A piece of news that shocked the boxing world is the cancellation of the undisputed fight between Jermell Charlo and Tim Tszyu. The American Jermell Charlo, in a statement released by him and his team, made it known that he fractured his hand during sparring in preparation for the scheduled fight against the Australian Challenger Tszyu. Reports claim the injury was serious and could take out the champ for about two months. The challenger, Tim Tszyu, was disappointed that he had to wait longer to have a go at the undisputed welterweight titles.
Tim Tszyu’s Road to the Top
Tim Tszyu had something to prove at every stage of his career as a professional boxer for one reason; his father. Tim Tszyu is the son of former undisputed light-welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu. The highlight of Tim’s career is his striving to box his way out of his father’s shadows. The Australian native, whose parents are Russian, is rated number one in Australia.
- Tszyu made his professional debut in December 2016 when he won a unanimous decision over Zorran Cassidy. In his sixth fight, he defeated Wade Ryan by Unanimous Decision to capture the WBC-ABCO Continental light-middleweight title.
- His most recent match occurred at The Armory in Minneapolis versus 2012 Olympian Terrell Gausha, who was making his American debut. Tszyu was knocked out in the first round but bounced back to dominate the second round and win by unanimous decision.
Tim Tszyu has won all his 21 professional fights, and fifteen have been by knockouts. He is a gifted boxer who remains gutted to be deprived of his shot at the undisputed title.
Jermell Charlo’s Road to the Top
In boxing, Jermell DeAvante Charlo has accomplished quite a bit. He is an American professional boxer who has held the WBO, WBC, WBA (Super), IBF, and Ring magazine belts since September 2020. He is presently the undisputed super welterweight world champion. Jermall Charlo, his identical twin brother, is also a professional boxer and an unbeaten world champion. Jermell did not just achieve all these overnight; he toiled and fought through obstacles to get there.
- Charlo’s ascent to fame began when he competed against John Jackson (20-2, 15 KOs) for the vacant WBC light middleweight belt. The title was left open after Floyd Mayweather Jr. retired. Charlo was severely lagging after the first seven rounds, having only won one round, according to the scores of all three judges. When Charlo finally caught Jackson in round 8, he could not recover in time, and the referee ran in to save him.
- He went on to compete against unbeaten WBO light middleweight champion Brian Castano for the undisputed title. A hard-fought battle between them resulted in a split tie.
- The most recent bout for Charlo involved a rematch with Castano. The battle was competitive, much like the first one, but in Round 10, Charlo scored two knockdowns, and Castano was seriously injured, so the referee had to halt it. With his WBA, WBC, and IBF light middleweight crowns, Charlo unified the WBO title.
Jermell Charlo Vs Tim Tszyu
Tim Tszyu and Jermell Charlo were scheduled to go up against each other on the showtime card in Las Vegas on January 28, 2023. However, Charlo was forced to postpone the title defense by at least two months after being diagnosed on December 23 with a left scaphoid fracture and a fractured 5th metacarpal base. Charlo sustained the injury during sparring. On Christmas Eve, word of the postponement was made public.
What’s Next for Tim Tszyu?
Tony Harrison, a former WBC super welterweight world champion, will be Tszyu’s opponent. Harrison, ranked No. 2 by the WBC and No. 3 by the WBO, has a record of 29 wins, three losses, and a draw, 21 of which came by knockout. The one loss on Tszyu’s former opponent’s record, Jermell Charlo, comes from Harrison, who won a twelve-round battle for the WBC junior middleweight title in December 2018 by majority decision. Currently, Tszyu is authorized to compete for the WBO interim championship while Charlo is on medical leave. The fight will take place on March 12, 2023, in Australia.
What’s Next for Jermell Charlo?
Jermell Charlo, whose injury is tipped to take an average of 2 months to recover, will have to wait longer to defend his title. This is because Tim Tszyu already has a fight scheduled for March, which may automatically move their fight date to the year’s second half.
One thing is for sure, Jermell vs Tim will happen this year, and it will be one of the most anticipated and exciting fights in the boxing world this year. Tim Tszyu looks to make history as the first Australian boxer to achieve undisputed world championship status during the 18-year four-belt period.
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