Australian super welterweight champion Dylan Biggs has passed the audition to fight Nikita Tszyu with an emphatic statement against Ryan Mitchem.
The 21-year-old is already Australia’s youngest champion after beating Dan Hill for the title in July.
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But while Biggs has mostly fought out of the spotlight, the 10-0 rising star was given a chance to make his mark and book a date with Nikita Tszyu most likely in November.
Fighting Mitcham at catchweight, Biggs made short work of his 3-6 opponent, knocking him down three times inside one round showing that he had weapons far exceeding the skill of Mitcham.
It took just under 90 seconds for Biggs to land a big right and leave Mitcham on the ground for the first time.
Mitcham was proving to be little more than a punching bag as he said he broke his hand in the opening exchanges and was dropped by a flurry of uppercuts.
There was still 20 seconds left in the fight when Biggs overpowered Mitcham for the final time.
Main Event’s Ben Damon said Biggs had “auditioned perfectly”.
“It’s a big statement,” Jeff Fenech added. “He looked so composed.”
The prize at the end of the fight for Biggs with a top performance was a fight with Tszyu.
But Biggs said that he wasn’t nervous in the bright lights, despite the modest crowd.
“As you can see, I’ve got the belt,” he said. “I’m here to defend it, I’m here to take the big fights and I’m not afraid of the crowds.”
Asked what’s next, Biggs all but called Tszyu out.
“Everyone knows the fight we want,” he said. “But I think a lot of people have to understand that I’m being asked to call Nikita out but as you can see, I’m the champion so I don’t do the calling out, they gotta call me out.”
Asked if he had any words for Nikita, Biggs said: “Let’s get it on.”
The fight would be the biggest fight of Tszyu’s career so far and would be a great test for both men.
The Courier Mail’s Peter Badel said Biggs “had arrived” with that performance and that it sent a warning for Tszyu.
“We all look to Nikita Tszyu and we know that Nikita Tszyu is a knockout artist but look at the vision here, we’ve got a knockout artist in Dylan Biggs as well,” Badel said.
“From what I saw here, Nikita Tszyu should be a very nervous man.”
Olympic bronze medallist Harry Garside agreed, saying Biggs “rose to the occasion”.
Badel also questioned that Tszyu was “running scared” as the pair had a deal to fight when Tszyu went to fight Benjamin Bommber, which he won with a first-round KO.
Badel added that he believed Biggs would beat Tszyu.
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Speaking to the Main Event panel after the fight, Biggs said it was up to Tszyu to chase him, adding: “Everyone puts him up above the title, which I don’t think is the right thing to do.”
Asked about the fight earlier this year, Biggs said he wasn’t sure what happened earlier in the year as he and his team had a contract and started preparing when they were told they were no longer required.
But Biggs said that now Tszyu had been developing his reputation, there are less excuses if Biggs can claim the win.
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