Tim Tszyu’s next fight again becomes a point of intrigue, after the unbeaten sensation scores the biggest win of his career. So, what should he do now?
Let’s just stop to reflect for a second; Australia has one of the best boxers on the planet.
Tim Tszyu is so good, in fact, that even world champions are terrified to step in the ring with him.
The Sydney product now turns his attention to 2024, after another unblemished year where he scored three huge victories against international stars and twice defended his WBO super welterweight championship.
And he has lofty ambitions. So let’s dive into all the context, ahead of any official announcement for Tim Tszyu’s next fight.
Tim Tszyu’s next fight
TBD
Tim Tszyu’s next fight may well be the one we’ve been waiting over a year for now. But we’ll have to wait and see if Jermell Charlo steps up to the plate. He’s spent most of 2023 running scared and chased a paycheck with Canelo Alvarez. And now all he’s done is give Tszyu more time to develop into a world-beater.
Hopefully we don’t have to wait too long for an update on Tim Tszyu’s next fight.
Strong performance from Tim Tszyu with the unanimous decision victory over Brian Mendoza (116-112, 116-111 and 117-111.) He’s must-see TV. Never takes a step backward. Methodical pressure. Impressive win over a very tough and game Brian Mendoza. Tszyu’s power is different.
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) October 15, 2023
After defeating impressive American Brian Mendoza, Tszyu immediately reiterated his interest in throwing down with chirpy Charlo.
“CHARLO, where you at?”
Those were the first post-fight words out of Tszyu’s mouth.
“In (Charlo’s) delusional head, he’ll probably think that he’s going to beat me.”
Keep scrolling, we’ll come back to that situation.
Tim Tszyu’s last fight
Brian Mendoza: 24 fights, 22 wins (16 by KO), 2 losses
Tszyu continues to go hunting big names and Mendoza was the latest. There’s no doubting the American star posed yet another dangerous challenge for the unbeaten Aussie.
The Orthodox from Albuquerque, New Mexico, scored his most high profile win in April, knocking out Californian rising star Sebastian Fundora. But Tszyu was able to handle his threatening punching power, patiently out-boxing Mendoza and going close to ending it a couple of times.
I was wrong bout Tim Tszyu he looked better then I thought he was last night 💯
— Shakur Stevenson (@ShakurStevenson) October 15, 2023
The American showed incredible resilience to deny the ref a chance at stepping in, when Tszyu looked seriously close to ending it in the latter rounds.
The 12 rounds will hold Tszyu in even better stead for the bright-lighted Vegas mission he craves. The Aussie has been able to prove he has the power to end fights quickly, but also the fitness and resilience to tough it out in deep water.
After Tszyu’s knockout win over Ocampo, former world champion Shawn Porter – in commentary – confirmed that all the momentum is with the Aussie.
“This is a big problem for Charlo,” he said on the Main Event broadcast.
And nothing has changed, after Tszyu managed to move to 24-0 professionally.
“Look at all this momentum on the side of Tim Tszyu.
“Tszyu has so much to talk about when they go to a press conference, or they go to this and that – Charlo has to keep his mouth shut.
“What can he talk crap about? Nothing.”
More on the Tszyu-Charlo situation
Following Charlo’s withdrawal from his scheduled bout with Tszyu at the start of the year, thanks to a hand injury, the American has done nothing to worry the rising star from down under.
The actions of Charlo provide clear indications he’s not very keen on the idea of facing Tszyu. Charlo instead chased money and went up in weight for a fight with Alverez; he lost via unanimous decision.
Rather than waiting, Tim Tszyu has continued to take risks and stay busy. And that hard work has paid off; he’s gotten through unscathed and undoubtedly grown as a boxer.
So now time will tell if Tim Tszyu’s next fight ends up being against the man he’s been eyeing off for well over a year.
There’s absolutely no doubt that Tszyu – the mandatory challenger – has earned a shot at Charlo’s light middleweight belts.
I don’t think there can be much more resistance to the idea that Tim Tszyu is among the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world and Jermell Charlo is wise for not wanting to have anything to do with him.
— Phil Prior (@Phil_Prior) October 15, 2023
Why haven’t they fought yet?
Before Tszyu’s Gold Coast battle with Ocampo, Charlo was ordered by WBO officials to accept a duel with Tszyu by October, or risk consequences. It turned out that Charlo was happy to sacrifice those consequences for a shot at a bigger (and heavier) fish: Canelo Alvarez.
Charlo and fans of the undisputed light middleweight world champion will argue there are reasons the Tszyu fight never happened. He of course broke his hand in preparation for the supposed Charlo-Tszyu bout in early 2023. But that adversity was well and truly in the rear view mirror and since then, there were shady updates around a slow recovery.
In May, ‘Iron Man’ Charlo called out Canelo Alvarez, who was coming over an unanimous win over Londoner John Ryder in Mexico. This came as he was supposed to grant Tszyu an earned title opportunity.
32-year-old Alvarez, who’s best appears to be slightly behind him, had too much power and class for the American.
Now it’s time Charlo defends his belts.
The emergence of Tim Tszyu
Previously, Tszyu’s unbeaten record came under serious threat against Terrell Gausha in 2022; his first international task. But in the face of adversity, he fought through a knock down and claimed a win that’s provided him the intangible perspective and realisation he probably needed, having not really been challenged to that point.
It became crystal clear the Gausha win in Minneapolis was a moment of awakening for the son of boxing legend Kostya Tszyu. Tim looked incredible earlier this year in his follow-up assignment against Harrison, a world class opponent.
But the more real life rounds and fight preps Tszyu has gotten through now have him more primed to knock off a big-named world champion.
Tim Tszyu’s pre-Gausha resume was spotless; names like Jeff Horn, Steve Spark, Takeshi Inoue, Jack Brubaker and Joel Camilleri.
How to watch Tim Tszyu’s next fight
No Limit Boxing is the key promoter for Tszyu’s events and as per usual, Main Event will be broadcasting – which means it’ll be available to purchase on Foxtel or through the Kayo streaming app.
Tszyu’s win over Carlos Ocampo
Win (KO, Round 1), Carlos Ocampo, MEX, June 18, 2023 | Retained WBO light-middleweight title
In June 2023, Tszyu made the most emphatic statement of his career against world class competition in Carlos Ocampo, on the Gold Coast. It was a first round knockout felt in both hemispheres — even faster than Errol Spence Jr finished the Mexican. Tszyu successfully defended his interim WBO super welterweight championship.
27-year-old Mexican Carlos Ocampo, who fights between welterweight and light middleweight, took on the Aussie at super welterweight, with the interim WBO super welterweight title up for grabs.
It was Ocampo’s third professional loss.
Ocampo’s record went to 35 (23 KO) wins, 3 losses. He was coming off a loss to awkwardly tall Californian Sebastian Fundora (20-1-1), which went the distance and resulted in an unanimous decision. That fight happened on Fundora’s territory, in Cali, for the interim WBC super welterweight title. Tszyu and Fundora have not yet crossed paths, but the 197cm American is coming off his first loss; a stunning Round 7 knockout by Tszyu’s most recent opponent Brian Mendoza.
