Nikita Tszyu and Ben Mahoney fight out thrilling split decision draw in world title eliminator on the Gold Coast

“I think it was a rightful draw,” George Rose says, who is being booed relentlessly by the crowd.

He then adds that he wants to give someone a slap, but it’s not clear who he is directing that to.

“I thought it was a great fight.

“Anyone who wants to boo me, meet me out the front and we’ll sort it out.”

“I think I won that fight,” he says.

“No disrespect to Nikita Tszyu and his team, but I think I won that fight.”

He says this is the second time that he’s been duded in.

“I won tonight and got a draw again,” he says.

Here is Nikita Tszyu.

“It was a close fight,” he says, despondently.

“But I think he edged it.”

Here are the scorecards.

Judge one: 117-111 to Tszyu

Judge two: 115-113 to Mahoney

Judge three: 114-114!

A draw!

He and his corner think that he has won it.

I found it desperately close to call.

I’m not game enough to make a decision.

There is a lot of shrugging on the media desk. We don’t know.

We are all going to have to wait for the judges scorecards.

Final round.

Mahoney lands a couple of shots, the crowd gets excited but even they don’t know which way this will go.

Right from Mahoney.

Left from Tszyu.

Now they grapple.

Both men must be exhausted. The crowd crescendos like a rising wave.

Nothing clean is landing as both men throw fists in a pique of fatigue.

Tszyu lands to the body.

They clinch and now Mahoney lands.

They push and shove and then Mahoney lands a straight right.

A weak upper cut gets through from Mahoney.

And now two shots.

They throw hands and both land.

Tszyu pushes him away.

Now the fists are flying and the bell sounds and the exhausted men come together in a sweaty embrace of brotherhood.

It’s over.

There has been caution from both men in this fight – Tszyu has started to throw that into the wind, but will Mahoney join him as we enter the penultimate sets of three minutes.

Tszyu jabs to the body, then lands a left to the head.

Another jab and Tszyu fends.

Good right from Mahoney forces Tszyu back, but the younger man rebounds with alarming speed to fire back,

Jab from a fatiguing Mahoney.

Tszyu flashes a jab high and Mahoney lands his response.

Tszyu still with all the movement, the crowd rising as a jab lands – both men got shots away in that exchange.

More cuffing shots from Mahoney, who is then caught by a right from Tszyu.

Another stoppage as Mahoney’s strapping once again comes free. The referee is enjoying this so much that he takes it upon himself to push the offending strand into the glove and tells them to keep going.

Both men miss at the end of the round and we’ll go to the final three minutes of the night with everything still up for grabs.

Jab from Tszyu to the body lands.

He throws a left with force that bounces off the guard

He over reaches now though and gets caught by Mahoney on the advance.

Mahoney grimaces in exertion, pain and perhaps with a sense that he has seen an opening here, after catching Tszyu over the head.

Mahoney jabs to keep Tszyu away.

He jabs a couple more times and then they clinch, Tszyu punching out of it.

Tszyu lands a left and sends Mahoney scampering across the ring.

Another good left from Tszyu lands.

Tszyu returns to the jab, and so does Mahoney, exchanging rangy shots.

Good right from Mahoney, who then slips and like an arch predator Tszyu is on him in a flash, Mahoney desperately trying to keep his footing and avoid the punishment Tszyu is intent on delivering to him.

Mahoney flashes out a couple of sloppy jabs to end the round, for all appearances swishing at a spiders web rather than trying to cause his opponent any distress.

A clinch straight away.

Tszyu darts in and then, pauses, before flinging himself back.

One-two from Tszyu.

Mahoney lands.

Then lands three shots back-to-back with an artistic flourish.

Tszyu’s guard is high and Mahoney looks to the body before cuffing the younger man over the head.

That’s a great response from Tszyu though, a powerful shot to the head.

And now Mahoney is on the ropes and Tszyu smells blood, working him in close and believing he has a chance.

Mahoney punches out and sends Tszyu back, but the shaven-headed automaton cones back at him.

AND THEN HE GOES LOW! Very low. Tszyu needs to walk this one off. He will be given time and Mahoney will be warned.

Mahoney needs to use this and he does, a couple o  shots find their mark.

But he is caught too – Tszyu loves to throw hands and they both share a pugilist’s dance with blows landing alternately with varying force.

The crowd rises and Tszyu lunges forward.

Mahoney misses with a clever left hook and grimaces, because he must have felt that was something he could make great use of in time of need. Only now Tszyu has had prior warning.

Tszyu lands to the body. And then the jaw a brilliant left used twice to great effect.

Another left lands on Mahoney’s jaw.

Mahoney looks for the upper cut but Tszyu is alert to it and crushes a blow on him instead.

Another ripple of excitement courses through the arena as a blow lands on Tszyu’s body.

Mahoney has Tszyu bent off, promising an opening that Tszyu swiftly closes with a shot of his.

Mahoney has a strapping issue and there is a respite to proceedings.

Tszyu unloads with the left to the body again.

And to the head. And then the crouching body again.

Tszyu us off balance briefly as Mahoney lands a cuffing b low.

Tszyu with a left to the body, he bounces off the ropes and comes forward again.

Good left to the chin from Mahoney, and then Tszyu, and then Mahoney lands solidly again and the section of the crowd behind us rises again.

A chin shot each ends another thrilling round of action.

Half way through and none the wiser as to who will come out on top.

The crowd coos as a flashing left flies over Tszyu’s head.

Mahoney is forced back with a shot to his head.

Good left from Tszyu lands on the throat of Mahoney.

But a great response, Mahoney powering a shot that shots Tszyu and affords him the platform to lay a series of powerful shots on the youngster.

Left hook to the body from Mahoney lands, but Tszyu relentlessly comes forward.

A rat-tat-tat on the face of Tszyu slows him briefly, but he is coming forward with even more vengeance now.

Mahoney comes back and, with Tszyu stalling in his advance, he lands a solid blow to the ribs, an upper cut that you know Tszyu felt.

Tszyu responds to the crowds roar for their man with a couple of good shot.

Now Mahoney is on the retreat as Tszyu clips a couple of shots off his face.

Both men have shared blows, rocking each other’s head back.

Tszyu has commanded the ring better and that surely gives him the advantage with the judges.

But don’t dare to presume.

Tszyu checks a jab and finds flesh.

Another jab finds its mark, one each.

Then they collide and Mahoney lets fly with a series of shots to the head of Tszyu.

Another solid shot lands on the face of Tszyu from Mahoney, a collection of his supporters in the crowd behind us roar their approval in his white, branded tops.

Another series of scoring shots – he’s on the back foot Mahoney, but finding his mark with more regularity.

Tszyu cuffs a blow off Mahoney’s temple.

Good left from Tszyu, twice Mahoney’s head flicks back and sprays the front rows with sweat.

More blood trickles down the right side of Tszyu’s face.

But it’s Tszyu who lands a trio of majestic, mashing shots on the head of Mahoney, who is momentarily disoriented by where they are flying in from, swiping at an angry mozzie until the bell goes.

Tszyu’s bleeding eye is furthest from out position ringside so we can’t see how much it is leaking claret.

But the corner seems to have done a good job.

Tszyu does well there, landing to the head, and forcing Mahoney back, not allowing him to settle his feet and sit down on a punch.

Good lunging jab from Mahoney with plenty behind it pushes Tszyu’s head back in an uncomfortable flex.

Mahoney smiles a plastic grin of gumshield as a shot flies into his sternum.

There comes the blood again, lining the side of Tszyu’s face as Mahoney’s jabs find their mark and open up that rivet once more.

Tszyu lands a couple of good shots to end the round though.

This is a desperately even contest.

The right eye of Tszyu is bleeding.

Tszyu comes forward. Mahoney counters.

Tszyu tries again, the counter rocks his head back once more, a dastardly dance ensues.

Mahoney misses a fierce riht.

But he lands next time around. The blood is trickling down Tszyu’s eye, a rivet of red that Mahoney will now look to exploit.

He works the jab, looks for it again.

Tszyu powers a shot towards the chin of Mahoney, who looks for the right.

The referee steps in and warns Tszyu for putting his lead right foot behind the lead left of Mahoney.

Tszyu goes body and head, Mahoney comes back up top himself.

Now they come close and Mahoney fires the right with alacrity to keep his opponent at bay.

Tszyu darts across the ring away from a left hook.

But now he darts in and lands a couple of solid hooks of his own that pushes Mahoney back.

I have it even through two.

Tszyu gets front foot and goes to the centre of the ring.

He wants the control that real estate allows him, a cuffing right that sends Mahoney staggering backwards the down payment he requires to stay there.

Good left from Tszyu, darting in and out at speed and powering his glove into the chest of Mahoney.

Mahoney’s flopping strands of hair flick around as he darts in and out himself, but now he has to dart back as Tszyu takes control of the ring once more and lands some solid blows to the body.

Tszyu has blood on his chest, but I can’t see where it’s come from. The heads were close in that last exchange.

Mahoney lands a thunderous body shot that forces Tszyu back and bends him slightly.

Good right to the head of Tszyu, who counters in kind.

Good left shot from Tszyu provokes groans from the home crowd, a fearsome blow right on the bell that puts Tszyu slightly in the ascendancy in the round and the mind of the judges.

Tszyu leads with the right and gets on the front foot.

Tszyu edges forward and then Mahoney misses with an upper cut, he tries to tease Tszyu in there and it almost worked.

Good cuffing shots from Mahoney.

Tszyu jabs low, good reaching shot from the younger man.

Mahoney gets a couple of shot to the head through, glancing blows but scoring shots.

Low from Tszyu, missed by the referee as the crowd chants for the home town fighter, “Benny, Benny, Benny.”

AND DOWN GOES THE REFEREE! Haven’t seen that before. Tszyu is laughing, a brief moment of levity in the midst of battle.

Tszyu pushes Mahoney away after the Queenslander misses an upper cut.

Now they work in close and Mahoney lands some shots! Good work from Mahoney.

Now Tszyu lunges in and the ropes bend under the strain of their combined weight.

It’s bubbling nicely.

Plenty of respect at the centre ring as the fighters received their final instructions.

Tszyu swings on the ropes and then they’re together, the crowd a sea of lit screens as those hoping for early fireworks try to capture if for themselves.

It’s cagey though, both men testing the distance with feints and subtle movement.

Gloves are high from both.

Both men swing, both miss.

Tszyu remembers he has a jab and lands to the body.

Again the phoney war continues.

Mahoney flashes a jab at the face of Tszyu.

Now they do connect and come together in a flurry of movement, grappling after Mahoney landed.

Tszyu comes forward with venom and lands.

A left hook from Tszyu, Mahoney counters with the right.

Straight right from Mahoney forces Tszyu to lean back.

Good exchange there, Mahoney getting the upper hand with some solid shots.

Good shot from Mahoney right on the bell.

He goes back to the corner and his team are pleased. Mahoney sits, zen-like with his eyes half closed taking in the instructions and praise.

Nikita Tszyu (AUS)

Age: 28

Record: 12-0-0 (10KOs)

Height: 177cm

Reach: 180cm

Weight: 69.56kg

Ben Mahoney (AUS)

Age: 31

Record: 17-0-1 (9KOs)

Height: 180cm

Reach: 180cm

Weight: 69.66kg

Nikita Tszyu is the name on everyone’s lips today.

However, Ben Mahoney doesn’t care much for what the pundits think.

“I think for the mainstream media and people that watch boxing on Main Event and sit in front of their teles, Nikita is definitely the favourite,” he said earlier in the week.

“You look at the betting odds, it says it… but I think for the people who are in the industry and know who I am and have seen me come through, I’m the people’s favourite.”