Tszyu Retains Undisputed 140-Pound World Title With Sixth-Round TKO
The Fights Will Be Replayed In Their Entirety On SHO2 Tuesday, Jan. 21, At 11 PM ET/PT
19.01 - Making the first start in his adopted homeland in nearly five years, Kostya Tszyu, who is one of only two undisputed world champions in boxing today, sent home an enthusiastic, highly partisan crowd which was made happy by the successful defense of his World Boxing Council/World Boxing Association/International Boxing Federation (WBC/WBA/IBF) crowns with a sixth-round TKO over former WBC super featherweight titleholder and current WBC No. 4 contender "Jesse" James Leija. The bout, which aired live Saturday on SHOWTIME (10 p.m. ET/PT), took place Sunday afternoon at the Telstra Dome. In the co-feature on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING, hard-hitting, unbeaten Muhammad Abdullaev continued to serve notice that he is one of the sport's top prospects by registering an impressive fourth-round TKO over former IBF lightweight titleholder Philip Holiday to capture the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Intercontinental junior welterweight title. Millennium Events P/L, in association with Talentworks, Pty. Ltd, promoted the scheduled 12-round matches.
Tszyu (30-1-1, 22 KOs), of Sydney, Australia, by way of Serov, Russia, was ahead by the scores of 60-54, 59-55 and 58-56 when the bout was stopped. Fearing that his son had suffered a broken left eardrum, Leija's father, Jesse, told the referee, Malcolm Bulmer, to halt what had been a good, crowd-pleasing scrap at the end of the sixth round. The heavy-handed Tszyu had started slowly in the Sunday matinee but began to find his rhythm in the third round. As per his style, he got stronger and more involved as the fight progressed and seemed ready to assume control when the match ended.
Tszyu stamped himself as the world's premier 140-pound boxer on Nov. 3, 2001, on SHOWTIME, by adding the IBF belt to his already-glitzy wardrobe with a scintillating second-round TKO over previously undefeated Zab Judah. In a sensational performance in which he became the first undisputed junior welterweight champion since Paul Fujii in 1968, Tszyu finished Judah off with a devastating right hand in the second round. On May 18, 2002, Tszyu retained his titles with a near-shutout, unanimous 12-round decision over IBF No. 1 contender Ben Tackie on SHOWTIME. Tszyu captured the WBA crown on SHOWTIME with a seventh-round TKO over Sharmba Mitchell on Feb. 3, 2001. Nearly one-and-one-half years earlier, he won the WBC 140-pound title by stopping out Miguel Angel Gonzalez in the 10th round on Aug. 21, 1999. A winner of 12 in a row, including 10 by knockout, Tszyu was making his 17th world title appearance. After a terrific amateur career in which he went 259- 11, he turned pro in Melbourne on March 1, 1992. In his last effort Down Under, Tszyu knocked out Calvin Grove in the first round on April 5, 1998, in Newcastle.
Leija (43-6-2, 1 NC, 17 KOs), of San Antonio, Texas, did a good job in the first two rounds as he outboxed and outworked the heavily favored champion. Leija, who fought the last couple rounds with a cut near his left eye, was still in the fight after four rounds, but Tszyu was steadily closing the gap. The hard-trying Leija has fought the world's most talented fighters in four weight divisions during a superlative 14-plus-year career. Leija, who defeated Azumah Nelson on May 7, 1994, to capture the WBC 130-pound crown, went 2-1-1 against the future Hall of Famer. Leija has met five other current or former world champions, including Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley, Gabriel Ruelas, Louie Espinoza and Troy Dorsey.
Abdullaev (11-0, 9 KOs), of Uzbekistan, floored Holiday three times before the bout was stopped without a count after the final knockdown 55 seconds into the fourth round. He also scored knockdowns in the first and third rounds. Abdullaev has now registered three knockdowns in each of his three appearances on SHOWTIME. In the others, he recorded a sensational first-round TKO over Juan Antonio Lopez Oct. 5, 2002, and a third-round TKO over Juan Rivera on May 11, 2002. Abdullaev captured the gold medal in the 139-pound division by outpointing Ricardo Williams, 27-20, at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Abdullaev also whipped Williams during the second round of the 1999 United States World Championships, prior to capturing a gold medal at the competition. During a stellar amateur career, in which he also defeated highly regarded pro, Miguel Cotto, Abdullaev won more than 270 bouts.
Holiday (38-6-1, 22 KOs) of Benoni, South Africa, had a two-fight winning streak in Australia end. He performed gamely and tried to fight back, but could not avoid the right hand and was outgunned. Holiday was making his first SHOWTIME appearance since losing a six-round technical decision to the then-unbeaten Hector Camacho Jr. in a bout stopped due to cuts on July 29, 2000. Holiday won the IBF 135-pound title with a 10th-round TKO over Miguel Julio on Aug. 19, 1995, in Sun City, South Africa. Holiday went on to make six successful defenses prior to losing a 12-round decision to Shane Mosley on Aug. 2, 1997, in Uncasville, Conn.
SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING's Steve Albert and former world champion Bobby Czyz called the action from ringside with Jim Gray serving as roving reporter. The executive producer of the SHOWTIME telecast was Jay Larkin, with David Dinkins, Jr. producing and Bob Dunphy directing.
For information on upcoming SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING please go the SHOWTIME website at http://sho.com/.
