Boxing Odds and Ends: Tim Tszyu Sweeps Away Inoue and Canelo’s Curveball

Junior middleweight Tim Tszyu, the face of boxing in Australia, moved one step closer to a world title fight with a lopsided 12-round decision over stubborn Takeshi Inoue on Wednesday in Sydney, Australia. Tszyu won every round on two of the cards and 11 rounds on the other.

The scorecards harked to Inoue’s Jan. 26, 2019 match in San Antonio with Jaime Munguia, but that fight, although Inoue suffered a virtual shutout, was an entertaining  dust-up as most of the rounds were closely contested. Not so tonight. Although the Japanese invader (no relation to “The Monster,” Naoya Inoue) was never badly hurt, he plainly ran second from the first bell to the last.

The 27-year-old Tszyu, the son of the legendary Kostya Tszyu, advanced his record to 20-0 (15). He entered the contest ranked #1 by the WBO whose champion is Brian Castano. Tszyu is expected to fight Castano next in what would be his first venture outside Australia, but there’s a potential fly in the ointment as Castano would prefer a rematch with WBC/WBA/IBF belt-holder Jermell Charlo with whom he fought a controversial draw in July.

Tszyu predicted that he would stop Inoue in six, but Inoue, who was 17-1-1 heading in, has a cast-iron constitution.

On the Undercard

Dennis Hogan, a world title challenger at 154 and 160, made known his intention to retire if he lost to Tommy Browne, but Hogan lived to fight another day by winning a clear-cut six-round decision. With the victory, Hogan, 36, stemmed a three-fight losing streak that began with a controversial setback to the aforementioned Munguia in Mexico.

Brisbane’s Hogan, a transplant from Ireland, improved to 29-4-1 (7). Browne, a 37-year-old Aussie warhorse, was likewise a former two-time world title challenger, but that was back in his days as a featherweight. He had won six straight heading in, including a bout billed for the super welterweight championship of Thailand, but indicated after today’s fight that he was ready to call it quits. If this was his swan song, he leaves the sport with a record of 42-9-2 (18).

The midweek boxing card was originally slated for Gold Coast, Queensland, but shifted to Sydney, New South Wales, where Covid restrictions were less severe. Fans attending today’s event, however, were required to show proof of vaccination.

Canelo’s Curveball

Canelo Alvarez hadn’t yet finished off Caleb Plant before speculation began as to his next opponent. This past weekend, Alvarez’s trainer Eddy Reynoso chummed the water by naming four possibilities: top-ranked super middleweight David Benavidez, WBC middleweight champ Jermall Charlo, and light heavyweight belt-holders Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev.

Then yesterday, at the World Boxing Council convention in Mexico City, Alvarez threw everyone a curveball. In a shocker, Canelo announced that he would move up to cruiserweight to challenge WBC title-holder Ilunga Makabu.

Canelo wouldn’t be the first fighter to jump up two weight classes without an intervening bout, but never before has a non-heavyweight covered such a wide expanse in a world title fight. Unless Team Canelo insists on a “catchweight” (similar to what Sugar Ray Leonard did when he challenged light heavyweight belt-holder Donny Lalonde), Makabu would enter the ring carrying about 200 pounds.

A 34-year-old southpaw from the Republic of the Congo, Makabu sports a record of 28-2 (25 KOs). He was knocked out in 29 seconds in his pro debut and stopped in three rounds by Tony Bellew in his first crack at a world title, but has won 10 in a row, most recently a seventh-round stoppage of 40-year-old Nigerian journeyman Olanrewaju Durodola in December of last year in his first defense of the title he won with a unanimous decision over Poland’s Michael Cieslak. Makabu is the older brother of 17-1 heavyweight Martin Bakole.

Canelo vs. Makabu will likely transpire on May 7, 2022 during Cinco de Mayo weekend.

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