Undefeated Australian Tim Tszyu yesterday scored a unanimous points decision over tenacious American Brian Mendoza to defend his WBO super welterweight title, then taunted Jermell Charlo to “come and get it.”
The 28-year-old, son of renowned former world champion Kostya Tszyu, was brilliant and brutal in the 12-round battle on Australia’s Gold Coast that left Mendoza bloodied, but somehow still standing.
All three judges scored the bout in his favor, 116-111, 116-112 and 117-111.
Photo: EPA-EFE
“He’s world-class for a reason,” Tszyu said of the Las Vegas-based Mendoza, who earned his right to face Tszyu with crushing upset knockout wins over Jeison Rosario and the highly touted Sebastian Fundora. “But he’s second best.”
The victory improved the Australian to 24-0-0, with 17 knockouts, and cemented his status as the No. 1 challenger to big-talking American Charlo, who holds the other three major sanctioning body world crowns — WBA, WBC, and IBF — in the 154-pound (70kg) division.
Tszyu won the WBO interim title when he stopped American Tony Harrison in March and defended it with a spectacular first-round demolition of Mexico’s Carlos Ocampo in June to position himself as the mandatory challenger to Charlo.
However, instead of facing Tszyu as he was supposed to, Charlo opted to move up two weight classes to super middleweight and take on Canelo Alvarez in a more lucrative bout last month.
Charlo not only lost, but was stripped of his WBO belt, with Tszyu elevated from interim titlist to full champion.
“Charlo, where are you?” Tszyu said mockingly in the ring, tapping the belt he took from him. “He’ll probably think in his delusional head that he would beat me.”
“Come get it. Let’s prove to everyone who is king of this division,” he added.
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to