Australian Tim Tszyu wants a high-profile fight even if he has to wait for a title shot at 135lbs.
On Saturday night in Minneapolis he defeated a former title challenger, Terrell Gausha, in a twelve-man victory that saw him dropped in the first round, only to recover impressively.
On a score of 114-113, 115-112 and 116-111, he won by unanimous decision to keep his undefeated record intact.
Speaking after the fight, Tszyu said he was trying to be careful to avoid any early mistakes.
“The first few rounds I wanted to be cautious. And I got caught,” Tszyu explained, according to BoxingScene.com. “That obviously didn’t work. I wasn’t hurt. It was a flash knockdown. I threw a right, I didn’t see his right. What do you do? You get back up. It’s simple.”
The 27-year-old felt he was close to forcing a stoppage, but ultimately had to wait for the judges.
“It was a good experience, being able to see the shots and slowly put the pressure on him and break him down,” he said. “There was one round I could feel he was ready to go. I nearly got him out of there.
“I can’t wait to do it again. My dream is to fight in Las Vegas, but I wouldn’t mind coming back here. This place was incredible.”
The Australian is impatient for another fight, especially a profitable one. With Vasily Lomachenko currently focusing on the war in Ukraine at the expense of his boxing career, Tszyu is aware that Devin Haney and George Kambosos Jr. are likely unavailable as they plan an undisputed clash down under.
“I have to stay active,” confirmed Tszyu. “If the boys are just gonna go on their honeymoon after their one fight this year, what am I gonna do? I can’t just wait around for my boxing love to come back. You gotta stay active and make as much money as you possibly can. And you have to improve day by day. It’s quite simple.”