Undefeated Australians Nikita Tszyu and Ben Mahoney came face to face at Kurrawa Surf Club on the Gold Coast today, ahead of their IBF Super Welterweight World Title Eliminator on Wednesday, August 26 at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The winner will be well-positioned for a shot at IBF Super Welterweight World Champion Josh Kelly. It marks Nikita’s first fight on the Gold Coast, while Mahoney, the Gold Coast local, gets to do it in front of his home crowd.
Here is what Tszyu and Mahoney had to say at Kurrawa Surf Club:
NIKITA TSZYU
“For me this becomes the final step in the Australian side of things. If I can get past him then I’ve essentially done what I need to do in the Australian scene, and then I can continually progress into the world rankings and be getting better things.”
“I’m prepared for a fight. It’s the same stuff that happens every single time. It’s a battle, it’s a war, it’s a life or death situation. I take every fight the exact same way. In front of me is another man that has two arms, two legs and not much more to it. Don’t overcomplicate it.”
“A lot of the time they say the experience is going to be too much, it’s going to be too big of a step, shouldn’t have taken this one. But I’ve been victorious every single time, so it’s nice being able to prove them wrong, and I’m going to get another one on top of them.”
“Gold Coast has the fight kind of layout, this place feels like a place where a fight should be. Being around the convention centre, the Star Casino, the shopping centre all right next to each other, all the hotels everywhere, it feels like a fight place.”
BEN MAHONEY
“Gold Coast is my home, it’s my hub, it’s where I’ve grown up. It’s where all my family, friends and supporters are, and I feel most at home here. So it’s a privilege to be able to fight in front of all my people here.”
“It’s just another name for me. This is about me cementing my last name and my legacy, and it’s just timed out that we got someone of the name Tszyu, which is a massive name in themselves, and it’s lined up perfectly for this opportunity. Obviously winning this can lead to a much bigger opportunity in a world title bout.”
“He’s good. He’s got a stellar record, he’s beaten good dudes and he’s proved he’s a challenge. So, I’m excited for a nice hard fight. It’s boxing, anything can happen. We’re planning to get the win regardless.”
“This would be a huge, huge moment for me. I’ve just had my daughter Murphy and just started a young family. To win now, to put me in line for a world title, to fight for life changing money and for that final challenge, that means the world. That’s why I started this sport, that’s why I’ve been doing this my whole life, and it means the most especially to do it here.”
“It’s a 50-50 fight and it’s a hard fight. Either of us could win this fight if we apply the right game plan. You can be on either side of the fence, but that’s what makes the sport so great, it’s what makes the public get involved. They can argue backwards and forwards, and ultimately that’s what sells the fight more so than all the talking that people do. I’m glad the public’s involved and there’s a lot of noise around it, that’s exciting for me.”
“It’s a fight that’s got me up out of bed, it’s got me training hard, and it’s got me not leaving any stone unturned because I know I need to be the best me I can be on this night. My whole career through Muay Thai, I was just a kid growing up fighting grown men that were all jacked and muscly, and I’ve been told I’m going to get my butt beat my whole life. It’s been nice to prove people wrong every step of the way. So I’m excited to get in, excited to have a hard fight, and I hope the best Nikita shows up that night.”
“It’s massive to be able to fight someone that’s got scary power, that’s adjusting, that’s evolving, that’s getting better, that’s beat guys that I’ve beat, that’s been in that same pool. It’s an important fight, and as a fighter you need those progression fights, you need the hard fights that are going to make you step up and level up. I believe this is one of those fights, both of us have to be on our A game and I’m excited to get in there and get into it.”
