Tszyu under attack

[madjack]

Tszyu under attack
By Grantlee Kieza
January 28, 2003

SHARMBA MITCHELL lost to Kostya Tszyu after his knee went bung in their world title fight but he has never missed a chance to sink the boot in.

After having called Tszyu "a bum" last year, he was at it again on the weekend saying he craves a rematch with the Russian-born destroyer as much as a man would if someone had spat in his face.

Last Sunday Mitchell claimed the No.2 contender spot for Tszyu's world crown behind brawler Arturo Gatti in the IBF junior welterweight rankings and told reporters: "Tszyu is acting like a punk. He's trying to talk his way out of giving me a rematch.

"I was winning our fight and frustrating the hell out of him before he wrestled me down and hurt my knee.

"He just doesn't want to deal with that type of style, that's what it is. He's probably scared."

Mitchell said he thought Jesse James Leija was beating Tszyu in their world title bout in Melbourne which Tszyu won by TKO after six rounds.

"But I don't know why Leija quit," Mitchell told website Fightnews.com.

"A little ear ringing never stopped nobody."

Mitchell, who lost his WBA crown to Tszyu in Las Vegas in 2001 after he claimed a knee injury prevented him starting the eighth round, was at his bewildering best on Sunday in Atlantic City, putting on a boxing exhibition before scoring a stunning fourth-round TKO over Carlos Vilches.

Coming off an impressive points win over Tszyu's conqueror Vince Phillips, Mitchell decked Vilches in round one and twice in round four to score a TKO.

Mitchell landed a cracking uppercut to put Vilches down in the fourth and ended the fight with a ferocious combination.

The Washington southpaw now has a record of 51 wins against three losses with 30 wins by KO. Mitchell claims he knows the secrets to crack Tszyu's defence.

"This time I'm going to pick him apart," Mitchell said.

"I figured out I didn't even have to move that much to make him miss and get my punches in.

"I'm going to be there, make him miss and destroy him."

After Mitchell labelled Tszyu a bum last year, Australia's world champ said: "I believe the reason why he said this was to try to upset me and try to make me angry so that I will fight him.

"But I don't care what he is saying. I do not need to prove anything to him."

[Koshy]

Zab was bad enough let alone a zab try hard.

[harls]

Kostya was winning both of his fights with Jesse James and even more so when he fought Sharmba, before they GAVE UP. I believe they both QUIT because they knew it was all going to go downhill for themselves, because Kostya was getting stronger as both of the fights went on and probably both guys(Sharmba and Jesse) would have been KO'd if it went on! Kostya was also right when he said that the guys(Sharmba, Zab, Vince) where trying to make him angry enough for him to want to rematch them. But none of them DESERVE a rematch with Kostya. If Kostya decides to fight on, I think Gatti would be his next likely opponent.

[Dannyboy]

You get 10 year old kids that are sore losers because they dont know any better...you'd think that by the time fighters get to the level these champions are at they'd have a bit of respect for the fighters that are smart enough to beat them...maybe if they acted a bit more humble they'd get their re-match.
I say let Mitchel wallow in defeat to forever look back on that day he
lost his will to fight against a stronger and mentally un-breakable Kostya.
The same for Judah..just let him boil for the rest of his life, dont give a re-match, he wouldnt give Kostya one!.
"Wrestled me down & twisted my knee", come on Mitchell...this is a Thai-kickboxing forum, if that little half slip twisted your knee so bad that you couldnt go on fighting for a world title, I dont think Kostya has much to bother with....imagine this Mitchell after a few knees in his thighs or a couple of leg(knee) kicks...lol.

[Yosemite]

I'd like to see Mitchell get past Judah before he rematches Tszyu. I doubt he'd be able to handle Judah.