Undefeated Australian super welterweight champ Dylan Biggs has accused Nikita Tszyu of “cherrypicking” opponents after earning himself a shot at the nation’s breakout star in devastating fashion.
Already Australia’s youngest national champion, Biggs has now punched his way into a likely November Pay-Per-View after needing less than a round to finish Ryan Mitchem – dropping his rival three times in less than as many minutes.
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The win topped an outstanding No Limit fight card where rising featherweight Vegas Larfield was upset for the first time in his promising career — which also included a near knockdown and timekeeping drama — while Sydney heavyweight Jackson ‘White Chocolate’ Murray earned a tough decision win after himself being dropped.
Still, the biggest winner was undoubtedly Biggs, who will now almost certainly be catapulted into a Tszyu headliner having gone undefeated in 10 pro appearances, and also said to have knocked Tszyu out cold during a sparring session between the pair several years ago.
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Asked by Fox Sports Australia why he would be different to the seven fighters who have already lost to the youngest Tszyu brother, also undefeated, he said: “I think Nikita has a lot of mismatches.
“He cherrypicks his fights.
“He gets them on the way out, when they’re fresh, or too small … I feel like he has never fought somebody on his level.
“But I’m that person.”
Asked if he felt disrespected by talk that, despite being champion, it was him who needed to challenge Tszyu, he continued: “You could say that.
“But at the end of the day they value the name over the belt.
“Which I don’t respect.
“But each to their own.
“A lot of the people watching aren’t fighters but hopefully Nikita can understand where I’m coming from and take the fight.”
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While Biggs was the biggest winner on Wednesday night, fellow Queenslander Larfield suffered a shock decision loss to gutsy Gunnedah product Albert Nolan – and in a fight that included two near knockdowns and a timekeeping drama.
Larfield almost dropped Nolan twice in the fourth, while he also lost a sixth round that the ringside timekeeper unfathomably cut short by 60 seconds.
Having started his career with nine straight wins, and being recently signed to the same management team as Tim Tszyu, he eventually lost on the scorecards 77-75, 77-75 and 78-74.
In the fourth Larfield landed a massive right hand that saw Nolan fall back into the corner post, and then appear to hold with his feet, without actually hitting the ground.
He then recovered — only to be rocked again shortly after against the ropes — yet by the fifth, he rallied and landed heavy on Larfield himself to eventually take the round.
There was more drama in the sixth, when the ringside official charged with timekeeping cut the round short by 60 seconds.
On the scorecards, judges Charlie Lucas and Shane Stanford both gave the sixth round to Nolan, while George Plellis had it for Larfield.
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Elsewhere, undefeated Sydney heavyweight Jackson Murray also survived being dropped in the fourth himself to earn a tough decision win over Melbourne’s Louis Marsters.
Dubbed ‘White Chocolate’, Murray had two judges score the fight 58-55 in his favour, while a third gave it to his rival 57-56.
Elsewhere on the undercard, Gold Coast middleweight Joel Pavlides won an absolute barnburner through six rounds against the Central Coast’s Cody Beekin.
While the 21-year-old eventually took it easily on the scorecards – 59-55, 59-55, 58-56 – the contest itself was a cracker as both fighters worked hard, threw heavy, and wore plenty.
In the first fight of the night, debuting Newcastle heavyweight Brandon ‘The Bull’ Grach scored an impressive win over 2012 Olympian Johan Linde. The gutsy Novocastrian got up 39-37 on two scorecards, while the third judge had it a draw.
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