Australian Tim Tszyu stopped American Tony Harrison in round nine with a blistering performance on Sunday, picking up the interim WBO super welterweight title.
The undefeated 28-year-old Australian won by technical knockout in the Sydney bout after unleashing a series of powerful hands.
Tszyu, the son of former light welterweight world champion Kostya Tszyu, said his win sent a message to US super welterweight boxing champion Jermell Charlo.
“The message has been sent clearly. You know what’s coming. I’m coming. I’m coming to America,” he told a packed field of Australian fans.
Tszyu was set to fight Charlo in Las Vegas in January.
But Charlo’s defense of the top four world sanctioning crowns was called off when his promoters announced in December that he had broken his left hand during training.
Charlo recorded only one loss in his career – when Harrison won a unanimous decision for him in December 2018 in New York.
Charlo came back a year later and defeated Harrison in a rematch.
On Sunday, the 32-year-old Harrison tried to keep Tszyu at bay for most of the fight with a series of rapid-fire jabs.
But eventually the Australian’s powerful hook and uppercuts put the count down, releasing the Americans and directing the referee to stop the attack.
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