Tszyu changes tune on controversial draw, eyes off fights in US

Australian fighter Nikita Tszyu says he should have been awarded victory against countryman Ben Mahoney, after initially saying he thought he lost the fight that ended in a draw. Tszyu says he is ready to tackle the United States after fighting his professional career to date in Australia. What's next? Promotion No Limit Boxing is trying to secure Tszyu on the undercard of December's blockbuster fight between David Benavidez and Michal Cieslak in Phoenix, Arizona. Believing his domestic duties are done, Nikita Tszyu is ready to take on America after changing his tune and claiming victory in his controversial draw with countryman Ben Mahoney. Tszyu surprisingly but sportingly conceded he thought he had lost the pair's Brisbane bout last month after the judges, with three vastly different scorecards, declared a stalemate. But after watching replays of the super-welterweight stoush, Tszyu is now adamant he should have been awarded the contest. "I'm not a very good judge," he said of his initial verdict. "I scored it 7-3. In a good way, 8-4. I thought I won the majority of the middle rounds. I gave him the first two rounds and the last two rounds, but [I won] everything else in between. "I don't regret it, because it was what I felt at the time." The still-undefeated Sydney slayer hopes his best nights lie ahead of him — and ideally in the US. The 29-year-old and his team have always been happy to take things slowly and not rush into taking big fights in the boxing mecca. But Tszyu (12-1-0, 10KOs) finally feels ready, despite Tim relinquishing his IBO super-welterweight belt in the US to Sebastian Fundora, as well as losing a rematch and copping a brutal beat down in another world-title loss in America to Bakhram Murtazaliev. "I think I can figure it out," Tszyu told AAP. "This fight was a great learning curve for me and it puts things a lot into perspective. I've got to be a lot more professional with the way I do things. "I can't be landscaping close to the fight. I can't be doing woodworking close to the fight. Just some bad habits I do. "Yeah, I've got to be a professional athlete." No Limit Boxing is known to be pushing for Tszyu to feature on the undercard to the David Benavidez-Michal Cieslak unified blockbuster in Phoenix, Arizona, on December 12. But if a US date does not eventuate, No Limit has confirmed Tszyu will fight at least once more in 2026 in Australia. AAP The ABC of SPORT Sports content to make you think... or allow you not to. A newsletter delivered each Saturday.