dominated from the first bell.
He landed several blows in the opening round, then dropped the Spaniard in the second with a big left.
Tszyu continued the onslaught in round three despite the flurry of punches to Diaz’s head only provoking a wry smile from Diaz, nicknamed ‘The Bull’ or ‘El Toro’ after winning all of his previous 16 fights.
But his chin could cop only so much.
After withstanding another fierce combination in round five, Diaz finally succumbed after Tszyu floored the European with a devastating left-right barrage in the sixth stanza.
With Kostya (18-0) and Tim (23-0) on Australian soil, Tszyu’s win extends the home record of the nation’s most famous boxing family to an incredible 54-0.
On Wednesday night’s undercard, another son of a gun also maintained his undefeated professional record as Rahim Mundine scored a unanimous points win over Lance McDonald in a five-round super-welterweight stoush.
The victory was Mundine’s third since debuting under crushing expectations four years ago.
But the 24-year-old son of ex-triple world champion Anthony Mundine could not escape the shadow of his polarising father.
‘My dad’s the most hated athlete ever in this country,’ he said after being booed and jeered by the Newcastle crowd after the three judges awarded him the bout 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47.
‘I won easy, but he’s a real tough competitor. I landed cleaner shots.’
