At the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney, Australia, junior middleweight prospect Nikita Tszyu (7-0, 6 KOs) faced off against journeyman Jack Brubaker (17-5-2, 8 KOs) in a riveting contest. Nakita, son of the esteemed unified light welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu, confronted unforeseen challenges during this bout.
The 25-year-old Tszyu faced adversity early on when he was dropped by a right hand from Brubaker in the third round. Not long after, Tszyu found himself staggered by another powerful punch, finishing the round with visible swelling on his right cheek. However, as the fight progressed, Brubaker’s energy seemed to wane. Seizing the opportunity, Tszyu intensified the pressure, landing significant left-hand shots in the subsequent rounds. The pivotal sixth round saw a visibly exhausted Brubaker unable to defend against Tszyu's onslaught, leading to his corner making the decision to throw in the towel, ending the fight at 2:40 of the round.
Despite his victory, Tszyu’s performance highlighted areas in need of improvement. While his left-hand power and resilience were commendable, his defense was penetrable, a vulnerability he'll need to address before competing with the upper echelons of the junior middleweight division. Given that he didn't have the extensive amateur experience that his father Kostya had and had taken a break from boxing to focus on his education, Nikita's journey in the professional arena is still in its early stages.
The undercard also saw super featherweight Liam Wilson (12-2, 7 KOs) marking his return to the winner’s column. Wilson secured a ten-round unanimous decision victory over Carlos Maria Alanis (12-1, 4 KOs), including a knockdown in the seventh round. The judges scored the bout 100-89, 100-89, and 98-91 in Wilson’s favor.
Image Credit: No Limit Boxing