Nikita Tszyu admitted Ben Mahoney deserved the victory after their 12-round IBF super welterweight eliminator ended in a split draw on Wednesday at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre in Australia.
One judge scored the fight 117-111 for Tszyu, another had Mahoney winning 115-113, and the third returned a 114-114 card. The result preserved both fighters’ records, but it left their positions in the IBF rankings uncertain.
Mahoney began quickly behind his jab and higher output, taking advantage of Tszyu’s measured start. A clash of heads opened a cut above Tszyu’s right eye in the third round, ye
