In a captivating matchup at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion, Nikita Tszyu demonstrated his resilience and determination to retain his title against a determined Danilo Creati. The early rounds saw Tszyu assert his dominance with powerful left-hand shots, earning him a knockdown in the second round. However, Creati showcased his toughness by absorbing the punishment and landing some effective shots of his own, including a jolting right hand in the sixth round that briefly wobbled Tszyu.
Despite the setback, Tszyu regained control of the fight and continued to punish Creati, particularly in the ninth and tenth rounds. Creati’s remarkable conditioning and durability allowed him to remain standing, but Tszyu ultimately secured the unanimous points victory with scores of 100-88, 99-90, and 100-89.
In a historic moment, Malik Zinad became the first Libyan to qualify for a professional world title fight with a classy performance in his 12-round majority points win over New Zealand’s Jerome Pampellone. Zinad showcased impressive skills and a resilient chin to earn the victory over Pampellone, who suffered his first loss in 19 professional bouts.
Furthermore, the Hordern Pavilion witnessed a thrilling women’s WBA super flyweight world title fight, where Argentina’s Clara Lescurat successfully defended her belt against Sydney-based challenger Linn Sandstrom. Lescurat’s relentless body attack and quick combinations proved too much for Sandstrom, who fought bravely but was outclassed. Lescurat emerged victorious by margins of four, eight, and ten points on the judges’ scorecards, making it her fourth successful title defense.
In another noteworthy bout, Cesar Mateo Tapia captured the WBO Latino middleweight title with a unanimous 10-round points win over Venezuela’s Keiber Gonzalez. Tapia, who resides in Florida but was born in Mexico and raised in Sydney, improved his record to 17-0, while Gonzalez suffered his first professional loss in 21 bouts.
