Tim Tszyu Blasts Out Carlos Ocampo in 77 Seconds

Tim Tszyu was slated to fight Jermell Charlo in Las Vegas on January 28 of this year. That fight evaporated when Charlo suffered a broken hand in sparring.

If that match had come off on schedule, Charlo, a four-belt holder who owned a 35-1-1 record and had avenged his lone defeat, would have been favored in the 2/1 range. But things have changed dramatically and when these two finally meet (the WBO has given Charlo an ultimatum to return to the ring by September 30, but the WBO doesn’t control the narrative) it wouldn’t be surprising if Tszyu were the favorite. It would be hard be hard to bet against the son of the great Kostya Tszyu in light of his two most recent performances.

In March of this year, Tszyu bludgeoned Tony Harrison, stopping the Detroiter in the ninth round before a capacity crowd at a 21,000-seat arena in Sydney. Last night in Broadbeach, Queensland (actually it was mid-day Sunday in the Land Down Under), Tszyu looked even sharper. Seconds into the fight, he hurt Carlos Ocampo with a left-right combination and had him on the deck twice before the carnage was halted after only 77 seconds of the opening round. Ocampo, from Ensenada, Mexico, brought a 35-2 (27) record and had won 13 of his last 14 since getting stopped in the opening round by Errol Spence Jr.

The 28-year-old Tszyu, who improved to 23-0 (17 KOs), suffered a dog bite to his right foreman at a friend’s barbecue on May 27, a wound that required 26 stitches and put this fight in jeopardy. However, based on his showing against Ocampo, the dog could have sunk its teeth deep into both arms and Tszyu would have still won.

Co-feature

In a 12-round super bantamweight contest, Sam Goodman (15-0, 7 KOs) scored a mild upset, winning a split decision over previously undefeated Ra’eese Aleem (20-1 (12). Goodman hails from Albion Park, NSW, but this was no hometown decision. The cards that favored Goodman (117-111, 116-112) were a tad wide, but closer to the mark than the 116-112 card in favor of Aleem, a Las-Vegas based Michigander making his first start outside the U.S.

Goodman did his best work in the late rounds, most notably round eight, and was the fresher man at the finish. His next match may come against Marlon Tapales who won the IBF 122-pound diadem with a split decision over Murodjon Akhmadaliev on April 8 in a barnburner in San Antonio.

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