- Tszyu was knocked down in round one by Dylan Biggs
- Recovered to win by TKO in round five and take the title
- Later opened up on why he was able to recover so well
New Australian super welterweight champion Nikita Tszyu recovered from a shock first-round knockdown to defeat Dylan Biggs on Wednesday night – then revealed how an example set by his brother Tim helped him get off the canvas.
The 25-year-old was rocked by a straight right to the jaw from Biggs early in the first stanza of their clash in Newcastle, then survived a withering barrage from his opponent before shifting the momentum of the fight completely with a dominant effort in the fourth round.
He landed a vicious body shot to knock Biggs down in the fifth, with the referee stopping the bout seconds later as he couldn’t defend himself from Tszyu’s punches.
Dylan Biggs floored Tszyu with a hard right hand early in the first round on Wednesday night to hand the 25-year-old the first knockdown of his professional career
Tszyu recovered brilliantly, completely turning the tide in the fourth round as he battered the reigning champion with volleys of hard shots
Tszyu falls to the floor after winning by TKO as his uncle and trainer, Igor Goloubev (right) rushes into the ring to celebrate
After the bout, the youngest fighter in the famous Tszyu family explained that brother Tim’s experience in his first fight on American soil helped him get through the first knockdown of his professional career.
Tim was floored by a straight hand from Terrell Gausha in the first round of their fight in March last year, but recovered to score a clear-cut unanimous points win.
‘As soon as I was getting off the canvas I was like, “S**t! That was a good shot,’ Nikita said after winning his first title.
‘I knew I had to stay composed, keep the discipline going and push through.
‘My brother did it with Gausha, so there was no excuse for me not to do it.’
Biggs – who was undefeated coming into the fight – has a huge right hand on him, and the Tszyu camp were wary of it, with Nikita branding it ‘something to fear’.
Nikita’s knockdown was eerily similar to the way his brother Tim was dropped in the first round of his fight against America’s Terrell Gausha last March (pictured)
After the biggest win of his career, Nikita revealed that the memory of Tim climbing off the canvas to score a clear-cut win over Gausha inspired him to batter Biggs into submission
Straight right hands are usually one of the best weapons an orthodox fighter has when they fight a southpaw, and Biggs was landing his regularly in the early stages of the fight.
He was also throwing a lot of lead right hands at Tszyu – meaning he threw those punches without setting them up with a jab first, another common tactic for orthodox fighters when they take on lefties.
Asked when he felt he had turned the tide in the fight, Tszyu said, ‘When my jab started landing.
‘I noticed he was getting gassed … he was trying to hit me with pot shots from a distance. I had to set traps for him and hit him as he attacked.’
Tim (pictured celebrating with his brother after the fight) wants Nikita to fight alongside him in Las Vegas when he finally lands the big fight he’s been chasing for years
Tim – who said ‘my heart was beating quite fast’ when he saw his brother suffer the shock knockdown – told the crowd what he’d like to see Nikita do next now that he’s won the Aussie title.
‘Vegas, baby!’ he yelled while being interviewed in the ring.
‘You know who I’m chasing. Why not bring Nikita to fight as well? We’ll all go to Vegas together.’
He was referring to American fighter Jermell Charlo, who has dodged Tszyu for years as the Aussie chases the world super welterweight title.
