Bloodied Tim Tszyu delivers fifth-round knockout win over Hogan

Tim Tszyu’s blood dotted the ring but he emerged victorious after a fifth-round knockout win over Dennis ‘The Hurricane’ Hogan in Newcastle.

Tim Tszyu launches at Dennis Hogan during the WBO Global Super Welterweight title fight at Newcastle Entertainment Centre. Picture: Getty Images

Tim Tszyu’s blood dotted the ring but he emerged victorious after a fifth-round knockout win over Dennis “The Hurricane” Hogan on an electrifying night at Newcastle Entertainment Centre.

Tszyu kept his professional record at a perfect 18 wins from 18 fights, 14 via knockout, as he showed a brutal streak against the Brisbane-based Irishman.

After the fight the Sydneysider, who has curiously lacked a nickname though his career, said he wanted to be known as Tim “The Soul Taker” Tszyu. After a bruising affair that saw the crowd favourite repeatedly attack his opponent’s body, Hogan would not be arguing.

Tszyu’s theatrical walk to the ring started with a knock on his locker room door from NRL superstar Latrell Mitchell and the victory nearly blew the roof of the joint.

The bout only went ahead after a legal stand-off over the Irishman’s trunks continued until shortly before the opening bell.

As late as 8.30pm ahead of the scheduled 10.05pm start, Hogan was still threatening to boycott if he wasn’t allowed to promote a personal sponsor that was a rival of the betting company aligned to the promoters, No Limit Boxing, whose boss Matt Rose was on the phone to lawyers as the minutes ticked away.

The real issue was Hogan displaying his betting company’s name in large letters on the waistband of his trunks and not alongside his other sponsors in a less prominent position.

Ultimately, Tszyu and Hogan emerged on time. A concocted controversy? Only Hogan knew. Getting to wear his preferred trunks was the only victory he would have. The 26-year-old Tszyu blew “The Hurricane” out like a candle to move within touching distance of a world title fight later this year.

Raising his dukes where his father, Kostya, fought and won seven times, Tszyu had deafening support inside an arena that felt like a glorified country barn. He methodically and brutally broke Hogan down in a fifth-round stoppage.

Hogan was roundly booed when he walked to the ring. Tszyu had Mitchell knock on his door before a long routine that included Queen’s “Another One Bites The Dust.” Hogan shook a glove at a section of spectators who gave him the finger and grinned like a mad man every time he was razzed. Two chants kept breaking out. Australia! Australia! And Tszyu-castle! Tszyu-castle! Just like they did for Kostya.

Tszyu was cut above the left eye in round two. Hogan was the rank outsider but more than a handful. Hogan raised a glove again after the second round to signify he was on top. Tszyu’s claret trickled onto the canvas but he stunned Hogan in the third round and dominated from there.

Earlier, South Sydney’s NRL superstars Mitchell and Cody Walker were in their seats for the start of an undercard that featured a handful of willing contests. Mitchell was ringside, wearing a mask, four hours before Tszyu’s post-10pm starting time, watching Linn Sandstrom’s flyweight victory over Felicity Loiterton. Sandstrom knew the victory was coming before it came, accompanying her punches with shouts of, “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

It was a rowdy crowd in a rough part of town. Walker chimed in next to Mitchell for the second rumble, between Jason Fawcett and Alex Carioti. They’d barely begun their junior middleweight preliminary when one of the more uncompromising patrons told Fawcett, “Knock his head off!”

Every time Fawcett landed a punch, Carioti laughed as if to say he had felt not a thing. “No mate,” Carioti kept saying, which incensed Fawcett, who hit harder and harder while sneering, “You want to fight? Do ya? You want to fight?” One of Fawcett’s entourage yelled from start to finish, “Good boy! Good boy!” Fawcett was such a good boy he won on debut.

The only thing that made the crowd go quiet was the Hannibal Lecter mask worn to the ring by Darkon Dryden before his junior middleweight win over Jason Medwar.

That was somewhat chilling, although everyone warmed to his “Newcastle Versus Everybody” singlet. The early stinks came and went quickly enough, the atmosphere building hour by hour, perhaps peaking when Wade Ryan and Koen Mazoudler went toe-to-toe in a 10-round thriller won by Ryan; perhaps reaching a crescendo when Matthew Johns gave Andrew a peck for Kiss Cam. It was by the time Tszyu made his way to the ring and not much later when he walked out victorious.