Nikita Tszyu vs Ben Mahoney Ends in Split Draw

Nikita Tszyu and Ben Mahoney remained unbeaten, but neither departed with the victory required to advance his world-title ambitions after their 12-round super-welterweight contest ended in a split draw at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Judge Phillip Holiday favoured Tszyu by the surprisingly wide margin of 117–111, Sabrina Kerr scored 115–113 for Mahoney, and Carl Zappia returned a 114–114 card. The contrasting totals reflected a contest in which Tszyu generally landed the heavier punches while Mahoney produced the greater activity and finished strongly. There were no knockdowns, although a demanding, high-paced fight marked both men.

The match was set as an IBF eliminator, with the winner expected to move towards a challenge against champion Josh Kelly. Tszyu entered with 12 victories, ten inside the distance, while Mahoney brought a record of 17 wins and one draw. The local crowd gave Mahoney noisy support, and he responded by beginning confidently, jabbing at the southpaw and countering when Tszyu advanced without first occupying him.

Mahoney’s orthodox right hand was an important weapon from the outset. He worked behind the jab, attempted to position his lead foot outside Tszyu’s and sent straight rights through the centre. Tszyu preferred the front foot, probing downstairs before driving his left hand towards the body and head. Mahoney was busier during the opening exchanges, but Tszyu gradually claimed the centre of the ring and finished the third with a powerful left on the bell.

An accidental clash of heads in that round opened a cut above Tszyu’s right eye. Blood ran down the side of his face during the fourth and fifth, particularly when Mahoney’s jab disturbed the wound, but the corner controlled it well enough for it never to threaten a stoppage. Mahoney continued countering sharply while Tszyu pressed, landed to the body and tried to prevent him setting his feet.

Tszyu enjoyed some of his best work through the middle rounds. He repeatedly drove the left into Mahoney’s body and followed upstairs when the Queenslander’s guard narrowed. Mahoney, however, refused to become merely an accommodating target. Fighting from the back foot, he caught Tszyu with combinations and uppercuts, often answering immediately after being struck. The sixth ended with Tszyu landing a forceful three-punch sequence, but Mahoney responded well in the seventh, finding the head and ribs as Tszyu came forward.

The eighth produced the contest's most sustained exchanges. Tszyu landed several straight lefts to the jaw and kept coming in with the body. Mahoney returned hooks and counters, and the pair traded clean punches during the closing seconds. Neither man appeared close to falling, although the accumulating effort was plainly beginning to tell.

There was an untidy interruption in the ninth when Mahoney landed a right hand well below the belt. Tszyu was given time to recover, and Mahoney received a warning, but no point was deducted. Once the action resumed, both landed in a sequence of brisk exchanges. Tszyu pressed Mahoney towards the ropes, only for the local man to punch his way out and regain ground.

Tszyu’s left hand carried authority in the tenth, driving Mahoney backwards more than once. Yet he could not secure the decisive breakthrough his corner required. Mahoney recovered and produced scoring right hands in the 11th as the momentum continued to shift. Loose strapping around his glove caused another brief delay, but neither man was inclined to accept much rest.

The final round was fought with urgency rather than precision. Mahoney landed several rights, Tszyu answered with lefts to the head and body, and both continued punching through fatigue. They grappled, separated and exchanged again before embracing at the bell. Mahoney’s corner lifted him into the air, believing their man had done enough, while the ringside observers were far less certain.

The announcement of a draw brought boos from Mahoney’s supporters, the chief source of dissatisfaction being the 117–111 card for Tszyu. That score was difficult to square with such a closely balanced contest. Mahoney believed he had won, while Tszyu initially conceded that his opponent might have edged the fight by one or two rounds. He later said disappointment at failing to secure the stoppage had influenced his immediate reaction.

A narrow verdict for either man could have been defended, and the level card was not unreasonable. Mahoney’s greater output and strong finish stood against Tszyu’s pressure, body attack and heavier single shots. The draw left Tszyu at 12–0–1 and Mahoney at 17–0–2, while postponing the world-title opportunity both had come to claim. Boxing’s ladder can be awkward at the best of times; on this occasion, both men climbed for 12 rounds and finished on the same rung.

I had Ben Mahoney winning this by a round. A draw was not outrageous because several rounds were tight, but the 117–111 card for Nikita Tszyu was poor judging. You cannot give Tszyu nine rounds unless you are rewarding forward movement on its own and ignoring what actually lands.

Mahoney dealt with the southpaw stance intelligently. He used his jab to establish the distance, moved outside Tszyu’s lead foot and sent the straight right through the middle whenever Tszyu stepped in without punching. His feet were economical, and he rarely retreated in a straight line. Even when Tszyu forced him backwards, Mahoney remained composed enough to finish exchanges.

Tszyu’s best work came through his body attack. He carried the heavier single-shot power, and those left hands downstairs gradually reduced Mahoney’s movement. But Nikita was too predictable at times. He stalked when he needed to cut the ring, and he occasionally admired his work instead of moving his head or stepping off after landing. That allowed Mahoney to answer with two or three punches and steal the eye of the judges.

The cut above Tszyu’s right eye came from an accidental clash and was handled well. It did not decide the fight. Nor did Mahoney’s low blow in the ninth, although it was a bad one. What decided it for me was Mahoney’s activity and cleaner countering, particularly late on.

Tszyu initially said Mahoney had edged it, and his first instinct was the right one. Mahoney proved he belongs at this level. Tszyu remains dangerous, but he needs more variation and better ring-cutting before he is ready for a world champion.