Italy’s Danilo Creati appears to have become the latest victim of the Nikita Tszyu curse –scoring a nasty cut and unconvincing draw on the night he was fighting for a shot at Australia’s super welterweight champ.
Coming into Wednesday’s No Limit on Fox headliner knowing a win would almost certainly guarantee him a shot at the youngest Tszyu sibling, Creati could only manage a draw against New Zealander Marcus Heywood.
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Worse, the fighter who went the distance with now world title challenger Michael Zerafa back in 2022 also suffered a nasty cut over his right eye from a “big headbutt”.
The unconvincing result continued a run of bad luck for fighters who have been promised a shot at facing Tszyu in a No Limit headliner in early April.
Only a week ago, Sydneysider Koen Mazoudier appeared to have punched his way into a Tszyu fight after finishing Travis Druce in Wollongong – but was later found to have suffered a perforated eardrum.
A week before that, New Zealander Viliami Liavaa was also told by No Limit CEO George Rose that a win would likely punch his ticket into a Tszyu headliner – however he was also stopped in a stunning upset by Anton Markovic.
And now the curse has struck again, this time at the hands of Heywood — a fighter whose nickname, somewhat ironically, is The Headache.
Certainly it has been that sort of week for the No Limit crew.
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Only days after American superstar Keith Thurman withdrew from his headliner with Tim Tszyu, the search for a challenger for the younger brother, and national champion, remains open.
Yet just as his team sorted the Tim Tszyu saga, with the Australian now fighting for not one but two titles against Sebastian Fundora, so Rose has promised to find an end to what even he admits is a curse.
Asked if he could put Creati into a headliner after the result – which two judges scored 38-all and a third 39-37 for the Italian – No Limit CEO George Rose gave no guarantees.
Soon after he said with a shrug “it’s the curse of Nikita Tszyu at the moment”.
So as for who is left in the sweepstakes?
“It’s a good question,” Rose grinned.
“I’d like to see how Danilo pulls up.
“I really think he looked good at moments in a tough fight.
“Four round fight, against a big guy with knockout power, I think Danilo handled himself really well, showed great evasion.
“Still got that hand speed too.
“I would’ve preferred five rounds to be honest.
“The four rounds are hard to score when guys are going hell for leather.
“But the sweepstakes are still open”.
Speaking himself after his fight, Creati said he remained hopeful for a shot at The Butcher given he had stepped on only three days’ notice for the Moore Park event.
The Italian said that given he had gone the distance with Zerafa on three weeks notice, five weeks would be more than enough to prepare for Nikita Tszyu.
“Five weeks is enough,” he said.
“And definitely better than three days’ notice.
“I had three weeks to prepare for Zerafa so I’m used to having these late phone call fights.”
Creati also questioned the result, continuing: “I think the verdict was a bit strict.
“The only big punch (he landed) was a headbutt.
“In Australia apparently they’re not rewarding accuracy.
“But it is what it is.
“I’m feeling good.
“Feel happy for what I could do.
“The referee didn’t see the same fight, they were rewarding something else.
“I don’t really know what the judges saw … but the referee has the last word.”
So as for having done enough to face Tszyu?
“Considering I was coming off three days’ notice against a tough opponent … we gave away so many advantages,” he shrugged.
“But still not enough to convince the judges.
“Let’s see.”
And as for how long the cut will take to heal?
“This is the first cut of my career,” he conceded. “So a week? I dunno?”
On a solid No Limit of Fox card, Melbourne welterweight Adem Spaull scored an upset split decision win over the Central Coast’s Jason Fawcett.
In a high action fight, Spaull earned a split decision win: 58-56, 56-58, 58-56.
Elsewhere, promising Aussie welterweight Dharringarra Trewhella also took his undefeated career start to three straight with a strong decision win over John Weetra.
Supported by a large crowd from the Western Sydney Wanderers’ Red & Black Bloc supporter group, Trewhella took the fight on all three judges’ scorecards, 40-36, 40-36, 39-37.
And in the first fight of the night, Nathaniel ‘Cheeky’ May scored a convincing stoppage win over Lui Magaiva, whose corner threw in the towel during the fourth round.
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