Hogan was entering this fight off a fifteen-month layoff but had received title chances in his previous two fights, losing by seventh-round knockout as an undersized middleweight against Jermall Charlo for Charlo's WBC title and losing a majority decision to Jaime Munguia for the WBO junior middleweight championship that many (including me) thought that he deserved.
Tszyu had battered former WBO welterweight champion, Jeff Horn, into submission in eight rounds and then a first-round knockout of countryman Bowyn Morgan in December and entered his toughest test against Hogan as the possible next WBO mandatory challenger with a victory.
For two rounds, Hogan did well in exchanges and I gave Hogan those rounds on my card and it appeared that after a second-round headbutt cut Tsyzu on his left eyebrow that the youngster was going to receive his first taste of adversity.
However, Tszyu stayed composed and began to win the exchanges in the third and fourth rounds to even the fight entering the fifth round.
Tszyu dominated the fifth, punishing Hogan to the body, and causing him to begin to protect himself there, which naturally left him open to a huge uppercut that sent Hogan and nearly ended the fight.
Hogan did rise courageously, but Tszyu leaped on his opponent and with Hogan on the run from Tszyu's punches, the towel sailed in from the older fighter's corner as the sign of surrender.
Tim Tszyu faced his toughest opponent and did well and should he survive one more inter-country battle later in the year against Michael Zerafa, Tsyzu should be in the line for the winner of the four title unification match between Jermell Charlo and Brian Castano in 2021.
In the boxing challenge, Ramon Malpica and I each scored one point to move the overall totals to 36-34.
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