NEWCASTLE, AUSTRALIA – Australian superstar and former world champion Tim Tszyu returned to the ring in style with a fourth-round TKO over Joey Spencer Saturday night in the main event of PBC Championship Boxing on Prime Video from the Newcastle Entertainment Centre in Newcastle, Australia.
After losing a pair of title fights in 2024, Tszyu (25-2, 18 KOs) gave his home fans in Australia what they were looking for and scored a big victory to put himself back into contention for a second world title run in the star-studded 154-pound division.
“We took over the town and put on a show,” said Tszyu. “To have this type of stage, it’s one hell of a ride. There was no pressure…well there was a bit of pressure. I couldn’t take another loss. I hope I taught people that if you go on the floor, you can always get back up and rise to the top.”
Tszyu came into the fight measured and largely held back his punches in the first two rounds, choosing instead to stalk Spencer (19-2, 11 KOs) around the ring and measure his distance. In round three, Tszyu turned up the heat and began to score with lead left hooks as Spencer was too often caught stuck in the line of fire.
“I learned from my mistakes,” said Tszyu. “You don’t go in like a hothead in the first round and abandon everything. I had a hell of an opponent in there and I was blessed to share the ring with him.”
In round four, Tszyu quickly began to do damage, badly bruising Spencer’s right eye, which immediately began to swell. From there, the onslaught was on, Tszyu unloaded with huge combos, while Spencer was only able to return fire with one or two shots at a time.
Tszyu landed a brutal 41 power punches in the decisive fourth round according to CompuBox, eventually forcing Spencer’s corner to throw in the towel, ending the fight 2:18 into the round.
“The critics are always going to be there, but I had to prove it to myself,” said Tszyu. “I proved it to everyone in the world. I’m back baby, I’m back.”
After the fight, Tszyu welcomed a potential Australian blockbuster against former unified world champion Keith “One Time” Thurman, who recently returned to the ring in the land down under, knocking out Aussie Brock Jarvis in March.
“Sign the contract big boy,” said Tszyu. “If the fans want it, we can bring a mega-show to Australia. He knows who to contact.”
In the co-main event, heavyweight rivals went haymaker for haymaker as Liam Talivaa (7-1, 3 KOs) blasted out Brandon Grach (3-1, 2 KOs) in round five to avenge a defeat in the pair’s first contest.
Grach and Talivaa first met in a sensational 2023 firefight that saw Grach score one of the year’s best knockouts in the second round. They once again threw big punches from the outset, as Australia’s Grach and the southpaw from New Zealand Talivaa looked to pick up where they left off.
Talivaa struck first in the titanic affair, landing a counter hook that knocked Grach off-balance midway through round three and scored a flash knockdown. After Grach rose to his feet, Talivaa had more success with power hooks that badly bruised Grach’s right eye, causing immediate swelling.
After Grach looked to get some of the momentum back in his direction in round four, Talivaa came out fast in round five, with a right hook and straight left combo that hurt Grach badly and eventually saw him hit the canvas again. Talivaa left no doubt in the follow up, throwing huge shots to force referee Dean Cambridge to stop the bout 1:08 into the round.
“I came here to redeem myself and show the world who I am,” said Talivaa. “Big up to Grach. I thank him for a hell of a fight and for making my story even better.”
Action also saw middleweight contender Endry Saavedra (17-1-1, 14 KOs) score a victory by eighth-round TKO over Denmark’s Mikkel Nielsen (13-3, 5 KOs), dominating the contest with body shots throughout, before closing the show with two knockdowns.
A 2016 Olympian representing his native Venezuela, Saavedra was making his ring return after a memorable October 2024 showdown on Prime Video that saw him and Cesar Mateo Tapia both hit the canvas on their way to a majority draw. Against Nielsen, Saavedra showed impressive ring IQ, taking the time to methodically break his opponent down.
Saavedra began to really get his momentum going in round four, landing a crisp uppercut that stunned Nielsen and began a steady stream of blood from his nose that would hamper him throughout the fight. The onslaught came to a crescendo in the eighth, as a right hook to the body from close quarters forced Nielsen to take a knee.
Nielsen was able to rise to his feet, and stayed game while looking to wing big right hands, but was eventually dropped again by a series of big shots before referee Chris Condon halted the action 1:42 seconds into the round.
Coverage on Prime Video began with contender Koen Mazoudier (13-4-1, 5 KOs) earning the Australian Super Welterweight Title via unanimous decision over the defending champion Dan Hill (7-2, 3 KOs) after 10 toe-to-toe rounds.
The fight got off to a blistering start, with the pair combining to land 100 punches across the first two rounds. In round three, Mazoudier landed a thudding right hand in the final minute that put Hill down on the mat, taking control of the momentum early.
Despite the knockdown, Hill was undeterred and continued to push forward after surviving the third and had a strong fourth round in an attempt to turn the tide in his favor, but still took his fair share of damage. The fight continued its rough and tumble nature through the 10th, with Mazoudier punctuating his performance by hurting Hill again in that final frame, this time with a left hook, eventually clinching the victory by scores of 100-89, 99-90 and 98-91.
“Anytime, anywhere, anyone,” said Mazoudier when asked about his next move post-match. “I’d love the rematch with Nikita Tszyu. I want anyone who they think is better than me. Anyone who wants to test themselves, I’m here to show that I’m a world-level fighter.”
The event was promoted by No Limit Boxing and The Rose Brothers, in association with TGB Promotions.
Roberto Villa is the CEO, Founder, Executive Writer, Senior Editor of FightBook MMA. Has a passion for Combat Sports and also a podcast host for Sitting Ringside. He’s also a former MMA fighter and Kickboxer.
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