Tim Tszyu has delivered the biggest statement of his career, demolishing Mexican Carlos Ocampo with a staggering first-round knockout to retain his interim world title belt.
The unbeaten Australian (now 23-0, 17 KOs) was defending his WBO interim junior middleweight title – and in the process gambling his upcoming shot at division king Jermell Charlo, with their unified title fight delayed due to the American’s injuries.
Ocampo did not land a single punch on the Australian, while Tszyu needed just 14 shots before the referee waved things off when Ocampo was knocked down for the second time, his head crashing against the ropes in a sickening finish.
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Tszyu v Ocampo Full Fight Highlights | 03:54
The Mexican star (now 35-3) had only been stopped once in his career before, by unbeaten superstar Errol Spence Jr.
But he was overwhelmed in short order by Tszyu’s vicious assault from the opening bell, with the Australian knocking him down after just 59 seconds with an overhand right.
The final blow, a left hook as Ocampo tried to run from the bombardment, came after just one minute and 11 seconds.
Just like he did after beating Tony Harrison to win the interim belt just three months ago, Tszyu roared: “I’ve got a question for you, for everyone here: What’s my mother****ing name?”
Now, well and truly, he has escaped his famed father’s shadow and silenced all the doubters.
“I think that was a statement made,” he declared after an impressive performance that came after a less-than-ideal preparation that included a dog bite that needed surgery.
Tszyu will now – at long last – face American world champion Charlo for the undisputed title, a bout that was set to happen last December before Charlo suffered a broken hand in training.
The Aussie said: “The big one’s coming up … I’ve got this interim belt but I’m not satisfied. I want all four. It’s not just the belts. I really just want the name Charlo on my resume.”
His message to Charlo was simple: “Let’s dance in October. No disrespect. Let’s dance. You and me.
“I’m coming back with four belts.”
Later, he added: “He’s the man in the division. I’m the second in line … let’s just get it done.”
Earlier, Aussie Sam Goodman overcame a renegade judging call to win a huge title eliminator against unbeaten American Ra’eese Aleem.
After three thunderous knockouts began the busy day, there was staggering drama as a boxing legend and a referee overruled the official doctor and allowed a fight to continue after a horrible cut.
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FULL FIGHT CARD
Tim Tszyu def. Carlos Ocampo by R1 KO for the WBO interim super-welterweight title
Sam Goodman def. Ra’eese Aleem by SD – (112-116, 116-112, 117-111), the IBF super bantamweight world title eliminator
Hassan Hamdan def. Justin Frost by UD (40-36 x 3; head clash in R4)
Rocky Ogden def. Mark Schleibs by R1 TKO
PRELIMS
Vegas Larfield def. Jhunrille Castino by UD (59-55 x2, 60-54)
Troy Pilcher def. Hasely Hepi by R1 KO
Liam Talivaa def. Isaac Liki by R1 KO
AUSSIE ON ‘A WHOLE NEW LEVEL’
Unbeaten Australian Sam Goodman “went to a whole new level” in a stunning split decision win with American Ra’eese Aleem to earn a mandatory world title shot.
Goodman becomes the mandatory challenger to the IBF champ at 122-pounds, Marlon Tapales, after putting on a boxing clinic on the hot favourite – despite one judge delivering a bizarre scorecard that was vastly different to the other two judges.
The first judge scored it 116-112 to the American, leaving Goodman in disbelief. But his concerns were soon eased when the two remaining scorecards read 116-112 and 117-111 to the Australian.
It was the Australian’s 15th win without loss, while it was Aleem’s first defeat in his 21 bouts.
Inspired 12th Rd paves Goodwin victory | 01:40
Goodman declared: “It’s Mr Mandatory now when you talk to me. It ain’t Sam Goodman, it’s Mister F***ing Mandatory!”
He was full of praise for his rival, but complained at some illegal tactics that went unpunished, saying: “He hit me with about 30 headbutts every round. I was hearing it was punches. F***ing bollocks!”
And when the rogue judge’s scorecard was read out, he said of his reaction: “Check my pants, I think … honestly!”
‘Mr f***ing mandatory’: Aussie seals world title bid despite judge howler
STUNNING DRAMA AS REF OVERULES DOCTOR
The event exploded into wild controversy as legendary trainer Jeff Fenech used plenty of guile and trickery – some of which a world champion declared was ‘not allowed’ – to get a fight continue even as a doctor tried to stop proceedings.
In an Australian super lightweight title fight, Fenech’s challenger Hassan Hamdan started brilliantly and was firmly on top against the reigning holder Frost in the opening rounds.
But a horrible head clash in the fourth round left Hamdan with a horrible cut above his right eye.
“That’s a horrific cut, bad cut,” Ben Damon said in commentary.
The referee stepped in and immediately called for the official doctor, who recommended the fight be stopped immediately. Had that been the case – with the fourth round not finished – the fight would have been ruled a no contest.
Doctor OVERRULED after ‘horrific’ cut | 01:56
Both fighters implored the doctor and referee to allow proceedings to continue.
But Hamdan’s trainer Jeff Fenech – also doubling as his cut-man for the bout – leapt up to the ropes and yelled at the referee “Give me the chance to fix it!”
The referee allowed Hamdan to go to Fenech for treatment, but the doctor was still calling for the fight to be stopped.
Then came a remarkable twist, as the referee allowed the bout to continue.
Ben Damon was stunned, saying: “He’s overruled the doctor, the referee!”
“This is boxing, anything can happen,” former world champion Shawn Porter said.
Hamdan avoided any more damage to the cut for the remainder of the round, before the referee and doctor did stop the bout.
But because four rounds had been completed, the fight went to the judges’ scorecards and Hamdan won unanimously with a perfect 40-36 score across the board.
However, the former world champ Porter said in commentary: “There’s a lot that went on that’s not meant to go on. Jeff Fenech’s not supposed to be up there. You’re not allowed to be up there!”
Hamdan said: “The doc wanted to stop it. But I said, ‘Listen, I nearly floored this motherf***er. You’re not going to give me a f***ing draw. No way’.”
MORE: Insane drama as ref overrules doctor amid legend’s ‘not allowed’ act
EXPLOSIVE FEUD ENDS IN DEMOLITION JOB
After an explosive war of words threatened to overshadow the main event, Rocky Ogden delivered an equally explosive finish to demolish Mark Schleibs with three first-round knockdowns in the very first round of the main card.
Just one minute into their bout, Ogden caught Schleibs with a ruthless straight right. Schleibs bounced back to his feet and attempted to fight fire with fire, landing plenty of his own shots despite being clearly hurt.
With 30 seconds remaining in the opening round, another chopping right hand from Ogden sent Schleibs back to the canvas.
He just managed to beat the count again despite wobbly legs.
But it didn’t last long, with Ogden pushing the tempo and forcing the referee to step in when Schleibs nearly fell through the ropes after yet another right hand to the chin.
The pair were able to make up after their week at war.
“It’s all entertainment. I didn’t take disrespect too well,” Ogden said, but added: “I was actually really calm coming to this fight.”
“We put on a pretty entertaining week so everyone should be pretty happy and s**t.”
Ogden is now 6-0 with five knockouts to his name, and added: “You just keep seeing me level up.”
Talivaa kicks card off with HUGE KO! | 00:35
BRUTAL KO FROM HEAVYWEIGHT RISING STAR
It took just two and a half minutes for the Tszyu-Ocampo undercard to explode into life with a vicious first-round knockout.
Rising heavyweight star Liam Talivaa, who previously sparred with Paul Gallen in the build-up to the ex-NRL star’s Kris Terzievski bout last year, sent Isaac Liki crashing to the canvas with a devastating left hook to the chin.
Michael Schiavello said in commentary for Main Event: “That was an absolute ripsnorter!”
He added Talivaa: “Absolutely crumbled Isaac Liki.”
30-year-old Liki had no chance of regaining his feet as the referee immediately waved off the bout.
29-year-old southpaw Talivaa has only been boxing for three years, and turned pro just 12 months ago, but now racks up a second brutal knockout from his five wins.
Talivaa is trained by the renowned Tony Del Vecchio in Bondi, who has coached fighters to six world titles.
He entered the fight 13kg lighter than his rival and with a 12cm reach disadvantage, but demonstrated incredible power as both fighters swung for the fences in the opening round.
‘ABSOLUTE FLAMETHROWER’ CRUSHES BEAST
In the very next fight, Queensland heavyweight Troy Pilcher claimed a statement first-round knockout victory over one of the most intimidating men in Australian boxing, Hasely Hepi.
Hepi, a Maori man who entered in style to a large group performing a haka, had claimed three-straight knockout wins since the pair fought to a draw in September.
But it was Pilcher who blasted his way to victory in a thrilling rematch to retain the ANBF Queensland heavyweight title and move to a 6-1 record.
Hepi (now 6-1-2) copped an overhand right early in the first round and was immediately shaken.
Pilcher shoved his rival to the ground with some rough-housing tactics, which wasn’t ruled a knockdown – but Pilcher soon followed up by sending his rival to the canvas twice more in the first opening round.
The first came via a thunderous right hand, with Hepi gamely beating the count to continue.
“An absolute flamethrower of a right hand,” Michael Schiavello said in commentary.
But Hepi couldn’t survive a mauling barrage in the dying seconds of the round, with an uppercut leaving him flat on his back.
Two-time world champion Billy Dib said in commentary for Main Event: “What a shot. What an ending! I told you don’t blink!”
Pilcher declared: “My goal here is to make a statement. I belong here.”
VEGAS LIGHTS UP FILIPINO IN ‘ABSOLUTE THRILLER’
With a name like Vegas, you expect entertainment – and 21-year-old Aussie Vegas Larfield delivered in a super bantamweight thriller against Filipino Jhunrille Castino.
Larfield showed immense technical ability to seal the biggest victory of his career in a high-quality bout, the judges awarding the young Australian the win (59-55 x2, 60-54) to move his unbeaten record to nine wins.
Castino – who has never been stopped – was fighting for the first time outside the Philippines, but brought vicious power and troubled the Australian from the start with a dangerous right hand.
But Larfield combined precise jabs with a body assault in a fine all-round display, with the bout soon turning into an exceptional battle.
Australian boxing great Barry Michael roared: “What a war!”
And Schiavello labelled it: “An absolute thriller.”
Castino showed remarkable resilience, with Dib declaring: “He’s one tough hombre, that’s for sure!”
But former rugby league player Larfield (a good friend of QLD star Reece Walsh) showed his class – and plenty of guts himself – to win what Michael called the “biggest victory so far in his blossoming career.”
“I probably give myself I pretty low rating,” for his performance, Larfield said.
But he was full of praise for his rival: “He was a tough fight, he made me work for it.”
“I want to be undisputed world champion,” he boldly declared.
There’s plenty of room to improve his defence if he’s going to challenge the world’s elite, but Peter Badel of the Courier Mail said: “I think he can go all the way to Vegas and be world champ.”