Kostya Tyszu

It's difficult to say for sure but he's 38 & even had he stayed active I think it's fair to say his skills would have deteriorated by now. So with a 2 year layoff I think a comeback now would be fraught with potential disaster.

 

I really hope he doesn't. He retired at the right time.

 

He didn't retire, Hatton retired that Russian ****er......

 

I don't see it that way. It was a conscientious decision on Tszyu's part to not fight anymore. He still hasn't officiallly retired. And when assessing that fight (or any fight) it's important to consider the external variables (IE - **** that's out of a boxer's control) on fight night. Stuff like judges, location, referee, ring size, etc. I have no doubt that had these variables better favored Tszyu there would have been a different outcome to that fight. And I'm sure he knows it, too. But that's boxing, and I'm over it.

And the tables were turned on Hatton when he fought Mayweather. He was simply set up to lose.

 

He was always gonna lose to Mayweather but he showed no fear and won't retire or go on a hiatus.......

So do you think if Kostya had won a UD or SD he'd have fought on???

 

Hatton stops him, Witter stops him, Torres stops him, and Malignaggi outboxes him

Right now, his skills are probably a fraction of what they once were. He's getting older, his inactivity and past injuries would show. I doubt he'd have his signature sharpness and timing.

If he's got a chance at any title holder, it's Gavin Rees

 

Rees has too much stamina and deceptive speed for an old Tszyu in my opinion.......

 

I can't outright say yes to that. He had injuries, he was already 35, would have been 36 by the time he would have had another fight. But on the other hand the division was completely stacked with serious talent at that time (most of which has moved up to 147), and Tszyu loved to challenge himself. I think the most devastating aspect of the loss is that it's a fight that he clearly could have and should have won had it taken place under different circumstances. But he didn't ***** about it, and I admire that. that's just boxing.

And when it happened to Hatton (although I certainly don't think he should have or even could have beaten Mayweather, but let's be honest..the fight was entirely set up to favor PBF) he didn't ***** about it either. So I have a lot of respect for him.

 

So youre kinda saying a Hatton-Tzsyu fight in LA or Atlantic City would have meant an almost 100% surefire win for Kostya?? I know where youre coming from because Hatton did fight on the inside and clinch a lot but Tzsyu whacked Hatton as hard as he could and didn't really shift him so.....

 

If Cortez reffed it like he was refereeing the PBF-Hatton fight, I would heavily favor Tszyu. Wouldn't you?

 

Of course but Cortez wasnt really playing ball in that fight so the bout between ricky and kostya with him referee-ing is just as unfair as an English ref in the original fight......

How about Richard Steele referees them both in a fight in England???

 

Well I wasn't necessarily claiming that the circumstances completely change who wins, but that they had a huge impact on how the fight played out (IE - Tszyu quitting vs. the fight going to a decision or some other ending). Hatton completely smothered Tszyu, so I feel like with a different referee Tszyu could have won, yes. I can't say for sure but if I had to put money on it, under completely neutral circumstances, of course I'd bet on Tszyu.

 

I still think a 35 year old Tszyu could only have won against that particular Hatton by KO.....

 

Look at Tszyu's fight with Hatton - At the time of Johnny Lewis pulling the pin the scores were - 105-104, 106-103, 107-102

Now - Say that fight was in Vegas - With a proper referee - Tszyu gets credited for a knockdown in the 7th-ish round when he caught Hatton on the belt lin with a legal shot and was waved off as a low blow and then dock a point from Hatton for that ridiculous ball shot and the scores are then favouring Tszyu on one card, a draw on the other and a razor thin margin to Ricky going into the last round.

I could go on - But Tszyu handled it with class - No excuses and gave Hatton his props straight after the fight.

Anyone thinking that if the fight was on neutral ground or in Australia - Hatton would be off in the sunset by now.

Tszyu will not fight again IMO, he's too big now and too far removed from his ferocious training regimine and enjoying life to fight again.

Tszyu has never been overrated either. He had to earn his props and it took a LONG time for America and the rest of the world to see how special he was at his peak.

Say what you want about the Phillips loss - But look at what he DID afterwards, not what he said - What he went out and achieved.

13 fights against 7 former world champions, with 11 stoppage victories and unifying the division over the vastly overrated Zab Judah who is STILL given more excuses than KT ever got from the boxing media.

Say what you want about Phillips - Phillips fought the fight of his life that night - He absorbed some HUGE rights and when KT saw what happened - He went back to his basics and achieved what he achieved.