Boxing 2021: Tim Tszyu targets Brian Castano for Boxing Magic Weekend event
Three days, 30 professional fights, an American superstar ringside, Tim Tszyu battling for a title and Paul Gallen targets former NRL gun. Boxing’s Magic Weekend is revealed.
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Brian Castano can’t hide forever, Tim Tszyu has declared while turning his attention to American Tony Harrison for a November showdown in the Boxing Magic Weekend event.
Tszyu is resigned to WBO champion Castano ducking him until forced to fight by the sanctioning body, which now seems likely to be in 2022, after the Argentinian dismissed the idea of fighting Tszyu next.
Interviewed last weekend, Castano said Tszyu needs “more fights” despite being ranked No.1 by the WBO.
“He can run all he wants but he can’t hide,” Tszyu said.
“Once I’m mandatory, he’s going to have no choice but to fight me.”
Castano told ESPN host Max Kellerman his priority is getting a rematch with Jermell Charlo for the undisputed super-welterweight championship and wants Tszyu to wait in line.
“Tim Tszyu is a good fighter, but I need a bigger fighter,” said Castano (17-0-2, 12KO).
“I respect his career, but he needs more fights. He needs more experience and to fight other opponents.”
Castano also brushed the idea of fighting in Tszyu’s backyard.
“I need the fight here, not in Australia. Why he’s not coming here?” Castano said.
“I need the fight here, the people watch me, and they know me here in the USA. My work is here in the USA.”
Tszyu (19-0, 15KO) is waiting for the WBO to officially mandate him as Castano’s next opponent.
But even if that happens, Castano will be given 90 days to respond, and could drag it out further to avoid facing the Australian assassin before he can get a rematch with WBC, WBA and IBF titleholder Charlo, with whom he drew a fortnight ago.
The IBF then ordered Charlo to defend that belt against mandatory challenger Bakhram Murtazaliev from Russia, putting a halt to any immediate rematch for the unified titles.
Castano seemingly wants Charlo to quickly defend his title against Murtazaliev and get the rematch before he is ordered to fight Tszyu or give up the belt.
He has certainly ignited Tszyu’s wrath by dismissing him in the weekend interview.
“That’s a bit of an ego thing now, he thinks he’s someone special, he thinks he’s above me,” Tszyu said.
“He should be ready to take on any challenge.
“They’re all really underestimating me, they don’t look too much towards me but when they have no choice I’m going to shock them all.”
It now seems destined that Tszyu will fight former world champion Harrison (28-3-1, 21KO) at the No Limit Boxing Magic Weekend, the biggest boxing event staged in Australia, to run over three days, featuring 30 professional bouts, culminating in a Sunday afternoon main event to be beamed live into the United States prime time.
“In all honesty, that’s perfect for myself because Harrison beat Charlo, so if I put an exclamation point to that, it’s big. And in my eyes, Harrison was beating Charlo in the second fight as well [before he was stopped],” Tszyu said.
“It’s a good, tough fight to boost me into that international scene, it’s telling them all as well that I’m coming in with a bang.
“The No Limit boys are doing well, they’re coming up with all these new ideas and it’s great to be a part of history.
“I’m more excited about the Harrison fight now, that’s what drives me.
“I’m blessed to be involved in all these big events, Australia deserves to have this attention, the fans of course deserve it.”
Wilder, Tszyu, Gallen set for boxing mega event
The biggest boxing event ever staged in Australia is being planned for November, with American heavyweight superstar Deontay Wilder set to be ringside for a Tim Tszyu title fight and a showdown between Paul Gallen and Darcy Lussick.
The revolutionary three-day boxing extravaganza, featuring Australia’s top professional and amateur fighters as well as NRL and AFL stars in the ring, will culminate in a Sunday daytime Tszyu fight that will be beamed live to millions of viewers prime time in the United States.
Promoters No Limit are in talks to bring Wilder out for the event after his $100 million trilogy fight against Tyson Fury on October 9 in Las Vegas.
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Plans for the extraordinary “No Limit Boxing Magic Weekend” can be revealed as potentially including a heavyweight fight between former NRL stars Gallen and Lussick — who knocked out Justin Hodges in 39 seconds in his only professional bout.
Lussick, 32, is chasing a fight against Gallen, who has become a pay-per-view sensation in boxing after defeating former world champion Lucas Browne, former UFC knockout king Mark Hunt, and going 10 rounds with Australian champion Justis Huni before he was stopped in their bout on June 16.
Some of Australia’s top boxers, including Steve Spark, Lenny Zappavigna, Liam Wilson and Mateo Tapia are being lined up to fight.
There are other yet to be determined celebrities, NRL and AFL stars that will be featured in sanctioned fights, while showcasing young amateurs over daylong schedules, from 9am-5pm, before the professional bouts on Friday and Saturday night.
The Magic Weekend is scheduled for Friday, November 19 through to Sunday, November 21.
No Limit wants to put a boxing ring outdoors, either beachside in Surfers Paradise, in front of Sydney’s Opera House, or Federation Square in the heart of Melbourne.
The Queensland, NSW and Victorian governments are all expected to bid for the event through their tourism arms, and after another year ravaged by Covid restrictions and lockdowns, the competition will be fierce.
In all, there will be 30 professional bouts held across the three days, to be shown live on Fox Sports and then on pay-per-view Main Event for the Sunday finale.
Tszyu could be fighting for the WBO super-welterweight championship.
After WBO champion Brian Castano and WBC, WBA and IBF titleholder Jermell Charlo battled to a draw in their super-welterweight unification fight a fortnight ago, the IBF ordered Charlo to defend that belt against mandatory challenger Bakhram Murtazaliev from Russia.
That has blocked any plans for an immediate rematch between the pair.
It’s now expected that the WBO will order Castano to defend his belt against the No. 1 mandatory — Tszyu.
Castano (17-0-2, 12KO) will be given nine months to make this fight.
Should he accept the November date, he’ll face Tszyu (19-0, 15KO) for the world title.
But should he opt to rest and take the full nine months offered to him, Tszyu will fight former world champion Tony Harrison (28-3-1, 21KO) in what would essentially be an elimination bout for Castano in early 2022.
It has not yet been decided if a Gallen bout would feature as the main support bout on the Sunday, or be offered for free on Fox Sports on the Saturday night.
The grandiose Magic Weekend plan has been devised by brothers George and Matt Rose, the owners of No Limit.
“The whole idea is to give Australian boxing the biggest platform it has ever had,” George Rose said.
“This will be on a scale never seen before, in terms of the challenge and the magnitude of the fights, and it will give boxing in this country the spectacle it deserves.
“We are trying to create a spectacular event that makes boxing a mainstream event in Australia alongside the NRL and AFL, we want people saying boxing is that big here.
“This is to show not just Australia, but the world, where boxing is at in this country and really showcase our ability to hold the biggest events. We’re not making up the numbers anymore, we truly believe we can be on par with Las Vegas, New York, Wembley Stadium as a true global boxing destination.
“We have a superstar in Tim Tszyu and some of the most talented fighters in the world coming through behind him.
“We will have our top fighters in big domestic match-ups, we’ll have NRL and AFL identities involved, and of course Tim Tszyu will headline it all.
“Tim is now only looking at the elite in the boxing game.
“We’re just awaiting to see what the WBO will do. We wanted the winner of Castano-Charlo but obviously they had the draw.
“That puts us in the box seat for Castano next, but if he wants to wait until next year Tszyu won’t wait around, he’ll take the next best, and that’s a guy like Tony Harrison, who is the only guy to have beaten Charlo.”
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Originally published as Boxing 2021: Tim Tszyu targets Brian Castano for Boxing Magic Weekend event
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