The best, Muhammad Ali, mentioned in 1967: “They are saying while you get hit and damage dangerous you see the black lights — the black lights of unconsciousness. However I do not know nothing about that. I’ve had 28 fights and 28 wins. I ain’t by no means been stopped.”
Tim Tszyu mentioned on Sunday: “Each time I step into the ring, I am prepared to die right here.”
Boxers are warriors, however generally they want saving from their bravery lest they see the last word black gentle.
Tszyu’s loss to Russian Bakhram Murtazaliev was akin to a late-night avenue bashing.
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It was horrendous to look at and it ought to have been stopped sooner than the third spherical.
The Australian was so badly damage by his first two knockdowns he grew to become a punching bag.
Letting him get dropped 4 instances earlier than his brother Nikita threw within the towel was a harmful absurdity.
There have been indicators Tszyu was outmatched and at risk
Tszyu stored getting up, however Murtazaliev stored knocking him down. (Getty Photos: Alex Menendez)
Murtazaliev is taller and has an extended attain than Tszyu.
Tszyu got here into this bout after his first bloody defeat, to American Sebastian Fundora.
The Russian got here in undefeated.
Ricky Hatton, the boxer who ended the profession of Tszyu’s father Kostya in 2005, as soon as mentioned: “Undefeated fighters are at all times harmful as a result of they do not know they are often defeated.”
So it’s with Murtazaliev, whose superior energy was apparent when he took Tim Tszyu down with a wind-up left hook within the second spherical.
Tszyu stood rapidly however was unsteady, eyes glazed: on resumption, he staggered again, low arms, throwing punches, not but crushed.
Then got here one other Russian left hook, this time straightening earlier than contact. Tszyu went down once more.
Now he had rubber legs, which introduced recollections of his previous man’s combat towards Zab Judah in 2001.
Kostya Tszyu famously hit Judah with a dynamite proper, felling the American, who bounced up earlier than staggering and toppling.
The referee referred to as the match off as Judah tried to argue he was OK to proceed.
ESPN boxing analyst Max Kellerman mentioned the stoppage was untimely.
“I’m not satisfied that Judah would have misplaced the combat had he been allowed to proceed,” Kellerman mentioned.
“Up to now, Zab has demonstrated the power to return off the canvas to attain knockout wins.”
Alternatively, the referee’s decisiveness might need protected Judah from additional damage.
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Within the case of Tim Tszyu being hammered by Bakhram Murtazaliev, there was extra savagery to return.
Tszyu tried preventing again, throwing bombs from reminiscence — exhibiting the viewers the scale of his coronary heart — however his legs had been all however gone. He regarded drunk attempting to evade Murtazaliev.
The combat might need been fairly stopped by referee Chris Younger with 15 seconds to go within the second.
As an alternative, Tszyu was knocked down for the third time.
The bell sounded and Younger tackled Murtazaliev earlier than he may strike once more.
Not a good combat
A health care provider inspected Tszyu within the break, utilizing the follow-my-finger check and shining a torch within the boxer’s eyes.
The combat continued within the third with Tszyu giving no indication he knew what was taking place.
This may be confirmed after the competition, when Tszyu mentioned in a slurring interview: “What the f*** simply occurred? What did I get hit with?”
After Tszyu’s fourth knockdown, referee Younger warned him: “Yet one more time, the combat’s over.”
The remaining — together with one other right-hand bomb that despatched Tszyu sprawling into the ropes — appeared merciless. Then got here the towel.
A assessment of the officers’ decision-making ought to be held by the Worldwide Boxing Federation: it was apparent that Tszyu couldn’t shield himself and had no likelihood of constructing a comeback after the second spherical.
It isn’t pedantic to assessment the timing of stoppages in a sport that may be lethal.
Ten years in the past, Queensland boxer Braydon Smith died in hospital after a combat. 5 years in the past, Dwight Richie, as soon as an opponent of Tszyu, died after a sparring session in Melbourne. And in July, Lemuel Silisia died simply days after going the space in his maiden title combat.
Fortunately, Tim Tszyu was taken to hospital in Florida and has been cleared of “severe trauma”.
Hypothesis about his future is a little bit of a fear.
As an alternative of agreeing to a different combat abroad or at residence, he ought to retire.
The 29-year-old’s daring and admirable try and turn into one of many world’s finest pound-for-pound champions — like his father — has fallen quick: he’ll by no means be the identical after such a beating.
Fortunately, promoter Matt Rose is circumspect.
“He’ll relaxation up for a few days now,” he mentioned.
“As soon as he will get again to Australia, we’ll do some extra testing to verify he is OK. A very powerful factor while you’re in fights like that’s to make sure you do the fitting check-ups.”
Not less than Tszyu deserves an extended break, and the following time he will get into hassle in a hoop he ought to, like all fighters, be given a extra merciful approach out.
