Australian heavyweight king Stevan Ivic has retained his national crown in a brutal Sydney slugfest being hailed one of the greatest fights ever on a No Limit card – and an undeniable contender for 2025 Fight of The Year.
Entering the Hordern Pavilion on an undefeated run of seven straight, 34-year-old Ivic survived, and starred, through 10 incredible rounds against Toese Vousiutu, who himself fought so brutally that, somewhere in the seventh, the champ remembers thinking “what the f… just happened”.
Afterwards, Ivic also conceded to having “lost brain cells” in a slobberknocker where he eventually earned the win on all three judges’ scorecards 96-94, 96-93 and 96-93.
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The Queenslander is now expected to take on Sydney heavyweight Liam Talivaa, who only last month avenged his sole career loss – taking just five rounds to finish Newcastle slugger Brandon ‘The Bull’ Grach.
“One of the greatest heavyweight fights we have seen in this country,” Ben Damon declared on Main Event.
“A rollercoaster of absolute destruction. Two heavyweights who put everything they had in their body and their soul into winning this fight and they’ve both finished it incredibly and inexplicably on their feet… extraordinary boxing. The courage that has been shown is out of this world.”
Tim Tszyu added: “I’m speechless. I can’t believe what I just watched. That is definitely fight of the year.”
After a cautious start through the opening rounds, the champ took things to another level in the sixth, where he not only teed off on his rival with a run of big shots, but dropped and almost finished him.
But the seventh?
Incredibly, Vousiutu not only came back, but suddenly began dominating himself in a brutal slugfest that is also now an early contender for Round of The Year.
Wonderfully, round eight was more of the same as the challenger, rejuvenated, piled on the pressure.
While then in the ninth and 10th, it was the champ who responded as the crowd continually found its feet, and Ivic earned the most incredible of national title wins.
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