Nikita Tszyu vs Ben Mahoney: Controversial Draw Sparks Rematch Debate

Matt Rose has moved to defend No Limit Boxing’s reputation after the storm that followed Nikita Tszyu’s controversial draw with Ben Mahoney – and fired back at any suggestion the rematch will be taken off their platform.

The IBF super welterweight world-title eliminator on Wednesday was everything Australian boxing wants to be: two unbeaten locals, a savage tempo, and a crowd riding every punch. It also delivered exactly what the sport doesn’t need – scorecards that left half the arena furious and the other half baffled.

Three judges, three very different fights.

Former world champion Phillip Holliday, a veteran of the game who once beat Jeff Fenech, saw it 117-111 to Tszyu. Nine rounds to three for the bookmakers’ favourite. At the other end of the spectrum, Sabrina Kerr had it 115-113 to Mahoney. The third man, Carl Zappia, split the difference and called it 114-114.

The announcement detonated inside the venue. A pro-Mahoney crowd, who had roared their local hope through some brutal middle rounds and watched Tszyu’s face swell and redden by the finish, answered with jeers.

Mahoney believed he’d done enough. Many in the building agreed.

In the ring, the drama didn’t stop with the final bell. Tszyu, bloodied and marked up, initially conceded that Mahoney had been the better boxer on the night. It was a rare admission from a rising star being groomed as one of No Limit’s marquee attractions.

Then came the flashpoint.

No Limit boss George Rose bristled at comments from Mahoney’s corner, his temper boiling over in a raw, expletive-laced outburst. He said he wanted to “slap the s*** out of someone” and invited anyone booing to “meet him out front and we’ll sort it out”. It was the sound of a promoter who felt his fighter – and his brand – were under siege.

By the time the press conference rolled around, Tszyu had cooled and rowed back from his in-ring admission, explaining that his earlier comments came from frustration at not being more clinical. The tone had shifted. The controversy hadn’t.

Mahoney’s camp made sure of that.

Promoter Mick Francis, who also guides the careers of Jai Opetaia and Justis Huni and is a direct rival to No Limit, announced he would seek an official review of Holliday’s wide card. To him, 117-111 was not just generous. It was inexplicable.

“Phil Holliday, I don’t know what he was watching … those scores were way wide and I’m going to make an official inquiry about it because that’s not right,” Francis said, capturing the mood of a camp that felt lightning had struck them twice.

Mahoney has history here. His previous appearance on a No Limit show also ended in a controversial draw. This time, with a newborn baby at home and weeks of training spent away during the first months of her life, the emotional toll spilled out.

“We’re going to have to look at our [rematch] options; I’m open to it but it sure as hell isn’t going to be on another No Limit card,” Mahoney said. He was careful not to directly attack the officials – “I don’t want to throw any officials or judges under the bus” – but his message about fighters putting their lives on the line, and the sacrifices made, cut through.

The implication was clear: he didn’t trust the environment.

George Rose skipped the press conference, leaving his brother and No Limit co-founder Matt Rose, along with Tszyu’s long-time manager Glen Jennings, to face the questions.

Matt Rose acknowledged that “a couple of comments made in the ring” had triggered George’s reaction. He didn’t shy away from the idea of a formal review either. In fact, he welcomed it, convinced that any forensic look at the scoring would only strengthen Tszyu’s case.

“I’d be happy for them to challenge because I don’t think the scorecard of 115-113 was right at all,” Rose said.

“And that would mean Nikita wins the fight.

“But we’ll accept the draw. At the end of the day, I’m not going to complain about the 115-113. That’s the decision they made and that’s how they saw it.”

For Rose, the line in the sand was drawn when Mahoney suggested any rematch would not be on a No Limit show.

Told of the claim, he bit.

“What, it’s going to be on a Tasman card in front of 200 people?” he snapped back. “Who would stage it then?

“Please don’t try to diminish what we do in the sport. The shows we put on are the best in the country.

“If people are going to be critical of judging, it has nothing to do with us whatsoever.”

That’s the crux of No Limit’s defence: they promote the fights, they don’t fill out the scorecards. The judges are appointed independently. The heat, in their view, should be directed at the numbers, not the logo on the ring canvas.

Yet the optics are impossible to ignore. Tszyu is one of their headline acts. Mahoney has now walked away from two No Limit shows with a draw he feels should have been a win. His promoter is demanding answers. His own faith in the platform is shaken.

The fight itself deserved better than a cloud of suspicion. It was a rugged, compelling contest, Mahoney finishing the stronger as Tszyu absorbed heavy shots and wore the damage. It left fans debating not just who won, but what comes next.

A rematch seems obvious. The question is where – and under whose banner.