Nikita Tszyu and Ben Mahoney have fought out a gripping draw on the Gold Coast, sparking immediate calls for the unbeaten Australians to run it back after their IBF world title eliminator ended without a winner.
After 12 gruelling rounds at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, the judges could not separate the super-welterweight rivals, leaving both camps frustrated and the Australian boxing world divided over who deserved the decision.
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One judge scored the contest for Tszyu, another sided with Mahoney, while the third had the fight even.
The result was met by a mixture of cheers and boos inside the arena, with Tszyu’s heavier punches appearing to give him the edge in several of the later rounds after Mahoney enjoyed considerable success behind his jab and movement early.
Mahoney repeatedly frustrated Tszyu during the opening stages, controlling the distance and landing clean shots as ‘The Butcher’ attempted to close the space.
But Tszyu gradually dragged his unbeaten rival into a more physical contest, landing a series of punishing left hands and forcing Mahoney to withstand huge pressure down the stretch.
The contrasting styles made the fight incredibly difficult to score — and the debate continued long after the final bell.
In a remarkable show of honesty, Tszyu admitted he thought his rival had done enough to win.
“He was a tough fight,” Tszyu told Main Event’s Ben Damon.
“I gave him maybe one or two rounds more.
“It was a close fight, but I thought he edged it.”
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Mahoney agreed with Tszyu’s assessment, insisting he should have been awarded the biggest victory of his career.
“I do believe I won that fight,” Mahoney said.
“I thought I came home nice and strong.
“I believe I took the fight in those [last] two rounds … all respect to Nikita, he’s a f***ing warrior.”
No Limit boss George Rose was booed as he entered the ring following the decision, but said he could not split the pair.
“Nikita talked down his performance, I thought it was a rightful draw,” Rose said.
“I tell you what, I’ll keep my composure, because I want to slap the s**t out of somebody if that [the booing] keeps going.
“Anybody who wants to boo me — meet me out the front and we’ll sort it out.”
Mahoney tried to calm down the crowd.
“There’s no need for hostility, we both have our peace,” he said.
“We put our life on the line and get in the ring and punch the f–k out of each other. When decisions don’t go our way, we’re a little bit emotional, sorry.”
The split among those ringside underlined just how difficult the fight was to judge.
Australian boxing legend Danny Green believed Tszyu’s repeated success with his left hand had been enough to get him over the line.
“I just felt that Nikita landed that left hand so often … it’s difficult to score,” Green said.
“I had Nikita Tszyu winning the fight. Full respect to Ben Mahoney, who I said wouldn’t go past eight rounds. He proved me wrong.
“It was a magic fight. It’s not pleasant when it ends controversially. I’ll have to watch it again to then score it properly.”
Veteran reporter Peter Badel scored the fight a draw but said Tszyu would need to find another level if he was to fulfil his world title ambitions.
“If Nikita’s going to win a world title, we need to see another gear from him,” Badel said.
“That wasn’t enough to tell me he’s ready for the world stage.
“That’s the greatest performance of his [Mahoney’s] career … what a warrior.”
Badel was far less complimentary about the 117-111 scorecard, branding it impossible to justify in such a closely contested fight.
“I thought that 117-111 scorecard was a disgrace,” he said.
“I can’t believe it was that wide.
“It was one of the greatest fights that we’ve seen in Australia.”
Many global boxing voices also reacted to the fight, with top US pundit Mike Coppinger among those calling out Tszyu’s rarely seen act of effectively conceding he lost the fight.
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While opinions differed over who deserved to win, there was almost unanimous agreement about what should happen next.
“I’d love to see the boys run it back,” Green said.
Australian world champion Liam Paro agreed.
“Let’s hope they run it back,” he said.
With neither man beaten and no clear winner emerging from 12 tough rounds, a rematch now shapes as the only way to settle the argument.