When Kostya Tszyu and Zab Judah clashed for the unified 140lb world titles in 2001, it was an eventful fight to say the least.
In the build-up, boxing fans and pundits could not split the two men, as Judah, who was walked to the ring by his friend Mike Tyson, put his IBF super lightweight world title on the line, while Tszyu brought the WBC and WBA straps to the table.
But, come fight night, during round one it seemed Judah’s speed and precision were far too much for the slower Tszyu.
Fortunately for the Australian, he had the great equaliser with his power and this came in handy in round two.
As the round came to a close, Tszyu landed a crushing right hand that saw Judah crash down onto the canvas.
The American immediately jumped up to his feet, but his legs had turned to jelly and he quickly fell once again, as the referee Jay Nady had seen enough and waved off the fight.
Judah clearly felt he could have continued fighting, as he was furious with the referee and had to he held back by his corner.
At one point, Judah broke free and approached the referee, pushing his glove into Nady’s throat and throwing a punch at him before he was dragged away.
The angry New Yorker also through a stool across the ring and, eventually, was calmed down by his team and police officers. He was fined $75,000.
Judah recovered from this incident and went on to become a unified world champion once again, while Tszyu held onto his titles until he was knocked out by Ricky Hatton in 2005, but nowadays his son Tim Tszyu continues his legacy.
On Saturday night, Tim scored a stunning first round KO over Carlos Ocampo to maintain his unbeaten record and potentially set up a clash with undisputed super welterweight world champion, Jermell Charlo, for later in the year.
“There’s no doubt I’m going to America, that’s the land I want to conquer,” Tszyu said.
“I’m not satisfied with his interim belt – I want all four and I want the name Charlo on my resume. Let’s dance in October.”
It was a definite case of ‘statement made’ and the boxing world can’t wait to see what happens next.