Tim Tszyu defends junior middleweight belt, tops Brian Mendoza - ESPN

Tim Tszyu made the first defense of his WBO junior middleweight title with a unanimous decision over Brian Mendoza on Sunday in Gold Coast, Australia.

Tszyu (24-0, 17 KOs) took control of the 154-pound fight in Round 5 and prevailed via scores of 116-112, 117-111 and 116-111.

He methodically applied nonstop pressure and broke Mendoza down, round after round. In the seventh, Tszyu rocked Mendoza multiple times with his patented chopping right hands. Mendoza also absorbed a tremendous right uppercut but somehow stayed on his feet.

Mendoza (22-3, 16 KOs) was again in serious trouble in Round 10 after Tszyu trapped him on the ropes with an onslaught of power shots, but again was able to withstand the punishment.

«He's tough,» said Tszyu, the son of Hall of Fame boxer Kostya Tszyu. «He's crafty. He's slick. He's got power. He's world class for a reason. He's just behind me.»

Indeed, Mendoza entered the ring rated No. 2 by ESPN at 154 pounds, with Tszyu in the top position. Mendoza, who fights out of Las Vegas, rose to that ranking with a series of upset KO wins. First, he shocked Jeison Rosario in November with a fifth-round KO. Then in April, Mendoza scored a far bigger upset with a KO of Sebastian Fundora.

But Mendoza, 29, couldn't pull off a third stunner. Tszyu was too strong, too precise and simply too good. He carved up Mendoza with thudding power shots as he calmly stalked him. Tszyu effectively cut off the ring and delivered compact punches with patience.

Slowly but surely, Tszyu was able to overwhelm Mendoza, who outboxed Tszyu early in the fight with an active jab and effective movement. But over the second half of the bout, Tszyu proved to be too much.

By the end, Mendoza was cut around both eyes and was forced to